Profile photo Alexander Leemans

Alexander Leemans

Associate Professor

Strategic program(s):

Biography

Alexander Leemans is a physicist who received his Ph.D. in 2006 at the University of Antwerp, Belgium. From 2007 to 2009, he worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Center (CUBRIC), Cardiff University, Wales, United Kingdom. In 2009, he joined the Image Sciences Institute (ISI), University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands, where he currently holds a tenured faculty position as Associate Professor. His current research interests include modeling, processing, visualizing and analyzing diffusion MRI data for investigating microstructural and architectural tissue organization. He heads the PROVIDI Lab and is the developer of ExploreDTI, which is a graphical toolbox for investigating diffusion MRI data.

Research line

Diffusion MRI

Most recent key publications

1: C. Lebel, L. Walker, A. Leemans, L. Phillips, C. Beaulieu, "Microstructural Maturation of the Human Brain from Childhood to Adulthood", NeuroImage, 2008, nr. 3, vol. 40, pp. 1044-1055
2: A. Leemans, D.K. Jones, "The B-matrix must be rotated when correcting for subject motion in DTI data", Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, 2009, nr. 1, vol. 62, pp. 1336-1349
3: J.D. Tournier, S. Mori, A. Leemans, "Diffusion tensor imaging and beyond", Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, 2011, nr. 6, vol. 65, pp. 1532-1556
4: B. Jeurissen, A. Leemans, J.D. Tournier, D.K. Jones, J. Sijbers, "Investigating the prevalence of complex fiber configurations in white matter tissue with diffusion MRI", Human Brain Mapping, 2013, nr. 11, vol. 34, pp. 2747-2766
5: S.B. Vos, D.K. Jones, M.A. Viergever, A. Leemans, "Partial volume effect as a hidden covariate in DTI analyses", NeuroImage, 2011, nr. 4, vol. 55, pp. 1566-1576

Research groups

Image sciences institute

Research aim

Our aim is to develop and evaluate medical image analysis and acquisition methods that help to answer research questions relevant to the strategic research programs, and that will benefit clinical imaging and image-guided interventions.

Go to group

Translational neuroimaging group

Research aim

To develop and apply imaging methods & technology from bench to bedside and back, to improve knowledge, diagnosis and treatment of cerebrovascular disorders.

Go to group

Recent publications

Harmonization of slice thickness through resampling improves comparability of MRI-derived neonatal brain volumes Anouk S Verschuur, Martijn F Boomsma, Alexander Leemans, Ingrid M Nijholt, Leonora Hendson, Selma Low, Amy Metcalfe, Donna M Slater, Chantal M W Tax, Gerda Meijler, Lara M Leijser
Frontiers in radiology, 2026, vol. 6
Youth Soccer Participation and Brain Health Outcomes in Adolescent Athletes Inga K Koerte, Tim L T Wiegand, Elena M Bonke, Stian K Sandmo, David Kaufmann, Caroline Seer, Anja K Betz, Alberto De Luca, Johanna Seitz-Holland, Marc Muehlmann, Martin Cente, Doron Elad, Thiago Santos Monteiro, Bettina Schwarz-Mörtl, Malo Gaubert, Elisabeth Kaufmann, Michaela V Bonfert, Florian Heinen, Alexander P Lin, Martha E Shenton, Yorghos Tripodis, Roald Bahr, Peter Filipcik, Jolien Gooijers, Alexander Leemans, Nir Sochen, Stephan P Swinnen, Ofer Pasternak,
JAMA network open, 2026, vol. 9
Anomaly Detection for Structural and Functional Connectivity in Glioma Patients Maria Colpo, Ryan Pollitt, Alexander Leemans, Diego Cecchin, Maurizio Corbetta, Alessandra Bertoldo, Alberto De Luca
NMR in Biomedicine, 2026, vol. 39
Intraoperative Evaluation of Semiautomatic Localization of the Facial Nerve Using Diffusion Tensor Imaging in Patients with Large Vestibular Schwannomas Wouter Maathuis, Tessa Kos, Alexander Leemans, Eduard Voormolen, Hans Thomeer, P Robe, Tristan van Doormaal
Journal of Neurological Surgery Reports, 2026, vol. 87, p.e71-e76
Diffusion tractography outside the brain Kurt G. Schilling, Irvin Teh, Julien Cohen-Adad, Richard Dortch, Ibrahim Ibrahim, Nian Wang, Bruce Damon, Rory L. Cochran, Alexander Leemans
Brain Structure and Function, 2026, vol. 231
Individualized functionnectome for the statistical assessment of white matter circuits underlying task-fMRI activations in glioma patients Giovanni Sighinolfi, Alexander Leemans, David Neil Manners, Elena Cantoni, Gianfranco Vornetti, Lorenzo Motta, Enrico Franceschi, Caterina Tonon, Raffaele Lodi, Alberto De Luca
NeuroImage. Clinical, 2025, vol. 49

Fellowships & Awards

VIDI (NWO)

FC-EW (NWO)

USERN (UNESCO)

PhD fellowship (IWT)

Honorary Doctorate (Chubut)

Honorary Doctorate (Kharkiv)

Young Investigator Award (BHPA)

Outstanding Teacher Award (ISMRM)