Joukje van der Naalt

Prof. Joukje van der Naalt is a Professor of Neurology at the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), part of the University of Groningen. She holds appointments in the Department of Neurology within the Faculty of Medical Sciences. Her clinical and research expertise focuses on neurotraumatology, particularly traumatic brain injury (TBI) outcomes and biomarkers.

Education details highlight her roles as clinical and research fellow at St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, Canada, and her contributions to multidisciplinary guidelines for TBI management. She leads national studies like the UPFRONT and ReCONNECT trials, investigating mild TBI in younger and elderly populations.

Research interests include imaging and serum biomarkers for early TBI outcome prediction, cognitive/behavioral outcomes, and clinical care pathways. She chairs NIH-NINDS TBI classification initiatives and serves on the IBIA scientific committee.

Her recent publications (2024-2025) focus on biomarker dynamics, stress responses in TBI, and cognitive rehabilitation protocols. Awards include the 2018 UMCG Mandema Stipendium.

Prof. van der Naalt co-leads the Dutch multidisciplinary TBI care network and collaborates internationally on projects like the NIH-NINDS classification working group and NASEM initiatives.