Maurits Allessie

Allessie was born in 1945 in Gemert, the Netherlands,^[1] and was raised in Amsterdam.^[2] He obtained his MD from the University of Amsterdam in 1974, and his PhD from Maastricht University in 1977.^[3] At age 38 he became a professor of physiology at the latter university, and seven years later he became head of the department.^[1] During his career Allessie studied heart problems.^[4]

In 1998 he received the Distinguished Scientist Award of the Heart Rhythm Society, and in 2011 the Founders Lectureship Award.^[5]

Allessie became member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2003.^[6] The academy praised Allessie for developing better insights into atrial fibrillation and electrophysiology of the heart. He was a professor between 2003 and 2008.^[7] Allessie has stressed the importance of classical/integral physiology in research and education.^[2]