Arthur Wilde new science advisor Dutch Heart Foundation

Professor Arthur Wilde, specialist genetic causes of cardiac arrhythmias, is the new scientific advisor of the Dutch Heart Foundation.

Professor Wilde (1956) has been researching the genetic causes of cardia arrythmias that can lead to cardiac arrest and their treatment since the 1990s.

From 1999-2006, Professor Wilde was already a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Dutch Heart Foundation. Together with professor Marc Vos, he is responsible for the Predict II consortium, which conducts research into predicting sudden cardiac death.

Head of Research at the Dutch Heart Foundation, Rebecca Abma-Schouten: ‘By setting up and funding research consortia, the Dutch Heart Foundation achieves an important part of its goals to make the Netherlands heart-healthier. The good cooperation between scientists and with the Heart Foundation is very important for the success and impact of research into cardiovascular diseases. We are extremely happy that Professor Wilde will contribute to this in the coming years.’

Professor Wilde’s work will include the valuation of research. ‘How we should measure what that has brought to society, I have ideas about that,’ he says. ‘It is a discussion that naturally plays out all teaching hospitals. The parameters used to be simple. Publications, citations. I have personally experienced the disadvantages of that way of looking at things: if you do research on rare diseases, you get quoted much less than if you publish on atrial fibrillation, for example. While that says nothing about your impact in the relevant field.”

He also sees opportunities to further strengthen mutual cooperation in the cardiovascular field and will contribute to the development of the new national cardiovascular agenda, in line with the Dutch Heart Foundation’s new strategy.

Arthur Wilde succeeds Professor Wiek van Gilst, who retired last year.

Source: The Dutch Heart Foundation