Ferdinand van der Heijden

Ferdinand van der Heijden is an Associate Professor in Robotics and Mechatronics, specializing in medical robotics and surgical navigation. He holds an external researcher position at Antoni Van Leeuwenhoek Hospital since 2014. His work integrates robotics, biomedical engineering, and artificial intelligence to address challenges in surgical precision, diagnostic imaging, and patient outcomes.

Research focuses include developing advanced imaging techniques for pleural diseases, improving laparoscopic camera accuracy, and leveraging AI for medical diagnostics. He has contributed to over 160 publications, with recent emphasis on pleural plaque quantification, crowd-sourced deep learning for hemorrhage detection, and personalized surgical models.

He has supervised 11 academic works, though specific student names are not listed. His collaborations span global institutions, addressing topics like diabetic foot thermography and prostate intervention robotics. Notable projects include the MIRIAM robot for MR-guided needle interventions and biomechanical tongue modeling for post-surgery functional prediction.

Key contributions include innovations in image-guided surgery tools, AI-driven diagnostic frameworks, and 3D visualization techniques for surgical planning. His work aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goals related to health and well-being (SDG 3).