The main outcomes of the second phase of the Rethinking Alzheimer’s disease project will be presented by Prof. Dr. Sebastiaan Engelborghs, Full professor of neurology and neurosciences (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) and a co-chair of the Scientific Panel Dementia and Cognitive Disorders (European Academy of Neurology) in a scientific theatre Rethinking Alzheimer’s Disease: From Diagnosis to Care at the Congress of the European Academy of Neurology in Helsinki. The session will take place on 24 June 2025 from 10:35-11:05 (Helsinki time).

We are at a historical crossroads in the management of Alzheimer’s disease, with new treatments becoming available in various countries. For the first time in history, science is delivering new, potentially disease-modifying treatments for devastating diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. However, the current healthcare system and regulatory frameworks do not easily allow the implementation of such innovations, even for the subset of people living with Alzheimer’s who would be eligible.

The ‘Rethinking Alzheimer’s Disease: From Diagnosis to Care’ Perspective Paper was launched in September 2024 on the occasion of World Alzheimer’s month. This Perspective Paper does not merely document the status quo but challenges it – motivating the reader to rethink how Alzheimer’s Disease is addressed. By offering a comprehensive review of current practices, identifying gaps and barriers, and proposing policy recommendations, this report seeks to reshape the Alzheimer’s disease healthcare pathway in ways that enhance outcomes and quality of life for all involved, and thereby reduce the impact on society.

Prof. Dr. Sebastiaan Engelborghs
Full professor of neurology and neurosciences at Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Co-Chair of the EAN Scientific Panel Dementia and Cognitive Disorders 

Sebastiaan Engelborghs is full professor of neurology and neurosciences at Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), chair of research group NEUR (Neuroprotection & Neuromodulation), co-director of the VUB Center for Neurosciences (C4N) and chairman of the neurology department of the VUB university hospital (UZ Brussel). He is co-founder and co-director of the transdisciplinary memory clinic in UZ Brussel, Brussels Integrated Center for Brain and Memory (Bru-BRAIN). He as well is full professor of neurosciences and neurochemistry at University of Antwerp.

Sebastiaan Engelborghs is board certified in clinical neurology (2001) and neurological revalidation medicine (2009). He achieved a PhD in medical sciences in 2004 and has interdisciplinary expertise in clinical neurology and neurosciences, including electrophysiology, neuroimaging, biochemistry, neurogenetics and neuropathology. Both clinically and with regard to research, he is specialized in neurodegenerative brain disorders that cause dementia. He has built up expertise in clinical trials for AD and related disorders for more than 25 years and was PI as well as national or global coordinating physician for several clinical trials, as well as being involved in the design of some of these clinical trials. Sebastiaan Engelborghs serves as co-chair of the European Alzheimer Disease Consortium (EADC), as co-chair of the dementia and cognitive disorders scientific panel (SP) of European Academy of Neurology (EAN) and is vice-president of the Belgian Dementia Council (BeDeCo). He is co-inventor of one patent and is academic promoter of two spin-off companies, Epilog and ADx Neurosciences.

He is (co-)author on 432 PubMed-cited papers in international peer-reviewed journals and 19 book chapters which results in 35.228 citations without self-citations, and a h-index of 82.