Jacques Hens graduated as a medical biologist from Utrecht University in 1990 and obtained his PhD in 1994 with the thesis Phosphoprotein B-50/GAP-43 in calcium-induced exocytosis from permeated nerve terminals. As a post-doc in neurochemistry, he specialised in the molecular mechanism of neurotransmitter release in learning and memory processes.
In 1997, Jacques made the switch to laboratory medicine. He completed his training as a registered clinical chemist at the clinical chemical and haematological laboratory (KCHL) of the Meander Medical Centre in Amersfoort. In 2001, Jacques started working as a clinical chemistry laboratory specialist and medical manager of the medical laboratory, blood collection department and thrombosis service at the Hofpoort hospital in Woerden. During this period, he stood at the cradle of, and also published on, the regional introduction of self-management of patients at the thrombosis service, who are given control over their own anticoagulation treatment with finger pricking and self-point-of-care measurement of the PT-INR.
Since 2009, Jacques has served as clinical chemist and medical leader of the KCHL of the Groene Hart Hospital in Gouda and trainer B clinical chemistry in collaboration with the KCHL of Erasmus MC. His areas of interest include point of care technology, automation and robotisation of the laboratory process, blood transfusion and molecular biology. In addition, Jacques is active in the national (NHG/NVKC/NVMM/SAN) working group LESA laboratory diagnostics for general medicine and involved in the Accreditation Council as a subject matter expert.
PhD research
Jacques Hens received his PhD in 1994 from Utrecht University, Faculty of Medicine, investigating the molecular mechanism of the release of different types of neurotransmitters (= chemical signalling molecules) in the brain in learning and memory processes.