Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences

While pulmonary hypertension research almost exclusively takes place at the Amsterdam UMC location VUmc, thrombosis research is entirely located at the AMC location. As such, research in both locations is highly complementary.

Stong clinically focused research of the fields of pulmonary hypertension and thrombosis 

Research in both themes is clinically focused and strongest in areas of diagnosis, patient monitoring (including imaging), specific women’s issues in thrombosis and hemostasis, clinical trials, and hemophilia.

Basic research is still developing and strong collaborations already exist between clinical departments (internal medicine, pulmonology, cardiology, neurology, nuclear medicine, gynaecology and obstetrics, pediatrics, intensive care medicine) and research departments (experimental vascular medicine, physiology, reproductive medicine).

Integrated within the themes of pulmonary hypertension (PH) and thrombosis are strong, well-funded groups working on cardiac function, respiratory muscle function, and on lung endothelial barrier function in Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome.

Infographics on research performed within the Pulmonary Hypertension & Thrombosis research program:

Aim

To increase the quality of our research and training activities we aim to further develop the potential synergies between the fields of pulmonary hypertension and thrombosis in a fully translational way.

We will intensify collaboration between participating departments and coordinate activities with respect to preclinical models, trial design, and training and recruitment of talented researchers.

Joint investments in infrastructure, technologies and expertise (technical support) are needed to consolidate the unique position of thrombosis and pulmonary hypertension research in Amsterdam.

Program Leaders

Young ACS

Nick van Es & Tyler Kirby

Research themes

Thrombosis

Research in the field of thrombosis and haemostasis covers all aspects, including the etiology, diagnosis and treatment. The etiology research line aims to identify novel genetic risk factors, by means of classical linkage analysis and next generation whole exome sequencing in families that have been collected because of an unexplained tendency to familial venous thromboembolism.

This research line has been extremely successful in the translation of findings to the clinical implications of thrombophilia. Large, multicentre clinical research into improving the diagnosis of both deep vein thrombosis as well as pulmonary embolism has been initiated by AMC researchers and remains a focus as many questions need to be solved.

With respect to treatment, AMC researchers are internationally active and leading several international clinical studies with novel anticoagulant agents to optimize treatment of venous thrombosis. We focus on specific patient groups, such as women with thrombophilia, pregnant women with venous thrombosis, and patients with cancer-associated thrombosis.

Pulmonary circulation and right heart failure

Pulmonary hypertension research at the VUmc is focused on phenotyping of patient cohorts and careful monitoring of right heart function. In an extensive program for translational research, new therapeutic approaches are tested in vitro, in animal models and subsequently in relatively small but well-structured proof-of-concept investigator initiated clinical trials.

Preclinical research of the pulmonary circulation and right heart failure is based on a strong collaboration between the departments of Physiology and Pulmonary Medicine. In addition, many patients are enrolled in large international randomized clinical trials of new PH medications.

Respiratory muscle stress in the critically ill

Patients with PH -and with other lung diseases- develop weakness of the (respiratory) muscles, a weakness which rapidly worsens during admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) and frequently leads to death.

VUmc and AMC departments (Physiology and ICU location VUmc and AMC) combine work on respiratory muscle biopsies with the monitoring of in vivo respiratory muscle function and patient-ventilator interaction to determine the pathophysiology of respiratory muscle weakness.

In collaboration with pharmaceutical companies, the ability of novel compounds to restore respiratory muscle function is tested in vitro as well as in patients.

PI's and ongoing research lines

The following PI's are member of the Pulmonary Hypertension & Thrombosis Research Program:

PI’s and staff members of the Pulmonary Hypertension & Thrombosis Research program were invited to give a short pitch about their research, funding and future plans for the coming years. This resulted in the figure presented below and an overview of missions along with slides for individual research lines (see Downloads). If your research is missing, please send an email to acs@amsterdamumc.nl with the ongoing research template (see Downloads).

Overview of collaboration within the PH&T Research Program and withother ACS Research Programs. Lines represent ongoing collaboration between PH&T PI's. Asterisks indicate program leaders: Saskia Middeldorp, Harm Jan Bogaard and Coen Ottenheijm.

Downloads

ACS research lines by PH&T Principal Investigators:

Program members