Team

Prof. dr. Arno W. Hoes studied Medicine at the Radboud University in Nijmegen and obtained his PhD degree at Erasmus University Rotterdam on a thesis on sudden cardiac death as a side effect of diuretics in hypertension. He was trained in Clinical Epidemiology at Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.

In 1998 he was appointed professor of Clinical Epidemiology and General Practice at Utrecht University / University Medical Center (UMC) Utrecht. From 2010 to 2019, he was the Chair/Medical Manager of the Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care of the UMC Utrecht.

June 2019 he was appointed as vice-chair of the executive board of University Medical Center Utrecht and as dean of the medical faculty  of Utrecht University / UMC Utrecht

With extensive experience in leading clinical trials and conducting impactful research, Wiek has contributed significantly to advancing our understanding of cardiovascular disease. He holds the position of Professor of Cardiovascular and Clinical Pharmacology at the UMCG, is Executive Chairman of the DCVA and is Scientific counselor of the Dutch Heart Foundation.

Professor Jolien Roos-Hesselink is a distinguished cardiologist and researcher, known for her expertise in congenital heart disease and her contributions to advancing cardiovascular care. With affiliations at the Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam and Radboud University Medical Center Nijmegen, she has been appointed as the managing-director of the DCVA.

Rudolf de Boer is Chair and Professor of Cardiology at the Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands. His clinical and research interests include heart failure, with a specialty in cardiogenetics, cardio-oncology, obesity, diabetes, HFpEF and biomarkers. He has served as the president of the Heart Failure Working Group of the Dutch Society of Cardiology, been a board member of the Heart Failure Association (HFA), and currently is the President-Elect of the Dutch Cardiac Society. He has been an associate editor of the European Journal of Heart Failure and now is an associate editor of the European Heart Journal (section Heart Failure).

Pieter A. Doevendans became a cardiologist in Maastricht (trained by H. Wellens) after his medical training at the Leiden University. In 1993-1994 he had the opportunity to work with Ken Chien at the University of California San Diego, where the work on embryonic stem cells started. The work was completed in Maastricht and provided the basis for a thesis on the function of the promoter of the atrial Myosin Light Chain gene. Upon return in The Netherlands he worked with Christine Mummery and Hans Clevers on both human Embryonic as well as human Cardiac stem cells. In the meantime he remained active as an interventional cardiologist initially in Maastricht, but from 2002 on in Utrecht at the UMC Utrecht. Here he was appointed full professor in Translational Cardiology in 2004 and head of the department in 2005. The focus of the department of cardiology is on Cardiac Failure, Stem Cells and Genetics. He was funded by various national and international foundations. Thus far (2017) he published more than 700 peer reviewed papers and 11 books

Hans Snijder has been the new director of the Heart Foundation since 1 February 2022. Before that, he was director of Media & Communications at the Princess Máxima Centre for Paediatric Oncology.

Maarten Merkx is full professor at the department of Biomedical Engineering of Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), where he leads the research group Protein Engineering operating at the interface of chemical biology and synthetic biology. His research group combines approaches from protein engineering, chemical biology, and synthetic biology to develop biomolecular sensors and actuators for applications in intracellular imaging, point-of-care diagnostics, optogenetics, and antibody-based therapies. An important research theme is the engineering of biomolecular switches, which include fluorescent and bioluminescent sensor proteins for intracellular imaging, photo-switchable proteins, and protein- and DNA-based sensors for antibody detection and actuation.

Hester den Ruijter is a distinguished researcher specializing in cardiovascular health and disease. She currently holds the position of Chair of the Pillar Research & Policy at the DCVA. Her expertise lies in advancing our understanding of cardiovascular conditions and developing impactful research and policy strategies. Hester den Ruijter's leadership plays a crucial role in shaping cardiovascular research agendas and policies to address key challenges in this field.

Rob de Ree spearheads collaborative efforts to advance cardiovascular research and innovation in the Netherlands. With expertise in molecular biology and cardiovascular imaging, he plays a key role in shaping research agendas and fostering partnerships to address cardiovascular challenges. Rob de Ree's leadership is instrumental in promoting interdisciplinary approaches to improve cardiovascular outcomes and public health strategies.

Cardiologist Robert Tieleman is the Chair of Implementation at the DCVA. His aim is that new therapies and insights in the field of cardiovascular disease are translated into clinical practice more rapidly, so that patients can benefit sooner. `The translation from science to practice is often too slow. There is still much to be gained.’

Folkert Asselbergs is a clinical cardiologist, Prof of Precision Medicine, and co-lead of the NFU expertise center for inherited cardiac disease at UMC Utrecht. Asselbergs has a joint position as Professor of Precision Medicine at University College London and responsible for the data infrastructure within the DCVA.

Leon de Windt is a leading researcher in cardiovascular biology and disease. As a Senior Researcher at the Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht (CARIM), he is renowned for his groundbreaking work in understanding heart health and disease mechanisms. His contributions emphasize ongoing development and innovation in cardiovascular research.

After completing her Nursing degree, Moniek further developed her passion for healthcare by pursuing a degree in Health Sciences at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, specializing in Prevention and Public Health. Currently, Moniek is in the final phase of her doctoral research within the CONCRETE project.

Since 2023, Moniek has served as the project coordinator for the Delta Plan Heart Failure at the DCVA. This project aims to enhance societal awareness of heart failure and optimize heart failure care in the Netherlands.

Martijn completed his Master's in Cardiovascular Research at the VUmc School of Medical Sciences in 2020. Following this, he worked as a program officer for the COVID-19 subsidy program at ZonMw. In July 2022, Martijn returned to cardiovascular disease research at the DCVA. In his role as Project Manager, he supports the Program Management Team and projects aligned with the DCVA's six ambitions.

Naomi completed both the bachelor and the master Biomedical Sciences at Leiden University. Afterwards, she researched the metabolic effects of the intestinal microbiome at the Academic Medical Center in Amsterdam. Sindce March 2023, Naomi has been dedicated to reducing the burden of cardiovascular disease by fostering collaboration among DCVA partners.

Anne Grace Stegeman joined DCVA in July 2022 as a Communications Advisor. With a background in journalism and communication science, she brings extensive experience from non-profit organizations in the Netherlands and Australia. Anne Grace is passionate about preventive healthcare and campaign management, aligning with DCVA's mission to reduce cardiovascular disease burden by 25% by 2030. In her role, she supports general communications and projects related to DCVA's six ambitions.

Margien Boels started in June 2020 as Impact Officer at DCVA. In this role she will guide researchers of DCVA in their valorisation projects by identifying opportunities, leverage the cardiovascular research and entrepreneurial network and help establish concrete initiatives.

Luc Schoppink is an Impact Officer at the DCVA, focused on translating cutting-edge cardiology research into scalable ventures for rapid development and commercialization. With a background in Biomedical and Neurosciences, along with a degree in Life Science-based Management and Entrepreneurship, Luc previously served as a Senior Consultant at Catalyze-Group, aiding researchers and companies in securing financing for innovative R&D projects in Biotech, Medtech, and Healthtech. Luc is dedicated to advancing promising research and innovation within the cardiovascular field to benefit patients.