Within the framework of the Dr E. Dekker programme of the Dutch Heart Foundation, DrJob Verdonschot(Dept of Cardiology), DrMartijn Hoes(Dept of Cardiology) and DrClaudia Schoenichen (Dept of Biochemistry), have each been awarded a prestigious research grant.

These personal research grants will give them the opportunity over the coming years to pursue innovative research into cardiovascular disease. Their shared goal is to improve early detection of heart disease, tailor treatments more effectively to individual patients, and further advance cardiovascular care.

Clinical geneticist Dr Job Verdonschot has been awarded a Senior Clinical Scientist grant for research into inherited cardiomyopathies. He aims to improve predictions of which people with a genetic predisposition will actually develop the disease. This will help physicians and patients make more informed decisions together about the monitoring and treatments that are needed. It may also provide family members with greater clarity about their own risk.

Biomedical researcher Dr Martijn Hoes has received a Senior Scientist grant. He is developing a new laboratory method to determine more quickly whether a newly identified DNA variant is actually responsible for an inherited cardiomyopathy. This could prevent unnecessary uncertainty for patients and their families while giving physicians better tools to provide personalised care.

Researcher Dr Claudia Schönichen has been awarded a Postdoct grant for research into a common form of heart failure in which the heart's pumping function is preserved, but the heart does not fill adequately with blood. There are currently no curative treatments for this condition. Schönichen is investigating how changes in the bone marrow and platelets contribute to damage of the heart's smallest blood vessels. Her research is expected to identify new targets for future treatments.