Dr. Philip Scheltens is a world-renowned cognitive neurologist and leading authority in dementia research whose work has transformed global approaches to Alzheimer's disease diagnosis and treatment. He currently serves as Professor Emeritus of Neurology at Amsterdam University Medical Centers and Head of the EQT Life Sciences Dementia Fund, formerly known as Life Sciences Partners. After receiving his MD from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in 1984 and completing his PhD in 1993 with groundbreaking research on MRI criteria for Alzheimer's diagnosis, he established himself as a pioneering figure in neurodegenerative disease research. In 2000, he was appointed Professor of Cognitive Neurology and founded the Alzheimer Center Amsterdam, which he directed until 2021, building it into one of the world's most influential dementia research institutions.
Dr. Scheltens' seminal contributions include the development of MRI criteria to score hippocampus atrophy for Alzheimer's diagnosis during his doctoral work and his pivotal role in establishing new diagnostic research criteria based on clinical phenotype and amyloid biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid. His creation of the Amsterdam Dementia cohort, now the largest global collection of clinical and biomarker data, has enabled transformative research that has been cited in over 1250 peer-reviewed publications and more than 75 book chapters. His innovative integration of structural and functional imaging with CSF biomarkers has revolutionized early detection of Alzheimer's disease, significantly improving diagnostic accuracy and enabling earlier intervention strategies. The clinical impact of his work extends globally, with his frameworks adopted by major research consortia and influencing clinical practice worldwide, particularly through his role as co-editor-in-chief of Alzheimer's Research & Therapy from 2013-2022.
Beyond his research achievements, Dr. Scheltens has been instrumental in shaping the global dementia research landscape through his leadership of the Dutch National Plan against dementia and his service on numerous international advisory boards including the Race Against Dementia Foundation and the Swiss Synapsis Foundation. He has mentored over one hundred PhD candidates since 2000, fostering the next generation of dementia researchers who now lead initiatives across Europe and beyond, while serving as a member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences since 2011. Recognized as the sixth most expert researcher in Alzheimer's disease worldwide by Expertscape in 2018 and awarded the European Grand Prix for Alzheimer's Research in 2016, he continues to drive innovation as head of the EQT Dementia Fund, focusing on advancing precision medicine approaches that integrate multimodal biomarkers with emerging therapeutic strategies to accelerate the development of disease-modifying treatments for neurodegenerative conditions.
