Four professors from Radboud University and Radboudumc received royal honours at the annual ‘lintjesregen’ (honours ceremony) on the occasion of Koningsdag (King's Day) 2025 for their exceptional scientific and/or social achievements.
The honourees are:
The Order of Oranje-Nassau is linked to special services to society. The Order of the Nederlandse Leeuw is awarded for services in the field of science and the arts.
Richard van Wezel is professor in Visual Neuroscience at Radboud University and affiliated to the Donders Institute. His fundamental research has focused primarily on the neural mechanisms of vision and the perception of movement. In recent years, he has also increasingly focused on important applications of his scientific knowledge in the field of blindness and visual impairment, and in Parkinson's disease. For example, he has used Google Glass technology to project artificial visual cues into the field of vision in order to positively influence the walking behaviour of Parkinson's patients. Among other things, this enables these patients to break out of the so-called ‘freezing’ state (a condition in which the patient is, as it were, rooted to the spot). Van Wezel is also actively researching ways to restore sight through electrical stimulation of multiple electrode contacts in a cortical implant (a ‘neurochip’ in the brain), in collaboration with a research team in Barcelona and the National Institute for Neuroscience in Amsterdam. This research is being conducted under the auspices of the national network NeurotechNL, which he initiated and of which he is vice-chairman. He coordinates and advises various national and European public-private research networks, including NeurotechEU and OnePlanet Research Centre, where he also holds a part-time directorship.
Richard van Wezel has an excellent track record in neurobiology education at Radboud University. He has held various administrative positions: he was scientific director of the Donders Centre for Neuroscience (DCN; 2014-2018), vice-dean of research at the Faculty of Science (2019-2024), and chair of the important Sector Plan Resources Committee. He is currently also the driving force behind NeuroTechEU, a large European consortium of eight research institutions that are jointly setting up a (virtual) European university in neurotechnology, with Radboud University as the lead partner.
Roland Laan, professor of Medical Education Development and previous director of the Radboudumc Health Academy, has played a leading role in the renewal of medical education for many years – within Radboudumc, Radboud University and at the national level. With his keen eye, passion for the subject matter and collaborative approach, he has proven to be an indispensable link in countless educational reforms that today shape the face of medical education.
As the driving force behind the national Raamplan 2020, which sets out the final attainment levels for medical education, Laan helped shape the doctor of the future. He integrated new educational insights, including the competency profile from postgraduate medical training, thereby guaranteeing the quality of the programme. The plan emphasises prevention, innovation, patient participation and person-centred care – themes that Laan put on the agenda early on in the previous framework plan.
He also gave substance to the concept of ‘the patient as partner’ with the establishment of the Patient Advisory Council on Education (PAR-o), which actively contributes ideas on the curriculum and content. In doing so, he set a national standard for patient involvement in education. This is a must in medical training.
Bart-Jan Kullberg was until recently chair of the Health Council of the Netherlands and professor of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases at Radboudumc. He started as an internist-infectiologist at Radboudumc in 1992 and was appointed professor of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases at Radboudumc in 2003. Until his appointment as chair of the Health Council in 2020, he was a trainer for the Infectious Diseases specialism within the Department of Internal Medicine.
Kullberg is one of the founders of clinical infectious diseases in the Netherlands. His research focused primarily on the treatment and immunology of fungal infections, antibiotic policy and Lyme disease. Kullberg has played a leading role in developing the national antibiotic policy in the Netherlands.
Gert Jan van der Wilt has been affiliated with Radboudumc since 1993 as professor of Health Technology Assessment. This is multidisciplinary research that evaluates the medical, social and economic consequences of the use of technologies in healthcare in order to promote the optimal application of these technologies. Health technology assessment is therefore also a policy instrument for deciding on the reimbursement and application of new technologies in healthcare. The latter is important because healthcare costs in the Netherlands and elsewhere continue to rise, and it is very important to prioritise which care we should or should not reimburse and implement.
During the honours ceremony on Friday 25 April 2025, Mayor Bruls of the municipality of Nijmegen presented the Royal Honours on the campus of Radboud University. Bart-Jan Kullberg received his decoration in his home town Bloemendaal. Gert Jan van der Wilt received his honour during his farewell speech on 11 April 2025.
Would you like to know more? Please contact a spokes person of Radboud University via woordvoering [at] ru.nl (woordvoering[at]ru[dot]nl)