Professor Joop S.E. Laven is professor in Obstetrics and Gynaecology and was initially trained at the University of Utrecht, The Netherlands. After Medical school he completed his Ph.D. thesis on clinical and experimental aspects of varicocele at Utrecht University in 1991. From 1991 till 1997 he continued his training at the University Medical Center St. Radboud in Nijmegen. In 1997 he became board certified in OBGYN (FRCOG) and moved to the Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam. In 2000 he became certified subspecialist Reproductive Medicine. He is a member of ESHRE, ASRM, the Endocrine Society, the Society of Gynaecological Investigation (SGI) and the Royal Dutch College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. He is the past president of the Dutch Society of Reproductive Medicine.
For many years he had a particular interest in the management of polycystic ovary syndrome covering the full spectrum from the effects of the syndrome during adolescence and adult life on the menstrual cycle, fertility, body weight and cosmetic aspects. During the last decade the research focussed on more fundamental effects that PCOS may have on quality of life and long-term health risks as well as the genetic basis of the disease. More recently he was also involved in Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS) exploring the genetic basis of PCOS, premature ovarian insufficiency, menarche and menopause.
Clinical work focuses on women’s health in particular reproductive endocrinology and menopause as well as on infertility treatment and ART and pregnancy outcome in infertile couples especially women with PCOS. For many years he is involved in preconception care and counselling as well as organizing life style modification programs. He is the person Responsible for the Rotterdam Erasmus MC Reproductive Medicine Unit, which performs approximately 2500 IVF cycles, 600 IUI cycles and about 250 cycles of ovulation induction per annum. Within the outpatient clinic of the unit about 10,000 individual patient visits take place on a yearly basis. He works as a full-time clinician and is currently head of the Division of Reproductive Medicine of the department of OBGYN at Erasmus MC in Rotterdam.
He has published over 200 peer-reviewed papers and several reviews as well as chapters in books, and has delivered over 200 lectures to international scientific audiences. Books to which he has contributed include Endocrinology, De Groot and Jameson, IVF in the complicated patient, Insulin Resistance and PCOS. He is a member of the editorial board of Human Reproduction Update and the Journal of Endocrine Society.
Currently he is living together with Annemarie Rietveld, he is the proud father of 4 sons: Niels, Pim, Jannes and Loek. In his rare free private time you might see him fly-fishing or biking or just being lazy on these Sunday afternoons listening to Van Morrison.
