Researchers Linda van Laake

Linda van Laake

Full Professor

Strategic program(s):

Biography

Linda W. Van Laake, MD, PhD obtained her medical degree at Maastricht University and her PhD (title: Cardiac Recovery by Stem and Progenitor Cells) at Utrecht University, after which she continued her scientific career as a postdoctoral researcher at the Gladstone Institutes, University of California, San Francisco (USA). In 2011 she became Assistant Professor at the Department of Cardiology of the University Medical Center Utrecht and the Hubrecht Institute Utrecht, the Netherlands. In addition, she works as a clinical cardiologist specialized in heart failure.

Dr. Van Laake’s team explores novel approaches to regenerate the heart using stem- and progenitor cells. Many cardiovascular diseases, such as heart failure and myocardial infarction, are associated with loss of functional cardiomyocytes (heart muscle cells). A focus on the understanding of fundamental cardiac developmental – and repair processes will promote the recapitulation of cardiac differentiation in vitro. Currently, the team is investigating the influence of circadian or “day-night” rhythms on cardiac development and regeneration.

Combing a variety of novel approaches together with a greater understanding of how heart development and repair work, Dr. Van Laake and her team strive to create better personalized heart failure therapies.

Strategic program(s):

Contact

llaake@umcutrecht.nl

Pure profile

Research groups

Inherited heart disease (cardiogenetics)

Research aim

We aim to enhance patient and family lives impacted by inherited cardiomyopathies. Our efforts target gene and variant identification, disease mechanisms, factors influencing disease outcomes, therapy optimization, and exploration of novel therapies.

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Cardiac repair and regeneration

Research aim

Current available therapies for chronic heart diseases only alleviate symptoms and prevent the disease from becoming worse. We aim to improve our understanding and stimulate our natural potential for myocardial repair.

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Molecular science & therapy in heart failure

Research aim

Current available therapies for chronic heart diseases only alleviate symptoms and prevent the disease from becoming worse. We aim to improve our understanding of heart failure and develop new strategies for therapy.

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Recent publications

All publications

Altered circadian rhythmicity of the QT interval predicts mortality in a large real-world academic hospital population Rutger R. van de Leur, Bastiaan C. du Pré, Markella I. Printezi, Rutger J. Hassink, Pieter A. Doevendans, René van Es, Linda W. van Laake
Heliyon, 2025, vol. 11

Mechanical Circulatory Support for Right Ventricular Primary Graft Dysfunction After Heart Transplant Einar A Hart, S A Braithwaite, J A J Hermens, A O Kraaijeveld, F Ramjankhan, L W van Laake, M I F J Oerlemans, M K Szymanski
Clinical transplantation, 2025, vol. 39

Healthcare consumption of patients with left ventricular assist device Lena Bosch, Peter-Paul M Zwetsloot, Maaike Brons, Gerardus P J van Hout, Manon G van der Meer, Mariusz K Szymanski, Anne-Marie Troost-Oppelaar, Faiz Z Ramjankhan, Pim van der Harst, Monica Gianoli, Marish I F J Oerlemans, Linda W van Laake
Netherlands Heart Journal, 2024, vol. 32, p.317-325

Healthcare professionals’ perspective on the acceptance of gene therapy Lian Y. Rekker, Erik Renkema, Femke Hilverda, Linda W. van Laake, Pieter A. Doevendans, Joost P.G. Sluijter, Pim van der Harst, J. Peter van Tintelen, Anneline S.J.M. te Riele
Heart Rhythm O2, 2024, vol. 5, p.747-749

Cost-effectiveness of long term left ventricular assist devices Gerardus P.J. van Hout, Pieter A. Doevendans, Linda W. van Laake
Netherlands Heart Journal, 2024, vol. 32

Mechanisms of myocardial reverse remodelling and its clinical significance Inês Falcão-Pires, Ana Filipa Ferreira, Fábio Trindade, Luc Bertrand, Michele Ciccarelli, Valeria Visco, Dana Dawson, Nazha Hamdani, Linda W. Van Laake, Frank Lezoualc'h, Wolfgang A. Linke, Ida G. Lunde, Peter P. Rainer, Mahmoud Abdellatif, Jolanda Van der Velden, Nicola Cosentino, Alessia Paldino, Giulio Pompilio, Serena Zacchigna, Stephane Heymans, Thomas Thum, Carlo Gabriele Tocchetti
European Journal of Heart Failure, 2024, vol. 26, p.1454-1479

Fellowships & Awards

Grants:

UMCU Clinical Research Talent Fellowship, 2014-2016
Jacob Jongbloed Talent Society grant for multidisciplinary team effort “Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction in Metabolic Syndrome”, 2014
Novartis personal grant for participation in the Postgraduate Course in Heart Failure of the European Society of Cardiology, 2014-2015
Netherlands Heart Foundation Dekker personal grant “Arts in Opleiding tot Specialist” 2013-2016
European Society of Cardiology First Contact Initiative Grant 2013
Veni ZonMw grant 2011-2014, a personal grant that is part of the Innovational Research Incentives Scheme of NWO (Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research)
Keystone Scholarship (Pathological and Physiological Regulation of Cardiac Hypertrophy), 2008
ICIN (Interuniversity Cardiology Institute of the Netherlands) Fellowship 2007 for post-doctoral training in the Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, San Francisco.
Netherlands Heart Foundation grant for working visit to the US “Functional integration of transplanted human embryonic stem-cell derived cardiomyocytes”, 2006
Van Walree Fund grant, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences; 2004

Awards:

Heineken Young Scientist Award for Medicine, of the KNAW (Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences), 2012
Young Investigator Award, European Society of Cardiology Congress, Stockholm, 2010
Einthoven Dissertatieprijs 2009 (award for the best PhD thesis in Cardiology of 2008)
European Society of Cardiology Basic Cardiovascular Science Travel Award, 2008

External positions

Bestuurslid Werkgroep Hartfalen - Connectie beroepsgroep (cardiologen) - hartfalen, o.a. scholing, beoordelen beleidsdocumenten - NVVC