Prof. Rik Vandenberghe

Prof. Rik Vandenberghe is a Professor of Neurology at KU Leuven and a senior neurologist at UZ Leuven (University Hospitals Leuven), Belgium's largest academic medical centre. Over more than 25 years, he has built one of Europe's foremost programmes in cognitive neurology and dementia — specialising in the clinical assessment, diagnosis, and management of Alzheimer's disease and related disorders. He leads the Cognitive Neurology group at the KU Leuven Neurosciences Research Institute, conducting translational research bridging basic science and clinical application. Prof. Vandenberghe has been a principal investigator in landmark clinical trials testing disease-modifying therapies for Alzheimer's disease, including amyloid-targeting immunotherapies. His patient philosophy centres on early, precise diagnosis combined with personalised management plans that maintain cognitive function and quality of life for as long as possible.

Prof. Vandenberghe completed his medical degree (MD) at KU Leuven and his specialist neurology training at UZ Leuven. His doctoral research (PhD) investigated the neural correlates of attention and spatial cognition using neuroimaging techniques, establishing his career-long focus on the cognitive neurosciences. He pursued additional research training in functional MRI and amyloid PET neuroimaging at leading international centres. He obtained his Belgian specialist qualification in neurology and has maintained active subspecialty expertise in cognitive neurology and dementia. He holds academic appointments as full professor within the KU Leuven Faculty of Medicine.

Prof. Vandenberghe has unparalleled expertise in the diagnosis and management of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. His clinical evaluation integrates detailed neuropsychological assessment, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarker analysis, structural and functional MRI, and amyloid PET imaging to achieve early and accurate diagnosis — including at the prodromal MCI stage before significant cognitive decline. He leads the Memory Clinic at UZ Leuven, a multidisciplinary team including neuropsychologists, social workers, and specialist nurses. He manages frontotemporal dementia, Lewy body dementia, vascular cognitive impairment, and rare cognitive syndromes including posterior cortical atrophy and primary progressive aphasia. He is experienced in genetic counselling for familial forms of Alzheimer's disease.

Leuven is located 25 km east of Brussels and is accessible from Brussels Airport (30 minutes by train), making UZ Leuven practical for international patients from across Europe and beyond. Prof. Vandenberghe consults in Dutch, French, and English. International patients seeking specialist dementia diagnosis, second opinions on cognitive complaints, or evaluation for eligibility in Alzheimer's disease clinical trials may request consultation through the UZ Leuven Memory Clinic. The clinic is able to coordinate comprehensive cognitive assessment within a planned visit, combining consultation with neuropsychological testing, imaging, and CSF analysis where indicated.

Prof. Vandenberghe has published over 200 peer-reviewed papers on Alzheimer's disease, cognitive neurology, and neuroimaging, with publications in Nature Neuroscience, Brain, Neuron, and JAMA Neurology. He has received several KU Leuven Excellence in Research awards and has been funded by the European Research Council (ERC) for his work on predictive biomarkers of Alzheimer's progression. He serves on the scientific advisory boards of major Alzheimer's clinical trials consortia and is a faculty member at major neurology conferences including the Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC) and the European Congress of Neurology (ECN). He is a past member of the European Academy of Neurology's scientific panel on cognitive disorders.