Professor S.G. De Hert (1958) has been appointed Professor of Anaesthesiology, and in particular Cardio-Thoracic Anaesthesia, in the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Amsterdam (AMC-UvA).

Stefan De Hert made a name for himself with groundbreaking work on perioperative diastolic dysfunction (insufficient pumping of the heart around or during an operation) and the cardiovascular effects of anaesthesic agents. He was the first to clinically demonstrate that a number of anaesthetics contain cardioprotective characteristics, and therefore may have a protective function in situations of perioperative myocardial ischaemia (insufficient oxygen suply to the heart muscle tissue).

De Hert's current research focuses primarily on one of the most controversial issues in perioperative medicine: the outcome following surgery and anaesthesia. It is becoming increasingly clear that implementing certain perioperative strategies can influence not only the short-term but also the long-term results of an operation. The charting of risk factors and the development of therapeutic options which can limit them constitute major challenges for the future of the field.

De Hert has been vice chair of the Anaesthesiology Department at Antwerp University Hospital since 2001. He has occupied the Anaesthesiology chair at the University of Antwerp since 2006. Prior to this appointment he had been an Assistant Professor at the same university. He obtained his PhD from the University of Antwerp in 1992 with a dissertation entitled Role of the endocardial endothelium in the regulation of myocardial function in vivo.

De Hert is co-organiser of the post-academic course Anaesthesiology in the Netherlands and Flanders under the auspices of the Foundation for European Education in Anaesthesiology, and is an in-demand speaker at international congresses. Additionally, De Hert is vice chair of the Belgische Vereniging voor Anesthesie en Reanimatie (Belgian Association for Anaesthesia and Resuscitation), and chair of the Clinical and Experimental Circulation work group of the European Society of Anaesthesiology. He is also a member of the editorial board of various leading peer-reviewed journals within the field of anaesthesiology, including Anesthesiology, European Journal of Anaesthesia and Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia.