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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

Martijn Smulders

Post doc

Dr Martijn Smulders obtained his medical degree at Maastricht University in 2010. After this he started his PhD trajectory focusing on cardiac MRI and CT in patients with suspected myocardial infarction. In 2020, he succesfully defended his thesis entitled: “Diagnostic evaluation of chest pain – The role of non-invasive cardiac imaging.” In 2016 he started his training in cardiology. Since 2022, he has been working as a cardiologist at Maastricht UMC+ with a focus on cardiovascular imaging (cardiac MRI, CT, transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography).

His research is primarily focused on the role of cardiovascular CT and MRI in patients with chest pain, coronary artery disease and myocardial infarction. In addition, he investigates the ability of cardiac CT and MRI to assess the presence, extent and clinical consequences of myocardial fibrosis.

Carim martijn dscf7091 kopie

Department of Cardiology
P. Debyelaan 25, 6229 HX Maastricht 
PO Box 5800, 6202 AZ Maastricht
T: +31(0)43 387 70 93

  • 2026
    • Lemmens, M. J. D. K., Peeters, F. E. C. M., Schreurs, R., Natour, E., Weinans, C., Mihl, C., & Smulders, M. W. (2026). Characterizing a Left Ventricular Pseudoaneurysm With Photon-Counting Detector CT. JACC. Case reports, 31(3), Article 106238. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaccas.2025.106238
  • 2025
    • Heuts, S., Kawczynski, M. J., Lemmens, M. J., Vernooy, K., Bidar, E., Flohr, T., Wildberger, J. E., Smulders, M. W., & Mihl, C. (2025). Accuracy of Photon-counting Detector CT Angiography for the Diagnosis of Obstructive Coronary Artery Disease: A Bayesian Diagnostic Test Accuracy Meta-Analysis. Radiology. Cardiothoracic imaging, 7(6), Article e250313. https://doi.org/10.1148/ryct.250313
    • Swinnen, B., Olsthoorn, J. R., Mihl, C., Smulders, M. W., Singh, S. K., van Brakel, T., van der Horst, I. C. C., Mingels, A. M. A., Myers, P. O., van 't Hof, A. W. J., Gorgels, A. P. M., Thielmann, M., De Caterina, R., Cerqueira, R. J., Bonaros, N., Oosterlinck, W., Jacobs, S., Lorusso, R., Bidar, E., ... Heuts, S. (2025). Periprocedural Myocardial Infarction After Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting: Current Clinical Practices and Future Perspectives. European Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery, 67(10), Article ezaf344. https://doi.org/10.1093/ejcts/ezaf344
    • Martens, B., van der Meulen, L. R., Crawley, R. J., van Cauteren, Y. J. M., Smulders, M. W., Streukens, S., Hendriks, B. M. F., Houben, I. P. L., Gommers, S., Frey, S. M., Brandts, L., Wildberger, J. E., Chiribiri, A., & Holtackers, R. J. (2025). Influence of Reader Expertise on Myocardial Infarction Detection: A Comparative Study of Dark-Blood and Bright-Blood Late Gadolinium Enhancement MRI. Investigative Radiology, 60(9), 561-568. https://doi.org/10.1097/RLI.0000000000001161
    • Swinnen, B., Kawczynski, M. J., Mingels, A. M. A., Wildberger, J. E., Mihl, C., Smulders, M. W., Maessen, J. G., Gollmann-Tepeköylü, C., & Heuts, S. (2025). The prognostic impact of prevailing definitions of periprocedural myocardial infarction in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. European heart journal - Quality of care & clinical outcomes, 11(6), 847-856. https://doi.org/10.1093/ehjqcco/qcaf043
    • Holtackers, R. J., Varga-Szemes, A., & Smulders, M. W. (2025). Editorial for “Improved and Automated Detection of Papillary Muscle Infarction Using Joint Bright- and Black-Blood Late Gadolinium Enhancement MRI”. Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, 62(3), 840-841. https://doi.org/10.1002/jmri.29794
    • van Cauteren, Y. J. M., Lemmens, M. J. D. K., Bekkers, S. C. A. M., Kietselaer, B. L. J. H., Heijman, J., Theunissen, R. A. L. J., Rahel, B., Voorn, T., van Kuijk, S. M. J., Nijveldt, R., Vernooy, K., Wildberger, J. E., Mihl, C., & Smulders, M. W. (2025). Computed tomography angiography in the diagnosis of non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction: redefining our first line of defense. IJC Heart and Vasculature, 59, Article 101690. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijcha.2025.101690
    • Lemmens, M.-J. D. K., Heuts, S., Bidar, E., Wildberger, J. E., Mihl, C., & Smulders, M. W. (2025). Integrating Coronary Artery Assessment and Myocardial Late Enhancement Imaging With Photon-Counting Detector CT: Visualizing the Invisible. Circulation-Cardiovascular Imaging, 18(3), e017238. Article e017238. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCIMAGING.124.017238
    • Arslan, M., Schaap, J., van Gorsel, B., Aubanell, A., Budde, R. P. J., Hirsch, A., Smulders, M. W., Mihl, C., Damman, P., Sliwicka, O., Habets, J., Dubois, E. A., & Dedic, A. (2025). Coronary computed tomography angiography improves assessment of patients with acute chest pain and inconclusively elevated high-sensitivity troponins. European Radiology, 35(2), 789-797. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-024-10930-1
  • 2024
    • Verpalen, V. A., Coerkamp, C. F., Hinderks, M. J., Meeder, J. G., Winter, M. M., Arkenbout, E. K., Vis, J. C., Habets, J., Smulders, M. W., Mihl, C., van Ofwegen-Hanekamp, C. E. E., van der Spoel, T. I. G., Tanis, W., van Gelder, R. E., van der Wielen, M. L. J., Somsen, G. A., Kikkert, W. J., Carati, L. F., el Barzouhi, A., ... CLEAR CAD Investigators (2024). Combined strategy of upfront CTCA and optimal treatment for stable chest pain: rationale and design of the CLEAR-CAD trial. Netherlands Heart Journal, 32(11), 387-396. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12471-024-01906-3
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