Professor Frits Rosendaal is a preeminent Clinical Epidemiologist and globally recognized authority in hemostasis and thrombosis research at the Leiden University Medical Center. He served as Head of the Department of Clinical Epidemiology for 25 years from 1999 to 2024 while maintaining his professorship at Leiden University. Following his medical degree from Erasmus University Rotterdam in 1985, he completed his doctoral research at Leiden University in 1989 with a seminal thesis on hemophilia that established the foundation for his future contributions to blood coagulation science. His academic trajectory represents a remarkable integration of clinical medicine and epidemiological rigor, creating new paradigms for understanding cardiovascular disease mechanisms.
Professor Rosendaal's groundbreaking discovery of the Factor V Leiden mutation fundamentally transformed the understanding of hereditary thrombosis, revealing how this specific genetic variant increases thrombosis risk fivefold among carriers. His meticulous epidemiological studies have systematically elucidated the complex interplay between genetic predispositions, environmental factors, and cardiovascular disease outcomes across diverse populations. The Spinoza Prize awarded in 2002 recognized his exceptional contributions to unraveling the mechanisms of inherited thrombotic disorders and their profound clinical implications. His research has established evidence-based frameworks for thrombosis risk assessment that have directly informed international clinical practice guidelines and improved patient outcomes worldwide.
Beyond his research achievements, Professor Rosendaal has profoundly shaped scientific integrity standards as editor-in-chief of Research Integrity and Peer Review and the Geneesmiddelenbulletin. His leadership extends to chairing the Scientific Integrity Committee of Leiden University and the LUMC while serving as vice-chair of the Central Committee on Human Research and council member of the Committee on Publication Ethics. An elected member of both the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences and the German Academy Leopoldina, he maintains strong international collaborations including his position at the University of Milan. His ongoing work continues to bridge epidemiological precision with clinical application, ensuring scientific discoveries translate into tangible improvements in cardiovascular health and patient care.
