Steven Laureys

Dr Steven Laureys is an award-winning neurologist, recognised worldwide as a leading physician & researcher in the field of consciousness & cognition.

He is renown for for his expertise in altered states of consciousness, cognitive disorders, neurorehabilitation, recovery of brain function, traumatic brain injury, concussion, coma, stroke, locked-in syndrome , vegetative state/unresponsive wakefulness, minimally conscious state and near-death experiences; but also sleeping, memory and motor disorders, chronic pain and headache, and stress related symptoms.

In over 25 years of clinical experience, he has studied neuroplasticity and the power of the mind using neuroimaging and neuromodulation techniques but also hypnosis & meditation. With his team, he has published over 540 scientific articles on the workings of the brain.

He is head of the Centre Cerveau (Brain Clinic) at the Liège University Hospital in Belgium, founder of the ‘Coma Science Group’, director of the GIGA Consciousness Research Unit at Liège University & Professor at CERVO Brain Centre, Laval University, Canada. He also serves as Founding Co-Director of the Hangzhou International Consciousness Institute, China (2015-) and as Chief Neurologist at TRAINM Neuro Rehabilitation Clinic, Antwerp.

Professor Laureys has received awards from the European Academy of Neurology, European Academy of Sciences, German Max Planck Society and US Society of Cognitive Neuroscience. He is co-founder of Mind Care International Foundation.

University qualifications

Medical Doctor (1993) VUB Brussels University

Master in Science (1997) Medical & Pharmaceutical Research, VUB Brussels University

Qualified in Neurology (1998) Belgian Ministry of Health

Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences (2000) Liège University

Qualified in End-of-life Medicine & Palliative Care (2004) U Libre de Bruxelles, U Liège, U Catholique de Louvain

Agrégation de l’enseignement supérieur (2007, Habilitation), Liège University

Clinical Professor (2007) University & University Hospital of Liège

Professional Memberships (selection)

Founder & Past-Chair, World Federation of Neurology Applied Research Group on Coma (2012-)

Founder & Past-Chair, European Academy of Neurology Subcommittee Disorders of Consciousness (2008-),

Board of Governors, International Brain Injury Association (2010-)

Association Scientific Study of Consciousness (Member 2003-, Board of Directors 2009-2012, President 2016)

Elected fellow of the Belgian Royal Academy of Medicine (2018-)

Expertscape, an organization that ranks medical experts, has Prof Laureys ranked as a world-leading neurologist for the past 10 years. In 2022, he received the European Award in Medicine in the Neurology category.