Prof. Dr. Hein Van Poppel 🇧🇪 is an internationally renowned urologist and oncologist 👨⚕️🔬 with over four decades of experience in prostate, bladder, and kidney cancer surgery 🎯🧬. As Full Professor at KU Leuven and former Director of Education at the European School of Urology 📘🏥, he has mentored thousands and performed 3,000+ prostatectomies. Author of over 500 scientific publications 📚✍️ and recipient of multiple lifetime achievement awards 🏆, he has revolutionized urologic care with innovations like the “N” pouch. His commitment to research, education, and patient advocacy makes him a global leader in medical science 🌍💡.
Prof. Dr Hein Van Poppel, EAU and KU Leuven, Belgium
Profile
ORCID
🎓 Education
Prof. Dr. Hein Van Poppel 🎓 is a leading figure in urology, earning his MD in General Surgery (1980) and Urology (1983), followed by a Ph.D. in Medical Sciences in 1988 🧠📘. He completed postgraduate training in major European centers including London, Barcelona, Copenhagen, Mainz, and Rotterdam 🌍🔬. In 1992, he became a Fellow of the European Board of Urology (FEBU) 🏅. Appointed Full Professor at KU Leuven in 1993 and Department Chair by 2002, his academic path laid the foundation for a distinguished global career in urologic oncology and medical education 🧪🏥.
👨⚕️ Experience
Prof. Dr. Hein Van Poppel is a world-renowned urologist 👨⚕️ with over 40 years of experience in uro-oncology, academic leadership, and surgical innovation 🔬✂️. Former Chair of Urology at KU Leuven 🏥, he pioneered techniques like the “N” pouch and prepubic urethrectomy. He served as Adjunct Secretary General of the EAU and Director of the European School of Urology 📘🇪🇺. With 3,000+ radical prostatectomies, 35+ doctoral mentorships 🎓, and 1,000+ global lectures 🌍🎤, he has significantly shaped prostate cancer care, surgical education, and health policy through EU initiatives like PRAISE-U 🧠🏛️.
🏆 Awards, Leadership & Impact
Prof. Van Poppel has received prestigious awards including the Folke Edsmyr Award (🇸🇪1999), Pieter De Mulder Award (🇫🇷2015), Francisco Diaz Medal (🇪🇸2015), SIU Distinguished Career Award (🇦🇷2016), and the Frans Debruyne Lifetime Achievement Award (2021) 🏅. In 2024–2025, he earned the Klaus-Meier Award, Laurent Boccon-Gibod Award, and the Wil de Jongh Medal 🏆. As EAU Adjunct Secretary General, he established the Patient Office 🧑⚕️🗣️, Policy Office 🏛️, and now coordinates PRAISE-U, an EU-funded initiative shaping the future of prostate cancer screening in Europe 🇪🇺📊. His leadership bridges research, advocacy, and public health innovation 🌍🔬.
🧬 Research Focus
Prof. Van Poppel’s research focuses on prostate, bladder, kidney, and testicular cancers 🔬🧬, with a strong emphasis on early detection, screening policies, and surgical oncology. He has led major studies on PSA testing, PRAISE-U early detection programs, and neoadjuvant therapies for high-risk prostate cancer 🧪💉. His work addresses public health impact, patient outcomes, and inequalities in urological cancer care across Europe 🌍🏥. With groundbreaking contributions in clinical trials, surgical techniques, and policy advocacy 📈📜, his research bridges clinical excellence and health equity—paving the way for smarter, earlier, and more effective cancer interventions 🚀🎯.
📘 Publications
Title: SIU-ICUD: Screening and Early Detection of Prostate Cancer
Contributors: Ola Bratt, Mohamed Jalloh, Anwar R. Padhani, Paul F. Pinsky, Hein Van Poppel, Weranja Ranasinghe, Kamran Zargar-Shoshtari, Kai Zhang, Anssi Auvinen
Journal: Société Internationale d’Urologie Journal (2025)
Understanding the Barriers to Prostate Cancer Population-Based Early Detection Programs: The PRAISE-U BEST Survey
Contributors: Katharina Beyer, Renée C. A. Leenen, Lionne D. F. Venderbos, Jozien Helleman, Sebastiaan Remmers, Vera Vasilyeva, Juan Gómez Rivas, Erik Briers, Thomas Frese, Josep Vilaseca et al.
Journal: Journal of Personalized Medicine (2024)
Health Policy for Prostate Cancer Early Detection in the European Union and the Impact of Opportunistic Screening: PRAISE-U Consortium
Contributors: Katharina Beyer, Renée Leenen, Lionne Venderbos, Jozien Helleman, Frederique Denijs, Wichor Bramer, Vera Vasilyeva, Erik Briers, Juan Gómez Rivas, Renata Chloupkova et al.
Journal: Journal of Personalized Medicine (2024)
Navigating Through the Controversies and Emerging Paradigms in Early Detection of Prostate Cancer: Bridging the Gap from Classic RCTs to Modern Population-Based Pilot Programs
Contributors: Juan Gómez Rivas, Renée C. A. Leenen, Lionne Venderbos, Jozien Helleman, Irene de la Parra, Vera Vasilyeva, Moreno-Sierra J., Partha Basu, Arunah Chandran, Roderick C. N. van den Bergh et al.
Journal: Journal of Personalized Medicine (2023)
European Cancer Organisation’s Inequalities Network: Putting Cancer Inequalities on the European Policy Map
Contributors: Hendrik Van Poppel, Nicolò M. L. Battisti, Mark Lawler, Teodora Kolarova, Jacqueline Daly, Katie Rizvi, Robert Greene, Guy Buyens, Kathy Oliver, Richard Price et al.
Journal: JCO Global Oncology (2022)
Serum PSA-Based Early Detection of Prostate Cancer in Europe and Globally: Past, Present and Future
Contributors: Hendrik Van Poppel, Tit Albreht, Partha Basu, Renée Hogenhout, Sarah Collen, Monique Roobol
Journal: Nature Reviews Urology (2022)