Bart Koes

Bart Koes is a Full Professor of General Practice at Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, and holds a part-time professorship in Musculoskeletal Disorders in Primary Care at the University of Southern Denmark. His research is centered on clinical epidemiology and musculoskeletal disorders, especially low back pain and sciatica, within primary care settings.

• Institution: Erasmus MC, Department of General Practice
• Secondary Affiliation: University of Southern Denmark, Odense

His research interests include large-scale randomized clinical trials, observational cohort studies, and systematic reviews with meta-analysis. He is a leading figure in primary care research on back pain, contributing significantly to clinical guidelines and policy.

The trends in his recent publications show a strong focus on evidence-based management of low back pain and sciatica, with high-impact studies published in The Lancet, New England Journal of Medicine, and BMJ. His work spans diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and guideline development.

• Member, WHO Guideline External Review Group for Chronic Primary Low Back Pain
• Chair, Executive Committee, International Forum for Back and Neck Pain Research in Primary Care

He has supervised 61 students and is actively involved in national and international research networks. His work contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals related to health and well-being. He leads major research initiatives and collaborative projects in musculoskeletal primary care.