English Nederlands

CURRICULUM VITAE DIEDERICK STOFFERS

Education

2008

 

PhD in Medicine

Field of Study: Clinical Neuroscience 

Institution: VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Thesis title: Neural rhythms & cognitive dysfunction in Parkinson’s disease

2000

 

Master’s in Psychology

Field of Study: Psychonomics; Clinical Neuropsychology & Psychobiology

Institution: University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

1996

 

Propaedeutics in Psychology

Field of Study: General psychology

Institution: University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

 

Work experience / Employment

2009-now

Postdoctoral fellowship, 1.0fte research appointment. fixed-term, Department of Sleep & Cognition, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

2009-now

Visiting scientist, Department of Neurology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

2009-now

Visiting scientist, Department of Radiology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

2008-2009

Postdoctoral fellowship, 1.0fte research appointment, fixed-term, Department of Psychology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, United States of America

1999-2008

Neuropsychologist / clinical researcher, fixed-term, 1.0fte, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Neurosciences (ICEN), Department of Neurology (specialized movement disorders clinic), VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

 

Role in projects at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience

2008-now

Senior Investigator on multiple imaging projects.

Activities: MR scanning, data management, data analysis.

 

Role in projects at the University of California San Diego

2008-now

Investigator on the project "Longitudinal assessment of frontostriatal activation in patients with presymptomatic Huntington’s disease".

Activities: MR scanning, data management, data analysis, publication

 

Role in projects at the VU University Medical Center

2003-now

Co-principal investigator on the project "Cognitive dysfunction in Parkinson’s disease: a combined cross-sectional and multiple (accelerated) longitudinal study".

Activities: writing of research protocol, acquiring scientific approval from institution, acquiring medical ethical approval, grant application, subject inclusion, neuropsychological testing, MEG acquisition, MR scanning, data management, data analysis, publication.

 

2005-2007

Collaborator on the project "Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation of the premotor cortex in Parkinson’s disease; a feasibility study".

Activities: subject inclusion, MEG acquisition, TMS application, data management, data analysis, student supervision, publication.

 

2003-2007

Collaborator on the project "Olfactory dysfunction in Parkinson’s disease".

Activities: MEG acquisition, MR scanning, data management.

 

2004-2005

Investigator on the project "[123I]β-CIT SPECT in early-stage Parkinson's disease".

Activities: data management, data analysis, publication.

 

2000-2005

Investigator on the project "Preclinical parameters of Parkinson’s disease".

Activities: subject inclusion, neuropsychological assessments, olfactory testing, pupillometry, student supervision, data management, data analysis, publication.

 

2003-2005

Investigator on the project "The role of the cholinergic and dopaminergic system in Parkinson’s disease-related cognitive dysfunction and dementia".

Activities: subject inclusion, neuropsychological assessments, MEG acquisition, data management, data analysis, publication.

 

Research interests
My past work has left me especially fascinated with large-scale networks in the human brain and their role in clinical deficits in patients suffering from brain disease.  I particularly aspire to a job in a research lab or neuroimaging center that combines different imaging techniques and modalities to study brain diseases. An integrated approach should provide valuable insights into the relation of changes in brain morphology, anatomical connectivity, functional connectivity to changes in neuronal networks and their pathophysiological role in brain disease.   

 

Relevant skills
Clinical
Ample experience with standard clinical assessments of cognitive and affective functions, computerized neuropsychological assessments (Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery & Vienna test System) as well as with testing of olfactory function (Sniffin’ Sticks and UPSIT) in controls, demented and non-demented Parkinson’s disease patients.

Imaging Acquisition

Platforms

CTF 151-channel whole-head MEG system, Siemens Impact 1.0T MRI system, General Electrics Signa Excite HD 1.5T & 3T MRI systems, Philips Intera 3T MRI system, Medtronic MagPro R30 TMS system

Applications

MEG: Resting-state and task-based MEG. MRI: structural, diffusion, arterial spin labeling, BOLD. TMS: single-pulse & repetitive



Imaging Analysis

Platforms

FSL, SPM, AFNI, Freesurfer, DIGEEG

Applications

MEG: power spectrum and functional connectivity. MRI: morphometry, volumetry, tractography, cerebral blood flow & BOLD analysis (event-related, block-design and resting-state)



Computing

Platforms

Unix, Linux, OSX, Windows

Applications

Adobe Acrobat, Illustrator & Photoshop, Microsoft Office Suite (including Access mastery), Reference Manager, Endnote, SPSS, Stata, MLwiN, E-prime, Psychtoolbox, SPM, FSL, AFNI, Freesurfer, MRIcro(n), Osirix, DIGEEG, & Sun Grid Engine.


Miscellaneous
Excellent organizational, interpersonal, and oral and written English communication skills. Highly autonomous. Extensive experience with statistical analysis. Experience with system administration on multi-core servers running OSX/Linux and Sun Grid Engine. Excellent shell scripting skills. Ample experience with supervision of students on projects. Dutch & State of California drivers license.

 

Relevant courses and training

2010

 

Marie Curie Project 'Training in Sleep Research and Sleep Medicine'. European Union-funded course organized by the European Sleep & Research Society, consisting of a 4-day training course in Bertinoro, Italy, one week practical training in a research lab and a 4-day symposium in Seoon, Germany. Competetive selection on the basis CV and letterof recommendation.

 

2010

Matlab: 4-day hands-on course on the fundamentals of Matlab programming organized by the department of Sleep & Cognition at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

 

2009

International Sleep Medicine Course: 5-day course on the symptoms, pathophysiology and treatment of sleep disorders organized by the British Sleep Society, Cambridge, United Kingdom.

 

2008

FSL & FreeSurfer: 5-day hands-on course on the theory and practice of functional and structural brain image analysis organized by the FMRIB Centre, Oxford, the Martinos Center, MGH, and the Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.

 

2008

MRI safety and acquisition training: 1-day theoretical and hands-on course to acquire MR operator status with the Radiology Imaging Laboratory as well as the Keck Center for Functional MRI (1.5T & 3T GE Signa Excite MR scanners) of the University of California, San Diego, United States of America.

 

2008

Marie Curie School on large-scale interactions in brain networks and their breakdown in brain diseases: 5 day European Union-funded course organized by the Marie Curie European School in Neuroscience and the ITAB (Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technologies) in Ciety, Italy. Competitive selection on the basis of CV, letter of interest and letter of recommendation (NIH scoring system), Santo Stefano di Sessanio, Italy.

 

2007

Grant application: 1 day course organized by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO), Utrecht, The Netherlands.

 

2007

Toolkit of cognitive neuroscience, advanced data analysis and source modeling of EEG and MEG data: 4 day hands-on course organized by the F.C. Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging of the Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

 

2007

Effective presenting: 2 day course organized by the Neurology department of the VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

 

2006

Practical course in human neuroanatomy: 3 day hands-on course on human brain anatomy in a wet-lab with the ICEN institute (Institute for clinical and Experimental Neurosciences) of the VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

 

2005

Multilevel analysis: 3 day hands-on course on advanced statistics with the EMGO institute (Institute for Research in Extramural Medicine) of the VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

 

2004

Longitudinal data analysis: 4 day hands-on course on advanced statistics with the EMGO institute (Institute for Research in Extramural Medicine) of the VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

 

2002

Movement disorders: 5 day course on the various clinical, pathophysiological and treatment-related aspects of movement disorders, Wengen, Switzerland.

 

1998

Clinical neurology: full trimester course including hands-on workshops in human brain anatomy in a wet-lab with the Department of Medicine of the University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

 

 

Grants obtained

2009

Movement Disorders Society: $1000USD travel grant to attend the 13th International Congress on Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders, June 7-11 2009, in Paris, France.

2008-2010

Dutch Parkinson Foundation (Parkinson Patiënten Vereniging): € 9.000,- for financing of structural MR scans for the project "Cognitive dysfunction in Parkinson’s disease: a combined cross-sectional and multiple (accelerated) longitudinal study".

2003-2008

Dutch Foundation for Brain Research (Nederlandse Hersenstichting): € 24.000,- for financing of MEG registrations for the project "Cognitive dysfunction in Parkinson’s disease: a combined cross-sectional and multiple (accelerated) longitudinal study", grant. no. 11F03(2).

 

Other professional activities
Ad hoc reviewer for Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry; Parkinsonism and Related Disorders; European Journal of Nuclear Imaging & Molecular Imaging; Movement Disorders; United Kingdom Parkinson’s Disease Society

 

Professional associations
Federation of European Neurosciences
Dutch Society for Neuropsychology (Nederlandse Vereniging voor Neuropsychologie)
Federation of Netherlands Neuroscience Organizations (Nederlandse Neurofederatie)
International Basal Ganglia Society
Society for Neuroscience

 

Publications
1. Stoffers D, Sheldon S, Kuperman JM, Goldstein J, Corey-Bloom J, Aron AR. Contrasting gray- and white matter changes in preclinical Huntington's disease: an MRI-study. Neurology (in press). [5-year impact factor 6.9]

2. Stoffers D, Bosboom JLW, Deijen JB, Wolters EC, Stam CJ, Berendse HW. Increased functional coupling in early-stage Parkinson's disease: an MEG study. Neuroimage 2008;41:212-222. [5-year impact factor 6.9]

3. Stoffers D, Bosboom JLW, Deijen JB, Wolters EC, Berendse HW, Stam CJ. Slowing of oscillatory brain activity is a stable characteristic of Parkinson's disease without dementia. Brain 2007;130:1847-1860. [5-year impact factor 9.8]

4. Stoffers D, Bosboom JLW, Deijen JB, Wolters EC, Stam CJ, Berendse HW. Dopaminergic modulation of functional connectivity in Parkinson's disease: an MEG study. Exp Neurol 2008;213:191-195. [5-year impact factor 4.3]

5. Bosboom JLW, Stoffers D, Wolters EC. Cognitive dysfunction and dementia in Parkinson's disease. J Neural Transm 2004;111:1303-1315. [5-year impact factor 2.8]

 

6. van der Werf YD, Berendse HW, van Someren EJ, Stoffers D, Stam CJ, Wolters EC. Observations on the cortical silent period in Parkinson's disease. J Neural Transm Suppl 2007;155-158. [5-year impact factor 2.8]

7. Stoffers D, Booij J, Bosscher L, Winogrodzka A, Wolters EC, Berendse HW. Early-stage [123I]beta-CIT SPECT and long-term clinical follow-up in patients with an initial diagnosis of Parkinson's disease. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2005;32:689-695. [5-year impact factor 4.6]

8. Caretti V, Stoffers D, Winogrodzka A, Isaias IU, Costantino G, Pezzoli G, Ferrarese C, Antonini A, Wolters ECh, Booij J. Loss of thalamic serotonin transporters in early drug-naïve Parkinson's disease patients is associated with tremor: an [123I]β-CIT SPECT study. J Neural Transm 2008;115:721-729. [5-year impact factor 2.8]

9. Stoffers D, Berendse HW, Deijen JB, Wolters EC. Motor perseveration is an early sign of Parkinson's disease. Neurology 2001;57:2111-2113. [5-year impact factor 6.9]

10. Stoffers D, Berendse HW, Deijen JB, Wolters EC. The influence of computer experience on visuo-motor control: implications for visuo-motor testing in Parkinson's disease. Neuropsychologia 2002;40:1779-1785. [5-year impact factor 4.7]

11. Stoffers D, Berendse HW, Deijen JB, Wolters EC. Deficits on Corsi's block-tapping task in early stage Parkinson's disease. Parkinsonism Relat Disord 2003;10:107-111. [5-year impact factor 2.3]

12. Ponsen MM, Stoffers D, Booij J, Eck-Smit BLF, Wolters EC, Berendse HW. Idiopathic hyposmia as a preclinical sign of Parkinson's disease. Ann Neurol 2004;56:173-181. [5-year impact factor 9.1]

13. Deijen JB, Stoffers D, Berendse HW, Wolters EC, Theeuwes J. Abnormal susceptibility to distracters hinders perception in early stage Parkinson's disease: a controlled study. BMC Neurol 2006;6:43. [latest impact factor 2.8]

14. Ponsen MM, Stoffers D, Twisk JWR, Wolters ECh, Berendse HW. Hyposmia and executive dysfunction as predictors of future Parkinson's disease: a prospective study. Mov Disord 2009;24:1060-1065. [latest impact factor 4.2]

15. Ponsen MM, Stoffers D, Wolters ECh, Booij J, Berendse HW. Olfactory testing combined with dopamine transporter imaging to detect prodromal PArkinson's disease. JNNP (in press). [5-year impact factor 4.1]

16. Bosboom JLW, Stoffers D, Stam CJ, van Dijk BW, Verbunt J, Berendse HW, Wolters ECh. Resting state oscillatory brain dynamics in Parkinson's disease: an MEG study. Clin Neurophysiol 2006;117:2521-2531. [5-year impact factor 3.4]

17. Bosboom JLW, Stoffers D, Wolters ECh, Stam CJ, Berendse HW. MEG resting state functional connectivity in Parkinson's disease related dementia. J Neural Transm 2009;116:193-202. [5-year impact factor 2.8]

18. Bosboom JLW, Stoffers D, Wolters ECh, Stam CJ, Berendse HW. Cholinergic modulation of MEG resting-state oscillatory activity in Parkinson's disease related dementia. Clin Neurophysiol 2009;120:910-915. [5-year impact factor 3.4.]

19. Bosboom JLW, Stoffers D, Wolters ECh, Stam CJ, Berendse HW. MEG graph theoretical analysis in Parkinson’s disease related dementia. (submitted)

Mean impact factor accepted 1st author publications (N = 7): 5.8
Mean impact factor all accepted publications (N = 16): 4.7
Median impact factor neuroscience journals (N = 221): 2.6

Listed impact factors are from the ISI 2008 Journal Citation Repoorts, Science Edition


Book chapters
1. Wolters ECh, Stoffers D, Bosboom JLW. Parkinson’s disease – related cognitive impairment and dementia (PDD and DLB). In: Wolters ECh, van Laar T, Berendse HW (eds), Parkinsonism & Related Disorders. Amsterdam, VU University Press, 2007:191-201.

2. van der Werf YD, Stoffers D, Berendse HW, van Someren EJW, Wolters E, Groenewegen HJ, Stam CJ. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in Parkinson’s disease: a selective review and recommendations. In: ECh Wolters, HW Berendse, CJ Stam (eds), Mental dysfunction in Parkinson’s disease III. Amsterdam, VU University Press, 2006:231-237.

3. Stam CJ, Bosboom JLW. Stoffers D, Dijk BW van, Verbunt J, Berendse HW, Wolters ECh. The neurophysiology of dementia in Parkinson’s disease: does connectivity count ? In: ECh Wolters, HW Berendse, CJ Stam (eds), Mental dysfunction in Parkinson’s disease III. Amsterdam, VU University Press, 2006:335-345.

4. Bosboom JLW, Stoffers D, Stam CJ, Berendse HW, Wolters ECh. Cognitive dysfunction and dementia in Parkinson’s disease: EEG/MEG experience. In: ECh Wolters, HW Berendse, CJ Stam (eds), Mental dysfunction in Parkinson’s disease III. Amsterdam, VU University Press, 2006:326-334.