Prof Anne Visser-Meily is head of Research Centre of Excellence in Rehabilitation Medicine Utrecht; this is a collaboration between Brain Center  and De Hoogstraat Rehabilitation. The research focuses on 4 neurological diagnosis:  Stroke, ALS/SMA , Spinal Cord Injury and Cerebral Palsy and 4 themes: physical activity, cognition, care organisation and (family) empowerment.

Her research questions are very close to the clinical practice and daily life challenges of patients. Despite continuous improvements in medical care, many patients are left with residual physical or cognitive disability after the onset of their neurological condition. Patients and their families need to be able to effectively cope with the condition. Not only to manage persistent physical or cognitive disabilities and prevent secondary health conditions, but also to develop strategies to regain a productive and meaningful life, despite their disabilities.

She is a specialist in the care and research in family empowerment, neuropsychological stroke rehabilitation and neuromsusculair diseases shown by about 300 scientific publications.

Anne Visser-Meily was one of the researchers conducting the a)  large scale Fupro study into long term functioning and its prognostic factors of stroke patients and caregivers ( 2000-2005) and b) the ReStoRe4Stroke study, focusing on psychological determinants of participation of patients and caregiver (2010-2015) and c) Brain4Care study focusing on implementing an intervention aimed at optimizing and facilitation the transition to independent functioning home with emphasis on the patient –caregiver interaction (2015 – 2019).

She was president of the Education group of the Stroke Knowledge Network Netherlands.  She has been president of the Dutch Workgroup on Stroke for many years. She has been part of several committees developing guidelines for stroke patients and caregivers of stroke patients. She  is advisory member of the Brain Injury patient organization (Hersenletsel.nl) and writer of a column in their Magazine

She wass editorial board member of the Dutch Journal of Rehabilitation medicine and of Dutch journal of Medicine (NTVG)

Research line

Neurological rehabilitation

Publications : see pubmed

1: AGIO-trofee Rehabilitation medicine for excellent research as a resident,  1992

2:  Clinical fellowship ZonMw rehabilitation programme, 2003

3:  Van Hoytema Award for promoting research in caregivers,  2005

4:  ZonMw Parel for  ‘Do it your self’  exercise guide for stroke patients, 2011

5:  Livit innovation award for the use of Activity Monitors in stroke rehabilitation, 2013

6. Zilveren balk: award for work for Dutch Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine

President of the Education group of the Stroke Knowledge Network Netherlands till 2021

President of the Dutch Workgroup on Stroke till 2015

Committee developing Guidelines for stroke patients and caregviers, Nederlandse Verenining van Neurologie, 2015- 

Editorial board of the Dutch Journal of Rehabiliation Medicine till 2018

Editorial board of the Dutcht Journal of Medicine till 2022

Advisory member of the Brain Injury organisation (Hersenletsel.nl) and writer of column in Hersenletsel Magazine, 2010 -