Dr K. Brinkman (b. 1961) has been appointed professor by special appointment (bijzonder hoogleraar) of internal medicine, in particular the quality of HIV care, at the Faculty of Medicine of the Universiteit van Amsterdam (UvA). The chair has been endowed by the Society Teaching Hospital AMC-OLVG.

Kees Brinkman studied Medicine at the UvA and took his PhD degree at the Central Laboratory for Blood Transfusion Services and Research (CLB) in Amsterdam with his research on Lupus Erythematodes (an autoimmune disease caused by a disorder in the immune system).

During his training as an internist he was involved in care and research with respect to HIV-infected patients at the Elisabeth Hospital in Tilburg from 1990. From 1995, he witnessed the changes in the HIV- infection from a lethal disease to a disorder that can be treated. The treatment’s emphasis gradually shifted from a complex therapy with many side effects to a simple therapy, which is more tolerable and also proved more effective. Brinkman’s publications on mitochondrial toxicity (a disruption of the energy management within cells) of certain HIV drugs contributed internationally to understanding of long-term side effects of this therapy and the patient’s quality of life. On the basis of current understanding, the life expectancy of HIV patients seems to be normalizing.

The pressure on the logistics of hospitals and other care centres is rising due to the growing number of patients and the increasingly chronic nature of the disorder. This is solved among other things by delegating tasks to nurses specialised in HIV, and to transmural care projects. In his new position, Brinkman considers his most important duty the quality assurance of this growing HIV care, and also expanding the level of knowledge about this care outside of centres specialised in HIV.

Brinkman was appointed to the Onze Lieve Vrouwe Gasthuis (Amsterdam hospital, OLVG) in Amsterdam in 1999 where he now works as internist/infection specialist and staff member of the department of Internal Medicine. Furthermore, he is coordinator of the internship training in Internal Medicine and acting instructor of Internal Medicine. He is board member of the Dutch Society of AIDS Practitioners and chairs the national study group for Guidelines of HIV therapy..