Prof. Dr. Dirk De Ridder

Professor of Neurosurgery, Neuroscientist & Co-Founder

Prof. Dirk De Ridder, MD, PhD, is a neurosurgeon, neuroscientist, and co-founder of BRAI3N.
He is internationally recognized for his research into brain networks, tinnitus, chronic pain, and the development of innovative neuromodulation techniques.

He is a professor of neurosurgery at the University of Otago in New Zealand, where he is affiliated with the Dunedin School of Medicine.

Through BRAI3N, Prof. De Ridder serves as a neurosurgeon at VITAZ in Sint-Niklaas. Thanks to this partnership, carefully selected BRAI3N patients can undergo invasive neuromodulation when medically indicated. These neurosurgical procedures are performed by Prof. De Ridder within the specialized hospital environment of VITAZ.

His scientific research is driven by a fundamental question:

""Why do certain neurological and psychiatric conditions persist, and how can we effectively target the involved brain networks?"

A key part of his work focuses on understanding the brain as a dynamic and predictive system.
According to this neuroscientific model, our brains do not just process information from the environment; they also use past experiences and expectations to shape our perceptions.

Changes in these processes and in the interaction between brain networks may contribute to conditions such as tinnitus, chronic pain, depression, addiction, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

His research into these mechanisms has led to, among other things, an influential scientific publication on tinnitus and pain as persistent phantom perceptions. In doing so, he helped shift the focus from individual brain regions to the interaction between different networks.

In addition to his fundamental research, Prof. De Ridder has made significant contributions to the development of new neuromodulation techniques.

He was a co-developer of burst stimulation, where electrical impulses are delivered in specific patterns to influence nerve activity. His early research into burst spinal cord stimulation for chronic pain contributed to the further development of this technology, which was later applied both clinically and commercially.

He also explored new possibilities for brain stimulation in the treatment of tinnitus, including burst stimulation of the auditory cortex.

His scientific work encompasses both non-invasive neuromodulation, such as TMS and transcranial electrical stimulation, as well as invasive techniques, including spinal cord stimulation and implanted brain electrodes. The applicability and scientific basis of these techniques vary by condition and patient.

Prof. De Ridder is the author or co-author of hundreds of scientific publications in international journals. In addition, he is a co-editor of the internationally used Textbook of Tinnitus (Springer, 2024), in which researchers and clinicians provide a comprehensive overview of scientific knowledge regarding tinnitus.

For his research contributions, he received the Dean's Medal for Research Excellence from the University of Otago in 2019..

His international academic activities also include collaborations with institutions such as Trinity College Dublin, the University of Bonn, and the Manipal Academy of Higher Education in India.

Together withProf. Dr. Sven VannesteandJan Ost he founded BRAI3N based on a shared ambition: carefully translating scientific insights into how the brain works into new treatment options for patients.

Within BRAI3N, his scientific and neurosurgical expertise forms an important foundation for the development and critical evaluation of neuromodulation treatments.
Understanding the underlying brain networks is central to this, yet a careful clinical assessment remains the deciding factor in choosing a treatment.

His work is characterized by a constant search for a better understanding of neurological and psychiatric conditions. Not every hypothesis is confirmed, and not every treatment yields the expected result. It is precisely these uncertainties that provide the impetus to investigate further, critically question existing insights, and explore new possibilities.

His conviction aligns closely with the core mission of BRAI3N: scientific progress only gains meaning when it can contribute to better patient care in a responsible manner.

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