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Fellowships EmbRACE consortium

Fellowships EmbRACE consortium

21 May 2026

The EmbRACE consortium, coordinated by CARIM, has awarded three fellowships, including two to CARIM researchers.

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NWO grant for project 'Laminomics'

NWO grant for project 'Laminomics'

21 May 2026

Tim van de Wiel, Dr Magdalena Harakalova, and Dr Rogier Veltrop (Dept of Biochemistry) have been awarded an NWO grant for large-scale high-performance computing time.

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Carim Maastricht
Carim Maastricht

Rachel ter Bekke

Assistant Professor

Dr. R.M.A. ter Bekke is a cardiologist and electrophysiologist with a passion for precision medicine in cardiac arrhythmias. At Maastricht University Medical Center+ and the Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht (CARIM), she combines clinical care for patients with complex ventricular tachycardia (VT) with translational research on the genetic, electrical, and structural mechanisms underlying life-threatening arrhythmias.

She aims to translate insights from genetics, imaging, and electrophysiology into improved diagnosis and personalized treatment. Together with a multidisciplinary team, she established the VT-TRACT care pathway, which integrates genetic testing, advanced multimodality imaging (including photon-counting CT, 3D-MRI, and ECG imaging), and ablation procedures into a single continuum of care. Within this framework, she applies innovative therapies such as minimally invasive hybrid VT ablation, a unique collaboration between cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery, and stereotactic arrhythmia radiotherapy (STAR) for patients with therapy-resistant arrhythmias.

Her research focuses on understanding how genetic variation and myocardial scar formation promote arrhythmia and how artificial intelligence can improve risk prediction and treatment selection. Dr. ter Bekke serves as principal investigator within the STOPSTORM consortium, a European research initiative dedicated to developing safe and effective STAR therapy for VT.

She has received multiple awards for his work, including the CARIM Dissertation Award and an NWO Veni grant. She is an active contributor to educational programs of the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA).

Rachel-ter-bekke

Department of Cardiology
Address: P. Debyelaan 25, 6229 HX Maastricht
Room number: 3.B2.025
T: +31 (0)43 387 70 95

  • 2026
    • Rieder, M., Christe, V., Nimani, S., Deissler, P. M., Ter Bekke, R. M. A., & Odening, K. E. (2026). Differential effects of non-selective and cardio-selective beta-blocker therapy on ECG parameters in long QT syndrome type 1. IJC Heart and Vasculature, 64, Article 101901. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijcha.2026.101901
    • Rossetti, A., Stoks, J., Spätjens, R. L. H. M. G., Kämmerer, S., Bayer, J., Li, X., Kosmidis, G., Firneburg, R., Seyen, S. R. M., Ter Bekke, R. M. A., Helderman-van den Enden, A. T. J. M., van Tintelen, J. P., Wilde, A. A. M., Loeys, B., Saenen, J., Heijman, J., & Volders, P. G. A. (2026). Dipeptidyl aminopeptidase-like protein 6 regulates the INa-Ito balance influencing cardiac electrophysiology and arrhythmogenesis. Science translational medicine, 18(847), Article eadn3180. https://doi.org/10.1126/scitranslmed.adn3180
    • Deissler, P. M., Rahm, A. K., Berkovitch, A., Müller, M. E., Sikking, M., Heymans, S., Langenberg, B., Moersdorf, M., Rieder, M., Nimani, S., Odening, K. E., Dichtl, W., Sabbag, A., Volders, P. G. A., & Ter Bekke, R. M. A. (2026). Temporal variability of the electromechanical window in long-QT syndrome and drug-induced QT prolongation: Value for enhanced arrhythmia-risk assessment. Heart Rhythm, 23(4), e636-e646. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrthm.2026.01.013
    • Sabbag, A., Ajmone-Marsan, N., Ezzeddine, F., Ascione, G., Guicciardi, N. A., Baudinaud, P., Beinart, R., Ben Kilani, M., Bergonti, M., Bhardwaj, P. K., Boveda, S., Czimbalmos, C., Cristin, L., Conte, G., del Carpio, F., Delling, F., de Riva, M., Deharo, J. C., Escande, W., ... Aabel, E. W. (2026). Characterizing Sustained Arrhythmias in Patients With Arrhythmic Mitral Valve Prolapse: Insights From the SAVE-MVP collaboration. JACC: Clinical Electrophysiology, 12(3), 540-551. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacep.2025.10.004
    • Kloosterman, M., Smits, K. C., Stoks, J., Boonstra, M. J., Meijborg, V. M. F., Bhagirath, P., Ter Bekke, R. M. A., Karel, J. M. H., Götte, M. J. W., Loh, P., Bayer, J. D., Nguyên, U. C., Coronel, R., & Cluitmans, M. J. M. (2026). Computer-aided characterization of the arrhythmogenic substrate after myocardial infarction. EP Europace, 28(2), Article euag003. https://doi.org/10.1093/europace/euag003
    • Heymans, A. B. M., van de Leur, R. R., Wang, P., González-López, E., Venner, M. F. G. H. M., Beelen, N. J., Muller, S. A., Mora-Ayestarán, N., Ramos, N., Faassen, I. M. E., Stroeks, S. L. V. M., Soria, M., van der Crabben, S. N., ter Bekke, R. M. A., van Es, R., Vernooy, K., te Riele, A. S. J. M., García-Pavía, P., Heymans, S. R. B., & Verdonschot, J. A. J. (2026). Detection of Titin-Associated Electrocardiography Features in Dilated Cardiomyopathy Using Conventional and Deep Neural Network Analysis. JACC: Clinical Electrophysiology, 12(2), 363-374. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacep.2025.10.006
    • Linz, D., Gulpen, J., Engels, M., Hendriks, J. M., Tjong, F., Mulder, B. A., Weijs, B., Pisters, R., Hemels, M., Ter Bekke, R., Beukema, R., Evens, S., Pürerfellner, H., Merino, J. L., Gunawardene, M., Chun, K.-R. J., & Yap, S.-C. (2026). Digital pulse self-measurement by a photoplethysmography smartphone application in the general population: The "#PulseDay in The Netherlands" awareness campaign. European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, 25(1), 195-197. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurjcn/zvaf142
    • ter Bekke, R., Kaya, Y., Pison, L., Evertz, R., Vernooy, K., Luermans, J., Vroomen, M., Jeurissen, J., Chaldoupi, M., Bidar, E., Lorusso, R., Sauren, B., Lameir, M., & Maesen, B. (2026). Patient-tailored minimally invasive hybrid ablation of complex ventricular tachycardia substrates. JACC: Clinical Electrophysiology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacep.2026.02.031
  • 2025
    • Gawalko, M., Habibi, Z., Verhaert, D. V. M., Engels, M., Weerts, J., Adriaans, B., Chaldoupi, S.-M., ter Bekke, R. M. A., Den Uijl, D. W., Luermans, J. G. L. M., Van Empel, V. P. M., Schotten, U., Vernooy, K., & Linz, D. (2025). Discordance between left atrial pressure and risk scores in assessment of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction in patients with atrial fibrillation undergoing catheter ablation. EP Europace, 27(10), Article euaf245. https://doi.org/10.1093/europace/euaf245
    • ter Bekke, R. M. A., van Rooij, T., Volders, P. G. A., & Hocini, M. (2025). Targeted ablation of the distal Purkinje-myocardium interface for premature ventricular complex-induced cardiomyopathy by delayed Purkinje conduction-induced re-excitation: a case report. European Heart Journal - Case Reports, 9(8), Article ytaf335. https://doi.org/10.1093/ehjcr/ytaf335
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