Vera Lagerburg

Utrecht University, University Medical Center Utrecht

Papers

Total Citations

138

H-Index

About

Vera Lagerburg is a pioneering figure in the field of medical robotics and prostate cancer brachytherapy, where her work has fundamentally advanced the precision of needle-based interventions. Her research centers on the critical challenge of prostate motion during treatment, demonstrating through her highly cited 2005 study (75 citations) that the prostate rotates significantly during needle insertion—a finding that reshaped clinical understanding of targeting errors. To address this, she developed a novel robotic needle insertion method (2006, 57 citations) that actively minimizes attendant prostate motion, improving treatment accuracy. Her most ambitious contribution is the design of an MRI scanner-compatible implant robot for prostate brachytherapy (2008), a groundbreaking achievement that enables real-time imaging guidance within the high-field environment of an MRI. This work represents a major leap toward integrating robotics with advanced imaging for safer, more precise cancer therapy. With over 130 cumulative citations, Lagerburg’s research has laid essential groundwork for the next generation of image-guided, robot-assisted brachytherapy systems, directly impacting patient outcomes in radiation oncology.