Associate Professor
Strategic program(s):
Biography
Throughout my scientific career, I have always focused on cellular physiology. From the very first moment in life, when the heart starts to beat, it is the function of the bodies’ cells that determines the fate of the individual. While all advances in methods to measure and control gene expression are very interesting and useful, nothing beats physiology in my view. Patients will never come to the doctor because their genes or mRNA are giving them issues, it’s functional (i.e. pathophysiological) issues that bring them there. So, this is an important motivation for me to keep emphasizing the important role of (cellular) physiology in medicine. As the American Physiological Society says: Physiology is Medicine.
As an associate professor and principal investigator of the UMCU theme Cardiovascular Research, I am responsible for leading a group doing cellular electrophysiology research in our department. We use state of the art research techniques to advance our field, such as:
- Automated patch clamping. In collaboration with Nanion Technologies and Elements we are working on implementing dynamic clamping in high-throughput patch clamping.
- Myocardial slices. We are using cultured human myocardial slices for a variety of research questions, often closely linked to clinical practice. Current focus is on advancing analysis strategies and further application of slices in studying human cardiac cellular electrophysiology.
- Optogenetic sensors and actuators. In several models we have used genetically encoded sensors and actuators to study cellular physiology in situ. From the first report of in situ cardiac action potentials in mice to imaging action potentials in zebrafish.
- Imaging of voltage / calcium dyes. Using organic dyes and fast cameras we have worked on iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes, neurons and myocardial slices to study excitation and contraction.
Besides the UMCU theme Cardiovascular Research, I am also involved in the theme Regenerative Medicine, providing expertise and assistance to researchers in this field that need input on cellular physiology methods.
If you would like to collaborate or need help with cellular physiology, send me an email or call our department at 0887558900.
See also the website Department of Medical Physiology: www.umcutrecht.nl/medfysiol
Research aim
Our group studies cardiac electrophysiology at all levels, from the patient to gene-level. By improving our understanding of the human heart, we aim to provide better health care for our patients.
Go to group- KNAW Ter Meulen Fund Fellowship (2008)
- NHS Dekker Fellowship (2011-2015)
- ZonMW Meer Kennis Minder Dieren implementatieproject (2017 - 2021)
