Prof. Dr. Jan Willem Gorter is a leading expert in pediatric rehabilitation medicine with a distinguished career dedicated to enhancing the lives of children and youth with disabilities and chronic health conditions. He currently serves as the inaugural Chair and Head of Pediatric Rehabilitation at the University Medical Center Utrecht, overseeing services at both the Wilhelmina Children's Hospital and the Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology. In addition to his role in the Netherlands, he holds a part-time professorship in Pediatrics at McMaster University in Canada, where he previously directed the CanChild Centre for Childhood Disability Research from 2013 to 2021 .

Prof. Gorter's clinical and research endeavors focus on facilitating the transition of youth with disabilities from pediatric to adult healthcare systems. He advocates for a life-course health development approach, emphasizing the importance of physical health, family empowerment, and cognitive development to ensure optimal outcomes as children mature into adulthood . His work has been instrumental in shaping policies and practices that support seamless healthcare transitions, as evidenced by his contributions to national discussions on healthcare transition policy in Canada .

In recognition of his impactful research, Prof. Gorter was honored with the Career Research Award by the Canadian Paediatric Society in 2022, acknowledging his significant contributions to pediatric research in Canada.