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Social and economic background influences survival in intensive care: Research with societal impact

Social and economic background influences survival in intensive care: Research with societal impact

18 August 2026

A large-scale study by researchers from Maastricht UMC+ and Amsterdam UMC demonstrates that lower socioeconomic status (SES) of patients admitted to Dutch intensive care units contributes to worse survival.

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Fatma Karapinar appointed as Professor in Medication Safety

Fatma Karapinar appointed as Professor in Medication Safety

12 August 2026

As of 1 June 2026, Dr Fatma Karapinar has been appointed Professor of Medication Safety at Maastricht University.

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Carim Maastricht
Carim Maastricht

Elizabeth Jones

Professor

Elizabeth Jones is a Professor in the Department of Cardiovascular Sciences of KU Leuven and a Coordinating Senior Researcher in Department of Cardiology of Maastricht University. She did her masters and PhD at the California Institute of Technology under the supervision of Scott Fraser. In her graduate work, she developed time-lapse imaging techniques for mammalian embryos and showed that mechanical forces were required for vascular remodeling during development. She did her post-doctoral work at the College de France under the supervision of Anne Eichmann, with a Marie Curie Incoming International Fellowship. There, she studied the interplay of hemodynamics and gene expression in arterial-venous differentiation. She was an assistant and then associate professor of Chemical Engineering at McGill University from 2007 to 2013. During her time at McGill, she was a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair. She moved her research group to KU Leuven in January 2014. She joined the team in Maastricht, on a part time basis, starting in January 2020. 

Dr Jones’s main focus is on understanding the process of vascular remodeling in development and disease. Specifically, she investigates angiogenesis, vessel regression, vessel enlargement and the process of arteriovenous differentiation. She worked extensively in mechanotransduction and the role that blood flow plays in this process. She has studied how mechanical forces from flow influence gene expression involved in sprouting and arterial-venous differentiation. She has developed techniques to concurrently image changes in vascular networks and the flow dynamics that are present, using time-lapse microscopy. More recently, she has begun investigated microvascular changes in associated with co-morbidities and the role that inappropriate vascular rarefaction plays in disease progression. Her interest is in understanding the role of microvascular and immune cells in the development of diastolic dysfunction.

Dr Jones is a member of the ERA-CVD consortium, LYMIT-DIS, that studies microvascular and lymphatic changes in HFpEF. She also works closely with Stephane Heymans, a world-renown cardiologist, and they share two FWO grants to study HFpEF. She is the coordinator of the H2020 consortium CRUCIAL, that aims to detect tools to detect and treat microvascular rarefaction in heart failure and dementia.

Elizabeth-jones_5e315088874f0

Department of Cardiology
Universiteitssingel 50, 6229 ER Maastricht
PO Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht

  • 2026
    • Cami, E., Verghote, E., Pecetto, E., Gonzalez, A., Brakenhielm, E., Jones, E. A., & Van Empel, V. (2026). Comorbidity-Driven Inflammation in HFpEF: Immune Profiling and Therapeutic Targets. Current Heart Failure Reports, 23(1). Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11897-026-00745-0
    • Barbarossa, A., Van Slambrouck, J., Trivett, C., Kortleven, P., Vanluyten, C., Medina, A. M., Jin, X., Jannis, N., Ozsoy, B., Claes, S., Schols, D., Wylin, T., Moermans, K., Stegen, S., Rosello, A. P., Inci, I., De Leyn, P., Vanaudenaerde, B., Pirenne, J., ... Ceulemans, L. J. (2026). Institut Georges Lopez-2M as a Novel Lung Preservation Solution Attenuates Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury in a Rat Ex Vivo Lung Perfusion Model. Transplant International, 39, Article 15993. https://doi.org/10.3389/ti.2026.15993
    • Srinivasan, A., de Lucio, M., Ghaffari, S., Jones, E. A. V., & Gomez, H. (2026). Computational Modeling Unveils the Impact of Tissue Growth and Vascular Remodeling on the Distribution of Interstitial Chemical Species. Annals of Biomedical Engineering. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10439-026-04214-6
  • 2025
    • Smets, L., Viola, M. F., Boesch, M., Raman, J., Van Melkebeke, L., Nobis, M., Flint, E., Pajk, N., Brescia, P., Silvestri, A., Feio-Azevedo, R., Modave, E., De Herdt, L., Sanga, A., Pop, O. T., Govaere, O., Verbeek, J., Denadai-Souza, A., Cassiman, D., ... Van Der Merwe, S. W. (2025). Intestinal blood vessel-associated macrophages and gut-vascular barrier dysfunction in cirrhosis. Gut. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1136/gutjnl-2025-335745
    • 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
    • Dheedene, W., Verhulst, S., Demuynck, L., Callewaert, B., de Haan, W., Vinckier, S., Van Wauwe, J., Vandervoort, P., Lox, M., Stroobants, M., Lavend'homme, R., van IJcken, W. F. J., Jones, E. A. V., Zwijsen, A., Jacquemin, M., van Grunsven, L. A., Martinod, K., Huylebroeck, D., Mulugeta, E., & Luttun, A. (2025). Loss of endothelial ZEB2 in mice attenuates steatosis early during metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease. Scientific Reports, 15(1), Article 23434. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-05881-6
    • Raman, J., Simmonds, S. J., Caluwé, E., van Leeuwen, R., Walschap, C., Stroobants, M., Cöl, Ü., Vandervoort, P., Heymans, S., & Jones, E. A. V. (2025). Ccr2+ Monocyte-Derived Macrophages Drive Cardiac Hypertrophy In Early Hfpef. American Journal of Physiology-heart and Circulatory Physiology, 329(1), H109-H123. https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpheart.00022.2025
    • Eijgen, J. V., Winckel, L. V., Hanssen, H., Kotliar, K., Vanassche, T., Craenenbroeck, E. V., Cornelissen, V., Craenenbroeck, A. V., Jones, E., & Stalmans, I. (2025). Retinal vessel analysis to assess microvascular function in the healthy eye: A systematic review on the response to acute physiological and pathological stressors. Survey of Ophthalmology, 70(2), 200-214. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.survophthal.2024.11.008
    • Grootaert, M. O. J., Pasut, A., Raman, J., Simmonds, S. J., Callewaert, B., Col, Ü., Dewerchin, M., Carmeliet, P., Heymans, S., & Jones, E. A. V. (2025). Mural cell dysfunction contributes to diastolic heart failure by promoting endothelial dysfunction and vessel remodelling. Cardiovascular Diabetology, 24(1), Article 62. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12933-025-02623-w
  • 2024
    • Daems, M., Ponomarev, L. C., Simoes-Faria, R., Nobis, M., Scheele, C. L. G. J., Luttun, A., Ghesquière, B., Zwijsen, A., & Jones, E. A. V. (2024). Smad1/5 is acetylated in the dorsal aortae of the mouse embryo before the onset of blood flow, driving early arterial gene expression. Cardiovascular Research, 120(16), 2078-2091. Article cvae201. https://doi.org/10.1093/cvr/cvae201
    • Callewaert, B., Gsell, W., Lox, M., Himmelreich, U., & Jones, E. A. V. (2024). A timeline study on vascular co-morbidity induced cerebral endothelial dysfunction assessed by perfusion MRI. Neurobiology of Disease, 202, Article 106709. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nbd.2024.106709
    • Callewaert, B., Gsell, W., Lox, M., Backes, W. H., Jones, E. A. V., & Himmelreich, U. (2024). Intravoxel incoherent motion as a surrogate marker of perfused vascular density in rat brain. NMR in Biomedicine, 37(9), Article e5148. https://doi.org/10.1002/nbm.5148
    • Maes, L., Vervenne, T., Hendrickx, A., Estrada, A. C., Van Hoof, L., Verbrugghe, P., Rega, F., Jones, E. A. V., Humphrey, J. D., & Famaey, N. (2024). Cell signaling and tissue remodeling in the pulmonary autograft after the Ross procedure: A computational study. Journal of Biomechanics, 171, Article 112180. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiomech.2024.112180
    • Van Schoor, K., Bruet, E., Jones, E. A. V., & Migeotte, I. (2024). Origin and flow-mediated remodeling of the murine and human extraembryonic circulation systems. Frontiers in physiology, 15, Article 1395006. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2024.1395006
    • Simmonds, S. J., Grootaert, M. O. J., Cuijpers, I., Carai, P., Geuens, N., Herwig, M., Baatsen, P., Hamdani, N., Luttun, A., Heymans, S., & Jones, E. A. V. (2024). Pericyte loss initiates microvascular dysfunction in the development of diastolic dysfunction. European heart journal open, 4(1), Article oead129. https://doi.org/10.1093/ehjopen/oead129
  • 2023
    • Sewduth, R. N., Carai, P., Ivanisevic, T., Zhang, M., Jang, H., Lechat, B., Van Haver, D., Impens, F., Nussinov, R., Jones, E., & Sablina, A. (2023). Spatial Mechano-Signaling Regulation of GTPases through Non-Degradative Ubiquitination. Advanced Science, 10(36), Article 2303367. https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202303367
    • Bellen, F., Carbone, E., Baatsen, P., Jones, E. A. V., Kabirian, F., & Heying, R. (2023). Improvement of Endothelial Cell-Polycaprolactone Interaction through Surface Modification via Aminolysis, Hydrolysis, and a Combined Approach. Journal of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, 2023, Article 5590725. https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/5590725
    • Jones, E. A. V. (2023). Mechanism of COVID-19-Induced Cardiac Damage from Patient, In Vitro and Animal Studies. Current Heart Failure Reports, 20(5), 451-460. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11897-023-00618-w
    • Callewaert, B., Gsell, W., Himmelreich, U., & Jones, E. A. V. (2023). Q-VAT: Quantitative Vascular Analysis Tool. Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine, 10, Article 1147462. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcvm.2023.1147462
    • 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
    • Daems, M., Liesenborghs, L., Boudewijns, R., Simmonds, S. J., Kraisin, S., Van Wauwe, J., Cuijpers, I., Raman, J., Geuens, N., Van Buyten, T., Lox, M., Verhamme, P., Van Linthout, S., Martinod, K., Heymans, S., Tschope, C., Neyts, J., & Jones, E. A. V. (2022). SARS-CoV-2 infection causes prolonged cardiomyocyte swelling and inhibition of HIF1α translocation in an animal model COVID-19. Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine, 9, Article 964512. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcvm.2022.964512
    • Carai, P., Ruozi, G., Paye, A., Debing, Y., Bortolotti, F., Lecomte, J., Zentilin, L., Jones, E. A. V., Giacca, M., & Heymans, S. (2022). AAV9-mediated functional screening for cardioprotective cytokines in Coxsackievirus-B3-induced myocarditis. Scientific Reports, 12(1), Article 7304. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-11131-w
    • Schiattarella, G. G., Alcaide, P., Condorelli, G., Gillette, T. G., Heymans, S., Jones, E. A. V., Kallikourdis, M., Lichtman, A., Marelli-Berg, F., Shah, S., Thorp, E. B., & Hill, J. A. (2022). Immunometabolic Mechanisms of Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction. Nature cardiovascular research, 1(3), 211-222. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44161-022-00032-w
    • Van Hoof, L., Verbrugghe, P., Jones, E. A. V., Humphrey, J. D., Janssens, S., Famaey, N., & Rega, F. (2022). Understanding Pulmonary Autograft Remodeling After the Ross Procedure: Stick to the Facts. Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine, 9, Article 829120. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcvm.2022.829120
    • Gifre-Renom, L., Daems, M., Luttun, A., & Jones, E. A. V. (2022). Organ-Specific Endothelial Cell Differentiation and Impact of Microenvironmental Cues on Endothelial Heterogeneity. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 23(3), Article 1477. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23031477
  • 2021
    • Craps, S., Van Wauwe, J., De Moudt, S., De Munck, D., Leloup, A. J., Boeckx, B., Vervliet, T., Dheedene, W., Criem, N., Geeroms, C., Jones, E. A., Zwijsen, A., Lambrechts, D., Fransen, P., Beerens, M., & Luttun, A. (2021). Prdm16 Supports Arterial Flow Recovery by Maintaining Endothelial Function. Circulation Research, 129(1), 63-77. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.120.318501
    • Callewaert, B., Jones, E. A. V., Himmelreich, U., & Gsell, W. (2021). Non-Invasive Evaluation of Cerebral Microvasculature Using Pre-Clinical MRI: Principles, Advantages and Limitations. Diagnostics, 11(6), Article 926. https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics11060926
    • Leeten, K., Ditkowski, B., Jashari, R., Mela, P., Jones, E. A. V., & Heying, R. (2021). An In Vitro Model to Study Endothelialization of Cardiac Graft Tissues Under Flow. Tissue Engineering, 27(4), 233-241. https://doi.org/10.1089/ten.TEC.2020.0359
    • Gifre-Renom, L., & Jones, E. A. V. (2021). Vessel Enlargement in Development and Pathophysiology. Frontiers in physiology, 12, Article 639645. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2021.639645
  • 2020
    • Ditkowski, B., Leeten, K., Jashari, R., Jones, E., & Heying, R. (2020). Staphylococcus aureus adheres avidly to decellularised cardiac homograft tissue in vitro in the fibrinogen-dependent manner. Cardiology in the Young, 30(12), 1783-1787. Article 1047951120002772. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1047951120002772
    • Jones, E. A. V., Graupera, M., van Buul, J. D., & Huveneers, S. (2020). Editorial: Endothelial Dynamics in Health and Disease. Frontiers in physiology, 11, Article 611117. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2020.611117
    • Cuijpers, I., Carai, P., Mendes-Ferreira, P., Simmonds, S. J., Mulder, P., Miranda-Silva, D., De Giorgio, D., Pokreisz, P., Heymans, S., & Jones, E. A. (2020). The effect of different anaesthetics on echocardiographic evaluation of diastolic dysfunction in a heart failure with preserved ejection fraction model. Scientific Reports, 10(1), Article 15701. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-72924-5
    • Ehling, M., Celus, W., Martín-Pérez, R., Alba-Rovira, R., Willox, S., Ponti, D., Cid, M. C., Jones, E. A. V., Di Conza, G., & Mazzone, M. (2020). B55α/PP2A Limits Endothelial Cell Apoptosis During Vascular Remodeling: A Complementary Approach To Disrupt Pathological Vessels?Circulation Research, 127(6), 707-723. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.119.316071
    • Daems, M., Peacock, H. M., & Jones, E. A. V. (2020). Fluid flow as a driver of embryonic morphogenesis. Development, 147(15), Article 185579. https://doi.org/10.1242/dev.185579
    • Tabibian, A., Ghaffari, S., Vargas, D. A., Van Oosterwyck, H., & Jones, E. A. V. (2020). Simulating flow induced migration in vascular remodelling. PLoS Computational Biology, 16(8), e1007874. Article e1007874. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1007874
    • Caolo, V., Debant, M., Endesh, N., Futers, T. S., Lichtenstein, L., Bartoli, F., Parsonage, G., Jones, E. A., & Beech, D. J. (2020). Shear stress activates ADAM10 sheddase to regulate Notch1 via the Piezo1 force sensor in endothelial cells. Elife, 9, Article 50684. https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.50684
    • Cuijpers, I., Simmonds, S. J., van Bilsen, M., Czarnowska, E., Miqueo, A. G., Heymans, S., Kuhn, A. R., Mulder, P., Ratajska, A., Jones, E. A., & Brakenhielm, E. (2020). Microvascular and lymphatic dysfunction in HFpEF and its associated comorbidities. Basic Research in Cardiology, 115(4), Article 39. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00395-020-0798-y
    • Peacock, H. M., Tabibian, A., Criem, N., Caolo, V., Hamard, L., Deryckere, A., Haefliger, J.-A., Kwak, B. R., Zwijsen, A., & Jones, E. A. V. (2020). Impaired SMAD1/5 Mechanotransduction and Cx37 (Connexin37) Expression Enable Pathological Vessel Enlargement and Shunting. Arteriosclerosis Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, 40(4), e87-e104. https://doi.org/10.1161/ATVBAHA.119.313122
    • Simmonds, S. J., Cuijpers, I., Heymans, S., & Jones, E. A. V. (2020). Cellular and Molecular Differences between HFpEF and HFrEF: A Step Ahead in an Improved Pathological Understanding. Cells, 9(1), Article 242. https://doi.org/10.3390/cells9010242
  • 2018
    • Kalucka, J., Bierhansl, L., Conchinha, N. V., Missiaen, R., Elia, I., Brüning, U., Scheinok, S., Treps, L., Cantelmo, A. R., Dubois, C., de Zeeuw, P., Goveia, J., Zecchin, A., Taverna, F., Morales-Rodriguez, F., Brajic, A., Conradi, L.-C., Schoors, S., Harjes, U., ... Carmeliet, P. (2018). Quiescent Endothelial Cells Upregulate Fatty Acid β-Oxidation for Vasculoprotection via Redox Homeostasis. Cell Metabolism, 28(6), 881-894.e13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2018.07.016
    • De Schepper, S., Verheijden, S., Aguilera-Lizarraga, J., Viola, M. F., Boesmans, W., Stakenborg, N., Voytyuk, I., Schmidt, I., Boeckx, B., Dierckx de Casterlé, I., Baekelandt, V., Gonzalez Dominguez, E., Mack, M., Depoortere, I., De Strooper, B., Sprangers, B., Himmelreich, U., Soenen, S., Guilliams, M., ... Boeckxstaens, G. (2018). Self-Maintaining Gut Macrophages Are Essential for Intestinal Homeostasis. Cell, 175(2), 400-415.e13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2018.07.048
  • 2017
    • Ghaffari, S., Leask, R. L., & Jones, E. A. V. (2017). Blood flow can signal during angiogenesis not only through mechanotransduction, but also by affecting growth factor distribution. Angiogenesis, 20(3), 373-384. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10456-017-9553-x
    • Kasaai, B., Caolo, V., Peacock, H. M., Lehoux, S., Gomez-Perdiguero, E., Luttun, A., & Jones, E. A. V. (2017). Erythro-myeloid progenitors can differentiate from endothelial cells and modulate embryonic vascular remodeling. Scientific Reports, 7, 43817. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep43817
  • 2016
    • Criel, M., Izzi, B., Vandenbriele, C., Liesenborghs, L., Van Kerckhoven, S., Lox, M., Cludts, K., Jones, E. A. V., Vanassche, T., Verhamme, P., & Hoylaerts, M. (2016). Absence of Pear1 does not affect murine platelet function in vivo. Thrombosis Research, 146, 76-83. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.thromres.2016.08.026
    • Mahmoud, M. M., Kim, H. R., Xing, R., Hsiao, S., Mammoto, A., Chen, J., Serbanovic-Canic, J., Feng, S., Bowden, N. P., Maguire, R., Ariaans, M., Francis, S. E., Weinberg, P. D., van der Heiden, K., Jones, E. A., Chico, T. J. A., Ridger, V., & Evans, P. C. (2016). TWIST1 Integrates Endothelial Responses to Flow in Vascular Dysfunction and Atherosclerosis. Circulation Research, 119(3), 450-62. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.116.308870
    • Lehoux, S., & Jones, E. A. (2016). Shear stress, arterial identity and atherosclerosis. Thrombosis and Haemostasis, 115(3), 467-73. https://doi.org/10.1160/TH15-10-0791
    • Peacock, H. M., Caolo, V., & Jones, E. A. V. (2016). Arteriovenous malformations in hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia: looking beyond ALK1-NOTCH interactions. Cardiovascular Research, 109(2), 196-203. https://doi.org/10.1093/cvr/cvv264
  • 2015
    • Ghaffari, S., Leask, R. L., & Jones, E. A. V. (2015). Flow dynamics control the location of sprouting and direct elongation during developmental angiogenesis. Development, 142(23), 4151-7. https://doi.org/10.1242/dev.128058
    • Ghaffari, S., Leask, R. L., & Jones, E. A. V. (2015). Simultaneous imaging of blood flow dynamics and vascular remodelling during development. Development, 142(23), 4158-67. https://doi.org/10.1242/dev.127019
    • Vandersmissen, I., Craps, S., Depypere, M., Coppiello, G., van Gastel, N., Maes, F., Carmeliet, G., Schrooten, J., Jones, E. A. V., Umans, L., Devlieger, R., Koole, M., Gheysens, O., Zwijsen, A., Aranguren, X. L., & Luttun, A. (2015). Endothelial Msx1 transduces hemodynamic changes into an arteriogenic remodeling response. Journal of Cell Biology, 210(7), 1239-56. https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.201502003
Overview