Miranda Nabben

Assistant Professor

Dr. Miranda Nabben obtained her MSc in Pharmaceutical Sciences (Utrecht University) and PhD in Human Biology (Maastricht University). She performed postdoctoral research at the University of Washington, Seattle, and at Eindhoven University of Technology, before returning to Maastricht University, where she was appointed Assistant Professor in 2019 and since 2025 holds a joint position in Cardiology and Clinical Genetics.

Her research team investigates cardiac substrate metabolism and metabolic remodeling in heart failure, with a particular focus on fuel flexibility, patterns of substrate utilization, and sex-specific mechanisms, aiming to uncover novel therapeutic targets to improve patient outcomes. She has received multiple grants and awards, including the Kootstra Talent Award, VENI fellowship, NWO Off Road Award, and the Dekker Senior Scientist Award from the Dutch Heart Foundation. Current projects focus on cellular regulation of cardiomyocyte metabolism, metabolic changes in cardiomyopathies, and identification of novel drivers of heart failure.

Dr. Nabben actively contributes to national and European research networks, including the DCVA Double Dose consortium and the ERA4Health Cardinnov project. She has been a board member of the International Society for Heart and Vascular Metabolism (SHVM), is board member of CARIM Division Heart, and serves on the editorial boards of Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine and the International Journal of Molecular Sciences. She is committed to mentoring young researchers and has supervised multiple PhD students, postdoctoral fellows, and technicians.

  • 2025
    • 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
    • Wong, L. Y., Torfs, T., Vanherle, S. J. V., Janssen, J., Claes, G. R. F., Stroeks, S. L. V. M., Willemars, M. M. A., Schianchi, F., Kapsokalyvas, D., Weltjens, E., Swinnen, A., Strzelecka, A., Krapels, I. P. C., Heymans, S. R. B., Glatz, J., van den Wijngaard, A., Brunner, H. G., Broers, J., Luiken, J. F. P., ... Nabben, M. (2025). Clinical and metabolic consequences of a historic pathogenic lamin A/C founder variant. Scientific Reports, 15(1), Article 23842. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-08495-0
    • Michel, L. Y. M., Esfahani, H., De Mulder, D., Verdoy, R., Ambroise, J., Roelants, V., Bouchard, B., Fabian, N., Savary, J., Dewulf, J. P., Doumont, T., Bouzin, C., Haufroid, V., Luiken, J. J. F. P., Nabben, M., Singleton, M. L., Bertrand, L., Ruiz, M., Des Rosiers, C., & Balligand, J.-L. (2025). An NRF2/β3-Adrenoreceptor Axis Drives a Sustained Antioxidant and Metabolic Rewiring Through the Pentose-Phosphate Pathway to Alleviate Cardiac Stress. Circulation, 151(18), 1312-1328. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.124.067876
  • 2024
    • Wang, F., Neumann, D., Kapsokalyvas, D., Hoes, M. F., Schianchi, F., Glatz, J. F. C., Nabben, M., & Luiken, J. J. F. P. (2024). Specific Compounds Derived from Traditional Chinese Medicine Ameliorate Lipid-Induced Contractile Dysfunction in Cardiomyocytes. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 25(15), Article 8131. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25158131
    • Wang, S., Han, Y., Liu, R., Hou, M., Neumann, D., Zhang, J., Wang, F., Li, Y., Zhao, X., Schianchi, F., Dai, C., Liu, L., Nabben, M., Glatz, J. F. C., Wu, X., Lu, X., Li, X., & Luiken, J. J. F. P. (2024). Glycolysis-Mediated Activation of v-ATPase by Nicotinamide Mononucleotide Ameliorates Lipid-Induced Cardiomyopathy by Repressing the CD36-TLR4 Axis. Circulation Research, 134(5), 505-525. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.123.322910
    • Oberman, K., van Leeuwen, B. L., Nabben, M., Villafranca, J. E., & Schoemaker, R. G. (2024). J147 Affects Cognition And Anxiety After Surgery In Zucker Rats. Physiology & Behavior, 273, Article 114413. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2023.114413
  • 2023
    • Verdonschot, J. A. J., Wang, P., Derks, K. W. J., Adriaens, M. E., Stroeks, S. L. V. M., Henkens, M. T. H. M., Raafs, A. G., Sikking, M., de Koning, B., van den Wijngaard, A., Krapels, I. P. C., Nabben, M., Brunner, H. G., & Heymans, S. R. B. (2023). Clustering of Cardiac Transcriptome Profiles Reveals Unique Subgroups of Dilated Cardiomyopathy Patients. JACC: Basic to Translational Science, 8(4), 406-418. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacbts.2022.10.010
    • Stroeks, S. L. V. M., Lunde, I. G. G., Hellebrekers, D. M. E. I., Claes, G. R. F., Wakimoto, H., Gorham, J., Krapels, I. P. C., Vanhoutte, E. K. K., van den Wijngaard, A., Henkens, M. T. H. M., Raafs, A. G. G., Sikking, M. A. A., Broers, J. L. V., Nabben, M., Jones, E. A. V., Heymans, S. R. B., Brunner, H. G. G., & Verdonschot, J. A. J. (2023). Prevalence and Clinical Consequences of Multiple Pathogenic Variants in Dilated Cardiomyopathy. Circulation: Genomic and Precision Medicine, 16(2), Article e003788. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCGEN.122.003788
  • 2022
    • Wang, S., Neumann, D., Westenbrink, B. D., Schianchi, F., Wong, L.-Y., Sun, A., Strzelecka, A., Glatz, J. F. C., Luiken, J. J. F. P., & Nabben, M. (2022). Ketone Body Exposure of Cardiomyocytes Impairs Insulin Sensitivity and Contractile Function through Vacuolar-Type H+-ATPase Disassembly-Rescue by Specific Amino Acid Supplementation. International journal of molecular sciences, 23(21), Article 12909. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms232112909
    • Willemars, M. M. A., Nabben, M., Verdonschot, J. A. J., & Hoes, M. F. (2022). Evaluation of the Interaction of Sex Hormones and Cardiovascular Function and Health. Current Heart Failure Reports, 19(4), 200-212. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11897-022-00555-0