Dr P. Portegies (1956) has been named Professor by Special Appointment of Neurology, specifically in consultative neurology, in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Amsterdam (AMC-UvA). The chair was designated on behalf of the Stichting Teaching Hospital AMC/OLVG.

Peter Portegies studied medicine at VU University Amsterdam and completed his neurology training at the Lucas Ziekenhuis in Amsterdam. In 1987 he joined the AMC staff, where he was in charge of neurological care for HIV patients. Portegies spent many years researching the neurological complications of HIV infection. In 1993 he wrote his doctoral thesis on HIV dementia (a form of dementia related to HIV) under Professors Jaap Goudsmit and Hans van Crevel. Portegies later expanded his research to include other neurological infections.

In his capacity as Professor by Special Appointment, and in cooperation with the AMC's Neurology and Infectious Diseases department, Portegies will give new impetus to research on the neurological complications of HIV infection. In addition, he will initiate research on the interface of neurology and other areas of medical expertise. His activities will include conducting an inventory of the neurological consultations in other departments of the Onze Lieve Vrouwe Gasthuis (OLVG) and AMC (4,000 annually), which he will then use to develop guidelines for a number of frequently asked consultation questions.

Portegies has worked as a neurologist at the OLVG in Amsterdam since 2003, and has been the hospital's Neurology department instructor since 2004. Prior to joining the OLVG, he was a staff member and the Clinical Director of the Neurology department at the AMC. Portegies has a number of different board positions, including Vice-Chairman of the Netherlands Neurological Society (Nederlandse Vereniging voor Neurologie), Secretary of the AIDS Research Amsterdam foundation and Chairman of the European Federation of Neurological Socieities' Task Force Management of HIV-related Neurological Complications. In 2007 he was awarded the ‘Best Neurology clinician' education prize by the UvA's Interns' Council (Co-Raad, the University's association run by and for medical interns).