Clinical Epidemiology

Dr. Arno W. Hoes serves as Vice-Chair of the Executive Board and Dean of the Medical Faculty at Utrecht University Medical Center. His academic credentials include an MD from Catholic University Nijmegen (1986) and a Ph.D. in Clinical Epidemiology (1992) from Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam. Through his Coursera course "Clinical Epidemiology," he helps students understand principles of clinical research and epidemiological methods. His research focuses on cardiovascular disease prevention, early diagnosis, and management, particularly in heart failure. As former Chair of the Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care (2010-2019), he led major research initiatives in clinical epidemiology. He co-authored a widely-used textbook on clinical epidemiology and has published over 300 peer-reviewed papers. His expertise spans clinical trials, diagnostic research, and preventive cardiology. He serves on the Dutch Medicines Evaluation Board and editorial boards of several medical journals, including the European Journal of Heart Failure. Recently, he co-founded U-TRIAL and The Healthcare Innovation Center (THINC) to advance clinical research and healthcare innovation.

Dr. Diederick (Rick) Grobbee serves as Professor of Clinical Epidemiology at Utrecht University Medical Center and Distinguished University Professor of International Health Sciences and Global Health. His academic credentials include an MD from Utrecht University and a Ph.D. in Epidemiology from Erasmus University Rotterdam. Through his Coursera courses in epidemiology and clinical research, he helps students understand principles of medical research and global health. As founder of the Julius Center in 1996, he established one of the world's leading institutions for clinical epidemiology. His research focuses on cardiovascular disease prevention and treatment, having authored over 1,300 scientific papers and supervised more than 150 Ph.D. fellows. His contributions earned him fellowship in the Royal Dutch Academy of Sciences and knighthood in the Order of the Dutch Lion. Currently serving as Editor-in-Chief of Global Heart and Chief Scientific Officer of Julius Clinical Research, he continues to advance clinical research and global health initiatives while directing the MSc program in Epidemiology at Utrecht University.