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Uyên Châu Nguyên wins UM Dissertation Prize 2025

Uyên Châu Nguyên wins UM Dissertation Prize 2025

29 January 2026

During the Dies Natalis of Maastricht University, Uyên Châu Nguyên received the UM Dissertation Prize 2025.

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Global research network launched to study menopause and heart health

Global research network launched to study menopause and heart health

20 January 2026

Ten international health research funders, including the Dutch Heart Foundation, are investing $10 million in a new global research network to improve early prevention of cardiovascular disease in women. The initiative focuses on understanding how menopause affects heart health and how early intervention can reduce risk.

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Carim Maastricht
Carim Maastricht

Stephane Heymans

Professor

Stephane Heymans is Professor of Cardiomyopathies and Head of the Centre for Heart Failure Research, Department of Cardiology, Maastricht University. He obtained his Medical Degree from the KU Leuven (Belgium) in 1995 and went on to get a PhD in Medical Sciences in 2000, studying the role of proteinases in acute myocardial infarction. In 2003, he joined the Department of Cardiology of Maastricht UMC+ as an academic medical specialist and in 2006 he took over the Multidisciplinary Cardiomyopathy Program (Genetics, Immunology, Microbiology and Pathology departments).

In 2008, he established his independent research laboratory at Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht. His research interests focus on the molecular mechanisms of heart failure, looking at the interplay between inflammatory cells, fibroblasts and cardiomyocytes. Particular focus is on the role of non-structural matrix proteins, matrix turnover and non-coding RNAs.

Furthermore, he is Professor of 'Inflammation and Matrix Biology in Cardiomyopathies' at the University of Leuven and he is a board member of the ESC Heart Failure Association, ESC Working Group of Myocardial Function, ESC Heart Failure Association Committee on Diastolic Heart Failure and ESC Heart Failure Association Committee on Translational Research.

Website www.hfresearch.eu

Stephane-heymans

Department of Cardiology
Universiteitssingel 50, 6229 ER Maastricht
PO Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht
Room number: G3.230
T: +31(0)43 388 43 04

  • 2026
    • Peretto, G., Merlo, M., Ambrosi, A., Bacigalupi, E., Villatore, A., Molinari, L., Anguera, I., Claver, E., Dal Ferro, M., Suwalski, P., Spartalis, M., Verdonschot, J., Ciabatti, M., Martini, N., Zampieri, M., Paldino, A., Valeri, Y., Radesich, C., Lazzeroni, D., ... Sinagra, G. (2026). Major arrhythmias in non-dilated left ventricular cardiomyopathy: a novel prediction score. European Heart Journal, 47(1), 94-106. Article ehaf477. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehaf477
  • 2025
    • Johnson, R., Fletcher, R. A., Peters, S., Ohanian, M., Soka, M., Smolnikov, A., Abihider, K. E., Ackerman, M. J., Ader, F., Akhtar, M. M., Amin, A. S., Ashley, E. A., Atherton, J. J., Austin, R., Baas, A. F., Bagnall, R. D., Ross, S. B., Blouin, J.-L., Brown, E. E., ... Australian Genomics Cardiac Flagship (2025). Titin-related familial dilated cardiomyopathy: factors associated with disease onset. European Heart Journal, 46(48), 5240-5257. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehaf380
    • Stroeks, S. L. V. M., Wang, P., Merlo, M., Muller, S., Paldino, A., Mora-Ayestaran, N., Jason, M., Ferro, M. D., Loca, C. P., Dominguez, F., Gonzalez-Lopez, E., van den Wijngaard, A., Venner, M. F. G. H. M., Sikking, M., Minten, M., Nihant, B., Beelen, N., Graw, S., Medo, K., ... Verdonschot, J. A. J. (2025). Impact of genotype-phenotype associations on prognosis in dilated cardiomyopathy. European journal of heart failure, 27(12), 3205-3218. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejhf.70040
    • Verdonschot, J. A. J., Kaski, J. P., Asselbergs, F. W., Behr, E. R., Charron, P., Dawson, D., Haugaa, K. H., Kuchynka, P., Lopes, L. R., Mazzanti, A., Monserrat, L., Pantazis, A., Prasad, S. K., Schunkert, H., Seferovic, P. M., Sheppard, M. N., Sinagra, G., van Tintelen, J. P., Tome Esteban, M. T., ... Garcia-Pavia, P. (2025). Clinical care of family members of patients with dilated cardiomyopathy: A clinical consensus statement of the Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology, the European Society of Cardiology Working Group on Myocardial & Pericardial Diseases, and the European Society of Cardiology Council on Cardiovascular Genomics. European Heart Journal, 46(43), 4569-4582. Article ehaf571. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehaf571
    • Lagrange, J., Jahangiri, M., Baudry, G., Monzo, L., Guerci, P., ter Maaten, J. M., Heymans, S., Mercier, N., & Girerd, N. (2025). Updates on the endothelial glycocalyx in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. American Journal of Physiology-heart and Circulatory Physiology, 329(5), H1316-H1330. https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpheart.00410.2025
    • Venner, M. F. G. H. M., Heymans, A. B. M., Beelen, N. J., Stroeks, S. L. V. M., Faassen, I. M. E., Sikking, M. A., Henkens, M. T. H. M., Van Der Crabben, S. N., Raafs, A. G., Heymans, S. R. B., & Verdonschot, J. A. J. (2025). Predictive value of ambulatory ECG monitoring for malignant arrhythmic events in genetic dilated cardiomyopathy. EP Europace, 27(11), Article euaf279. https://doi.org/10.1093/europace/euaf279
    • Stroeks, S. L. V. M., Merlo, M., Mora-Ayestaran, N., Jason, M., Tayal, U., Wang, P., Cannatà, A., Sikking, M. A., Dal Ferro, M., Peiro, B., Willemars, M., Hellebrekers, D. M. E. I., van Leeuwen, R. E. W., Setti, M., Gonzalez-Lopez, E., Krapels, I. P. C., Pio Loco Detto Gava, C., van den Wijngaard, A., Henkens, M. T. H. M., ... Verdonschot, J. A. J. (2025). Sex Differences in Prognosis of Patients With Genetic Dilated Cardiomyopathy. Circulation-Heart Failure, 18(11), e012592. Article 012592. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCHEARTFAILURE.124.012592
    • Gigli, M., Verdonschot, J. A. J., Garcia-Pavia, P., Stolfo, D., Monserrat, L., Prasad, S., Mazzanti, A., Asselbergs, F. W., Bauce, B., Charron, P., Dawson, D., Halliday, B. P., Mestroni, L., Seferovic, P., Tayal, U., Esteban, M. T. T., Van Tintelen, P., Heymans, S., Pantazis, A., ... Sinagra, G. (2025). Future development of arrhythmogenic risk scores in patients with heart failure and inherited dilated cardiomyopathy. A scientific statement of the Heart Failure Association of the ESC. European journal of heart failure, 27(11), 2229-2243. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejhf.70042
    • Setti, M., Iseppi, M., Verdonschot, J. A. J., Rizzi, J. G., Paldino, A., Gava, C. P. L. D., Barbati, G., Dal Ferro, M., Venner, M. F. G. H. M., Raafs, A. G., Gigli, M., Stolfo, D., De Luca, A., De Angelis, G., Capovilla, T. M., Graw, S., Ribichini, F. L., Taylor, M., Mestroni, L., ... Merlo, M. (2025). Integrated role of cardiac magnetic resonance and genetics in predicting left ventricular reverse remodelling in dilated and non-dilated cardiomyopathy. European journal of heart failure, 27(11), 2571-2581. Article 3671. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejhf.3671
    • Sikking, M., Wiethoff, I., Henkens, M., Evers, S., Stroeks, S., Venner, M., Weerts, J., Brunner-la Rocca, H.-P., Knackstedt, C., van Empel, V., Michels, M., Heymans, S., Hiligsmann, M., & Verdonschot, J. (2025). High societal costs and reduced health-related quality of life in inflammatory and systemic immune disease-associated dilated cardiomyopathies. Quality of Life Research, 34(10), 2901-2910. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-025-04027-5
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