Profile photo Birgitta Velthuis

Birgitta Velthuis

Full Professor

Strategic program(s):

Biography

Prof. dr. Birgitta Velthuis (1964) completed her medical and radiology training in Utrecht, the Netherlands. She obtained her PhD degree: “CT angiography in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage” in 1998 in Utrecht. Since 1999 she works as a radiologist in the University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU) and is specialized in cardiovascular and neurovascular non-invasive CT and MRI imaging. She is Professor in Radiology of the Heart-Brain axis at the University of Utrecht, and serves on the board of the Netherlands Vascular Forum (NVF) and the cluster Cardiovascular Risk Management (CVRM). Her work is divided between patient care, teaching and research. 
Her neurovascular research concentrates on CT and MRI imaging in patients with ischemic stroke, subarachnoid haemorrhage and intracranial aneurysms. Her cardiovascular research focuses on imaging of atherosclerosis, hereditary and acquired cardiomyopathies, heart failure, gender and sports cardiology. Artificial intelligence and high field strength MRI have also become important parts of her research work
The heart-brain axis work focuses on imaging cardioembolic sources of acute ischemic stroke and imaging atherosclerosis with assessment of plaque composition and inflammation at different locations in the body.

Research groups

Cardiovascular imaging and image guided treatment

Research aim

By developing and implementing advanced imaging and AI, we aim to enhance individualized detection, prediction, and minimally invasive treatment of cardiovascular disease.This optimizes patient selection, treatment guidance, and clinical outcomes.
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Neurovascular imaging and image guided treatment

Research aim

By developing and implementing advanced imaging and AI, we aim to enhance individualized detection, prediction, and minimally invasive treatment of neurovascular disease.This optimizes patient selection, treatment guidance, and clinical outcomes.
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Recent publications

Computed tomography and coronary artery calcium score for screening of coronary artery disease and cardiovascular risk management in asymptomatic individuals Sara Joan Pinto-Sietsma, Birgitta K. Velthuis, Nick S. Nurmohamed, Rozemarijn Vliegenthart, Fabrice M.A.C. Martens
Netherlands Heart Journal, 2024, vol. 32, p.371–377
Graph convolutional networks for automated intracranial artery labeling Iris N Vos, Ynte M Ruigrok, Ishaan R Bhat, Kimberley M Timmins, Birgitta K Velthuis, Hugo J Kuijf
Journal of Medical Imaging, 2024, vol. 11
Deep Learning for Automatic Strain Quantification in Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy Laura Alvarez-Florez, Jörg Sander, Mimount Bourfiss, Fleur V.Y. Tjong, Birgitta K. Velthuis, Ivana Išgum
2024, p.25-34
Diagnostic value of late gadolinium enhancement at cardiovascular magnetic resonance to distinguish arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy from differentials Lian Y Rekker, Steven A Muller, Alessio Gasperetti, Mimount Bourfiss, Marish Ifj Oerlemans, Maarten J Cramer, Stefan L Zimmerman, Dennis Dooijes, Hanke Schalkx, Pim van der Harst, Cynthia A James, J Peter van Tintelen, Marco Guglielmo, Birgitta K Velthuis, Anneline Sjm Te Riele
Journal of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance, 2024, vol. 26, p.101059
Exercise-induced cardiac troponin release in athletes with versus without coronary atherosclerosis Sylvan L.J.E. Janssen, Femke de Vries, Alma M.A. Mingels, Geert Kleinnibbelink, Maria T.E. Hopman, Arend Mosterd, Birgitta K. Velthuis, Vincent L. Aengevaeren, Thijs M.H. Eijsvogels
American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology, 2024, vol. 326, p.H1045-H1052
Halved contrast medium dose coronary dual-layer CT-angiography – phantom study of tube current and patient characteristics C. H. Kristiansen, P. M. Tetteroo, M. M. Dobrolinska, P. M. Lauritzen, B. K. Velthuis, M. J.W. Greuter, D. Suchá, P. A. de Jong, N. R. van der Werf
International Journal of Cardiovascular Imaging, 2024, vol. 40, p.931-940

External positions

board member - advisory role as a cardiovascular radologist - Netherlands Vascular Forum (NVF)

radiologist - advisory role, research and regular presentor - Philips Healthcare