Prof Dr Jan Cornelissen reached retirement age at the end of February and has gone into emeritus status after having worked at the Department of Hematology at Erasmus MC for 32 years.
Jan Cornelissen started at Erasmus MC in 1994 and shortly thereafter became head of the Hematology Department's bone marrow transplantation program. He held this position for nearly 25 years. During that time, Jan Cornelissen further developed and improved the allogeneic bone marrow and stem cell transplantation program.
Better chance of cure
This primarily concerns tertiary, complex care that can only be performed within academic hospitals. For patients in the South-West Netherlands region, this care has led to a better chance of cure and survival for life-threatening hematological malignancies.
He also led a research group in the field of bone marrow and stem cell transplantation, chronic myeloid leukemia, and, more recently, innovation in the design of clinical studies. He was appointed Professor of Hematology and Hematology in 2005. He has supervised 18 physician-researchers and has authored more than 400 scientific publications.
Trainer
For nine years, he also served as trainer for internist-hematologists in our department. Additionally, he has chaired various committees within Erasmus MC and has been chairman of the METC for several years.
Outside of the Erasmus MC, he was a board member of the Dutch Society of Hematology, the executive board of the European Group for Bone and Stem Cell Transplantation (EMBT), and chairman of the Dutch Foundation for Adult Hematology and Oncology (HOVON), an important research consortium positioned within Erasmus MC.
Art
After his retirement, he will serve as chairman of the Erasmus MC METC for a number of years, but will also dedicate himself more to art. In addition to being a hematologist, Jan is also a gifted artist and has created several beautiful works of art that he regularly exhibits in galleries.
Jan Cornelissen delivered his farewell lecture on February 27, 2026, in the Auditorium of Erasmus University in Rotterdam. We thank Jan for his tremendous dedication to our department and Erasmus MC over the past years and wish him and his loved ones a bright and healthy future.
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