PeopleofSuperintelligence

Researcher

Wiro Niessen

Also known as Wiro J. Niessen

Wiro Niessen is a biomedical image-analysis researcher who applies AI to MRI and CT scans to diagnose and predict disease. He studied physics and medical imaging, then held research posts in Utrecht and professor roles at Erasmus MC and TU Delft. In 2012, his group automated brain MRI analysis and founded Quantib; RadNet acquired the company in 2022. He received the Simon Stevin Meester Award in 2015 and joined the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2017. In 2023, he became Dean of the Faculty of Medical Sciences at the University of Groningen and a member of the UMCG Board; in 2024, he became Captain of Science of the Top Sector Life Sciences & Health, and he continued as Dean in 2026.

Works
1,006
Citations
40,255
h-index
95

Publication numbers from OpenAlex, as of 14 October 2026.

Photo of Wiro Niessen

Timeline

  1. 1993–1997

    Studying physics and imaging

    He earned a physics master’s degree in 1993 and a medical imaging PhD from Utrecht University in 1997. Part of his MSc work took place at the University of Wisconsin, and part of his doctoral research took place at Yale.

  2. 1997–2005

    From Utrecht to Delft

    He worked at the Image Science Institute of the University Medical Center Utrecht as a postdoctoral researcher, assistant professor and associate professor from 1997 to 2004. In 2005, he became a professor at Erasmus MC and Delft University of Technology. His group applied AI to MRI and CT scans to diagnose and predict dementia, cardiovascular disease and prostate cancer.

  3. 2012

    Automating brain MRI

    His group founded Quantib after developing software to automate brain MRI analysis. GE Healthcare became the company’s first customer.

  4. 2015–2017

    Awards for predictive imaging

    In 2015, he received the Simon Stevin Meester Award for research into computer systems that predict disease before symptoms. In 2017, he joined the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences.

  5. 2016–2019

    Leading a research society

    He served as president of the Medical Image Computing and Computer Assisted Interventions Society.

  6. 2022

    Joining RadNet

    RadNet acquired Quantib in 2022.

  7. 2023–2024

    Taking on health leadership

    He became Dean of the Faculty of Medical Sciences at the University of Groningen and a member of the UMCG Board in 2023. In 2024, the Dutch government appointed him Captain of Science of the Top Sector Life Sciences & Health.

  8. 2026

    Continuing as dean

    He continues as Dean of the Faculty of Medical Sciences at the University of Groningen.

Sources and credits

Photo: rug.nl; prof. dr. W.J. (Wiro) Niessen | How to find us | University of Groningen; creator not stated. License: Not stated by source. Source: rug.nl. Cropped to a square and resized. Ask us to remove or replace this photo.

  1. Wiro Niessen | BIGR bigr.nl. Checked 14 October 2026.
  2. Interview with Dean Wiro Niessen: “valorization as an opportunity to benefit society and patients.” umcgresearch.org. Checked 14 October 2026.
  3. Netherlands Academy of Engineering | Prizes and awards | University of Groningen rug.nl. Checked 14 October 2026.
  4. Wiro Niessen new dean and member of the UMCG Board of Directors | News | University of Groningen rug.nl. Checked 14 October 2026.
  5. Wiro Niessen Captain of Science of Top Sector Life Sciences & Health | News | University of Groningen rug.nl. Checked 14 October 2026.