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Professorship Julie Staals

Professorship Julie Staals

22 April 2024

Dr Julie Staals (Dept. of Neurology) has been appointed as professor 'Neurovascular disease' as of 1 April 2024.

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ERC Advanced Grant awarded to Prof. Andy Baker

ERC Advanced Grant awarded to Prof. Andy Baker

15 April 2024

Prof. Andy Baker (Dept of Pathology) has been awarded a European Research Council (ERC) Advanced Grant of €2,5M for his research project PolymiRize: Poly-miRNA targeting to prevent and reverse complex tissue remodelling after acute cardiovascular events'.

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Carim Maastricht
Carim Maastricht

Aaron Isaacs

Assistant Professor

Dr Aaron Isaacs completed his baccalaureate degree at the University of California, Berkeley in 1994. Afterwards, he spent several years working in the business and university administration sectors before entering the genetics field in a mouse genetics laboratory at Columbia University in New York City. In 2002, he moved to the Netherlands, where he embarked on his PhD studies in genetic epidemiology at Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam. He completed and defended his thesis on the genetics of circulating lipid levels in 2007. His expertise in family- and population based genetic studies led to numerous collaborations with researchers on both the national and international levels, studying a broad array of phenotypes including lipid levels, blood pressure, anthropometric traits, ophthalmologic features and many others. Since 2008, he has focussed extensively on the genetics underlying cardiac electrophysiology. In 2015, Aaron moved to the Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht.

Currently, Aaron is working on a number of projects exploring the role of genomics and transcriptomics in a variety of outcomes, predominantly in the realm of cardiac electrophysiology and arrhythmias. These studies, in both population- and family-based settings, utilize large-scale “-omics” datasets, generated through the use of next generation sequencing (particularly RNA sequencing) and microarray technology, and a broad variety of analytical methods, including linkage, association, and bioinformatics approaches, to determine genes involved in disease pathology, progression, or relevant endophenotypes. The findings from these efforts give insight into disease etiology (and consequences); may identify useful targets for therapeutic intervention or biomarkers; and aid in risk stratification or molecular sub-typing of patients. Aaron closely collaborates with a number of CARIM Principal Investigators, conducting work in projects funded by (among others) the European Union and the Nederlandse Hartstichting (Dutch Heart Foundation) and participates in several large international genetics consortia.

Aaron-isaacs

Department of Physiology
Universiteitssingel 60, 6229 ER Maastricht
P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht
Room number: M1.14
T: +31(0)43 388 18 62

  • 2013
    • Amin, N., Hottenga, J.-J., Hansell, N. K., Janssens, A. C. J. W., de Moor, M. H. M., Madden, P. A. F., Zorkoltseva, I. V., Penninx, B. W., Terracciano, A., Uda, M., Tanaka, T., Esko, T., Realo, A., Ferrucci, L., Luciano, M., Davies, G., Metspalu, A., Abecasis, G. R., Deary, I. J., ... van Duijn, C. M. (2013). Refining genome-wide linkage intervals using a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies identifies loci influencing personality dimensions. European Journal of Human Genetics, 21(8), 876-82. https://doi.org/10.1038/ejhg.2012.263
    • den Hoed, M., Eijgelsheim, M., Esko, T., Brundel, B. J. J. M., Peal, D. S., Evans, D. M., Nolte, I. M., Segrè, A. V., Holm, H., Handsaker, R. E., Westra, H.-J., Johnson, T., Isaacs, A., Yang, J., Lundby, A., Zhao, J. H., Kim, Y. J., Go, M. J., Almgren, P., ... Loos, R. J. F. (2013). Identification of heart rate-associated loci and their effects on cardiac conduction and rhythm disorders. Nature Genetics, 45(6), 621-31. https://doi.org/10.1038/ng.2610
    • CARDIOGRAM, METASTROKE, Keating, B. J., & Asselbergs, F. W. (2013). Loci influencing blood pressure identified using a cardiovascular gene-centric array. Human Molecular Genetics, 22(8), 1663-78. https://doi.org/10.1093/hmg/dds555
    • Demirkan, A., Isaacs, A., Ugocsai, P., Liebisch, G., Struchalin, M., Rudan, I., Wilson, J. F., Pramstaller, P. P., Gyllensten, U., Campbell, H., Schmitz, G., Oostra, B. A., & van Duijn, C. M. (2013). Plasma phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin concentrations are associated with depression and anxiety symptoms in a Dutch family-based lipidomics study. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 47(3), 357-62. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2012.11.001
    • Bos, D., Ikram, M. A., Isaacs, A., Verhaaren, B. F. J., Hofman, A., van Duijn, C. M., Witteman, J. C. M., van der Lugt, A., & Vernooij, M. W. (2013). Genetic loci for coronary calcification and serum lipids relate to aortic and carotid calcification. Circulation : Cardiovascular Genetics, 6(1), 47-53. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCGENETICS.112.963934
    • Köttgen, A., Albrecht, E., Teumer, A., Vitart, V., Krumsiek, J., Hundertmark, C., Pistis, G., Ruggiero, D., O'Seaghdha, C. M., Haller, T., Yang, Q., Tanaka, T., Johnson, A. D., Kutalik, Z., Smith, A. V., Shi, J., Struchalin, M., Middelberg, R. P. S., Brown, M. J., ... LifeLines Cohort Study (2013). Genome-wide association analyses identify 18 new loci associated with serum urate concentrations. Nature Genetics, 45(2), 145-54. https://doi.org/10.1038/ng.2500
    • Horikoshi, M., Yaghootkar, H., Mook-Kanamori, D. O., Sovio, U., Taal, H. R., Hennig, B. J., Bradfield, J. P., St Pourcain, B., Evans, D. M., Charoen, P., Kaakinen, M., Cousminer, D. L., Lehtimäki, T., Kreiner-Møller, E., Warrington, N. M., Bustamante, M., Feenstra, B., Berry, D. J., Thiering, E., ... Freathy, R. (2013). New loci associated with birth weight identify genetic links between intrauterine growth and adult height and metabolism. Nature Genetics, 45(1), 76-82. https://doi.org/10.1038/ng.2477
    • van der Loos, M. J. H. M., Rietveld, C. A., Eklund, N., Koellinger, P. D., Rivadeneira, F., Abecasis, G. R., Ankra-Badu, G. A., Baumeister, S. E., Benjamin, D. J., Biffar, R., Blankenberg, S., Boomsma, D. I., Cesarini, D., Cucca, F., de Geus, E. J. C., Dedoussis, G., Deloukas, P., Dimitriou, M., Eiriksdottir, G., ... Thurik, A. R. (2013). The molecular genetic architecture of self-employment. PLOS ONE, 8(4), e60542. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0060542
    • Fall, T., Hägg, S., Mägi, R., Ploner, A., Fischer, K., Horikoshi, M., Sarin, A.-P., Thorleifsson, G., Ladenvall, C., Kals, M., Kuningas, M., Draisma, H. H. M., Ried, J. S., van Zuydam, N. R., Huikari, V., Mangino, M., Sonestedt, E., Benyamin, B., Nelson, C. P., ... European Network for Genetic and Genomic Epidemiology (ENGAGE) consortium (2013). The role of adiposity in cardiometabolic traits: a Mendelian randomization analysis. PLOS Medicine , 10(6), e1001474. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001474
  • 2012
    • Chasman, D. I., Fuchsberger, C., Pattaro, C., Teumer, A., Böger, C. A., Endlich, K., Olden, M., Chen, M.-H., Tin, A., Taliun, D., Li, M., Gao, X., Gorski, M., Yang, Q., Hundertmark, C., Foster, M. C., O'Seaghdha, C. M., Glazer, N., Isaacs, A., ... CARDIoGRAM Consortium (2012). Integration of genome-wide association studies with biological knowledge identifies six novel genes related to kidney function. Human Molecular Genetics, 21(24), 5329-43. https://doi.org/10.1093/hmg/dds369
    • Ibrahim-Verbaas, C. A., Zorkoltseva, I. V., Amin, N., Schuur, M., Coppus, A. M. W., Isaacs, A., Aulchenko, Y. S., Breteler, M. M. B., Ikram, M. A., Axenovich, T. I., Verbeek, M. M., van Swieten, J. C., Oostra, B. A., & van Duijn, C. M. (2012). Linkage analysis for plasma amyloid beta levels in persons with hypertension implicates Aβ-40 levels to presenilin 2. Human Genetics, 131(12), 1869-76. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00439-012-1210-2
    • Amin, N., Byrne, E., Johnson, J., Chenevix-Trench, G., Walter, S., Nolte, I. M., Vink, J. M., Rawal, R., Mangino, M., Teumer, A., Keers, J. C., Verwoert, G., Baumeister, S., Biffar, R., Petersmann, A., Dahmen, N., Doering, A., Isaacs, A., Broer, L., ... van Duijn, C. M. (2012). Genome-wide association analysis of coffee drinking suggests association with CYP1A1/CYP1A2 and NRCAM. Molecular Psychiatry, 17(11), 1116-29. https://doi.org/10.1038/mp.2011.101
    • Yang, J., Loos, R. J. F., Powell, J. E., Medland, S. E., Speliotes, E. K., Chasman, D. I., Rose, L. M., Thorleifsson, G., Steinthorsdottir, V., Maegi, R., Waite, L. L., Smith, A. V., Yerges-Armstrong, L. M., Monda, K. L., Hadley, D., Mahajan, A., Li, G., Kapur, K., Vitart, V., ... Visscher, P. M. (2012). FTO genotype is associated with phenotypic variability of body mass index. Nature, 490(7419), 267–272. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature11401
    • Amin, N., Schuur, M., Gusareva, E. S., Isaacs, A., Aulchenko, Y. S., Kirichenko, A. V., Zorkoltseva, I. V., Axenovich, T. I., Oostra, B. A., Janssens, A. C. J. W., & van Duijn, C. M. (2012). A genome-wide linkage study of individuals with high scores on NEO personality traits. Molecular Psychiatry, 17(10), 1031-41. https://doi.org/10.1038/mp.2011.97
    • Scott, R. A., Lagou, V., Welch, R. P., Wheeler, E., Montasser, M. E., Luan, J., Mägi, R., Strawbridge, R. J., Rehnberg, E., Gustafsson, S., Kanoni, S., Rasmussen-Torvik, L. J., Yengo, L., Lecoeur, C., Shungin, D., Sanna, S., Sidore, C., Johnson, P. C. D., Jukema, J. W., ... Barroso, I. (2012). Large-scale association analyses identify new loci influencing glycemic traits and provide insight into the underlying biological pathways. Nature Genetics, 44(9), 991-1005. https://doi.org/10.1038/ng.2385
    • Durik, M., Kavousi, M., van der Pluijm, I., Isaacs, A., Cheng, C., Verdonk, K., Loot, A. E., Oeseburg, H., Bhaggoe, U. M., Leijten, F., van Veghel, R., de Vries, R., Rudez, G., Brandt, R., Ridwan, Y. R., van Deel, E. D., de Boer, M., Tempel, D., Fleming, I., ... Roks, A. J. M. (2012). Nucleotide excision DNA repair is associated with age-related vascular dysfunction. Circulation, 126(4), 468-78. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.112.104380
    • Mitchell, G. F., Verwoert, G. C., Tarasov, K. V., Isaacs, A., Smith, A. V., Yasmin, Rietzschel, E. R., Tanaka, T., Liu, Y., Parsa, A., Najjar, S. S., O'Shaughnessy, K. M., Sigurdsson, S., De Buyzere, M. L., Larson, M. G., Sie, M. P. S., Andrews, J. S., Post, W. S., Mattace-Raso, F. U. S., ... Witteman, J. C. M. (2012). Common genetic variation in the 3'-BCL11B gene desert is associated with carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity and excess cardiovascular disease risk: the AortaGen Consortium. Circulation : Cardiovascular Genetics, 5(1), 81-90. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCGENETICS.111.959817
    • Pattaro, C., Köttgen, A., Teumer, A., Garnaas, M., Böger, C. A., Fuchsberger, C., Olden, M., Chen, M.-H., Tin, A., Taliun, D., Li, M., Gao, X., Gorski, M., Yang, Q., Hundertmark, C., Foster, M. C., O'Seaghdha, C. M., Glazer, N., Isaacs, A., ... CARDIoGRAM Consortium (2012). Genome-wide association and functional follow-up reveals new loci for kidney function. Plos Genetics, 8(3), e1002584. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1002584
    • Demirkan, A., van Duijn, C. M., Ugocsai, P., Isaacs, A., Pramstaller, P. P., Liebisch, G., Wilson, J. F., Johansson, Å., Rudan, I., Aulchenko, Y. S., Kirichenko, A. V., Janssens, A. C. J. W., Jansen, R. C., Gnewuch, C., Domingues, F. S., Pattaro, C., Wild, S. H., Jonasson, I., Polasek, O., ... DIAGRAM Consortium (2012). Genome-wide association study identifies novel loci associated with circulating phospho- and sphingolipid concentrations. Plos Genetics, 8(2), e1002490. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1002490
    • Dastani, Z., Hivert, M.-F., Timpson, N., Perry, J. R. B., Yuan, X., Scott, R. A., Henneman, P., Heid, I. M., Kizer, J. R., Lyytikäinen, L.-P., Fuchsberger, C., Tanaka, T., Morris, A. P., Small, K., Isaacs, A., Beekman, M., Coassin, S., Lohman, K., Qi, L., ... DIAGRAM+ Consortium (2012). Novel loci for adiponectin levels and their influence on type 2 diabetes and metabolic traits: a multi-ethnic meta-analysis of 45,891 individuals. Plos Genetics, 8(3), e1002607. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1002607
  • 2011
    • International Consortium for Blood Pressure Genome-Wide Association Studies (2011). Genetic variants in novel pathways influence blood pressure and cardiovascular disease risk. Nature, 478(7367), 103-109. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature10405
    • Surakka, I., Isaacs, A., Karssen, L. C., Laurila, P.-P. P., Middelberg, R. P. S., Tikkanen, E., Ried, J. S., Lamina, C., Mangino, M., Igl, W., Hottenga, J.-J., Lagou, V., van der Harst, P., Mateo Leach, I., Esko, T., Kutalik, Z., Wainwright, N. W., Struchalin, M. V., Sarin, A.-P., ... ENGAGE Consortium (2011). A genome-wide screen for interactions reveals a new locus on 4p15 modifying the effect of waist-to-hip ratio on total cholesterol. Plos Genetics, 7(10), e1002333. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1002333
    • Bis, J. C., Kavousi, M., Franceschini, N., Isaacs, A., Abecasis, G. R., Schminke, U., Post, W. S., Smith, A. V., Cupples, L. A., Markus, H. S., Schmidt, R., Huffman, J. E., Lehtimäki, T., Baumert, J., Münzel, T., Heckbert, S. R., Dehghan, A., North, K., Oostra, B., ... CARDIoGRAM Consortium (2011). Meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies from the CHARGE consortium identifies common variants associated with carotid intima media thickness and plaque. Nature Genetics, 43(10), 940-7. https://doi.org/10.1038/ng.920
    • Schuur, M., Ikram, M. A., van Swieten, J. C., Isaacs, A., Vergeer-Drop, J. M., Hofman, A., Oostra, B. A., Breteler, M. M. B., & van Duijn, C. M. (2011). Cathepsin D gene and the risk of Alzheimer's disease: a population-based study and meta-analysis. Neurobiology of Aging, 32(9), 1607-14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2009.10.011
    • Kornfeld, J.-W., Isaacs, A., Vitart, V., Pospisilik, J. A., Meitinger, T., Gyllensten, U., Wilson, J. F., Rudan, I., Campbell, H., Penninger, J. M., Sexl, V., Moriggl, R., van Duijn, C., Pramstaller, P. P., & Hicks, A. A. (2011). Variants in STAT5B associate with serum TC and LDL-C levels. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 96(9), E1496-501. https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2011-0322
    • Demirkan, A., Amin, N., Isaacs, A., Jarvelin, M.-R., Whitfield, J. B., Wichmann, H.-E., Kyvik, K. O. H. M., Rudan, I., Gieger, C., Hicks, A. A., Johansson, Å., Hottenga, J.-J., Smith, J. J., Wild, S. H., Pedersen, N. L., Willemsen, G., Mangino, M., Hayward, C., Uitterlinden, A. G., ... ENGAGE Consortium (2011). Genetic architecture of circulating lipid levels. European Journal of Human Genetics, 19(7), 813-9. https://doi.org/10.1038/ejhg.2011.21
    • Brugts, J. J., Isaacs, A., de Maat, M. P., Boersma, E., van Duijn, C. M., Akkerhuis, K. M., Uitterlinden, A. G., Witteman, J. C., Cambien, F., Ceconi, C., Remme, W., Bertrand, M., Ninomiya, T., Harrap, S., Chalmers, J., Macmahon, S., Fox, K., Ferrari, R., Simoons, M. L., & Danser, A. J. (2011). A pharmacogenetic analysis of determinants of hypertension and blood pressure response to angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor therapy in patients with vascular disease and healthy individuals. Journal of Hypertension, 29(3), 509-19. https://doi.org/10.1097/HJH.0b013e328341d117
    • Obermann-Borst, S. A., Isaacs, A., Younes, Z., van Schaik, R. H. N., van der Heiden, I. P., van Duyn, C. M., Steegers, E. A. P., & Steegers-Theunissen, R. P. M. (2011). General maternal medication use, folic acid, the MDR1 C3435T polymorphism, and the risk of a child with a congenital heart defect. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 204(3), 236.e1-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2010.10.911
    • van Schie, M. C., de Maat, M. P. M., Isaacs, A., van Duijn, C. M., Deckers, J. W., Dippel, D. W. J., & Leebeek, F. W. G. (2011). Variation in the von Willebrand factor gene is associated with von Willebrand factor levels and with the risk for cardiovascular disease. Blood, 117(4), 1393-9. https://doi.org/10.1182/blood-2010-03-273961
    • Schuur, M., van Swieten, J. C., Schol-Gelok, S., Ikram, M. A., Vernooij, M. W., Liu, F., Isaacs, A., de Boer, R., de Koning, I., Niessen, W. J., Vrooman, H., Oostra, B. A., van der Lugt, A., Breteler, M. M. B., & van Duijn, C. M. (2011). Genetic risk factors for cerebral small-vessel disease in hypertensive patients from a genetically isolated population. Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, 82(1), 41-4. https://doi.org/10.1136/jnnp.2009.176362
  • 2010
    • Solouki, A. M., Verhoeven, V. J. M., van Duijn, C. M., Verkerk, A. J. M. H., Ikram, M. K., Hysi, P. G., Despriet, D. D. G., van Koolwijk, L. M., Ho, L., Ramdas, W. D., Czudowska, M., Kuijpers, R. W. A. M., Amin, N., Struchalin, M., Aulchenko, Y. S., van Rij, G., Riemslag, F. C. C., Young, T. L., Mackey, D. A., ... Klaver, C. C. W. (2010). A genome-wide association study identifies a susceptibility locus for refractive errors and myopia at 15q14. Nature Genetics, 42(10), 897-901. https://doi.org/10.1038/ng.663
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