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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

Stephane Heymans

Professor

Stephane Heymans is Professor of Cardiomyopathies and Head of the Centre for Heart Failure Research, Department of Cardiology, Maastricht University. He obtained his Medical Degree from the KU Leuven (Belgium) in 1995 and went on to get a PhD in Medical Sciences in 2000, studying the role of proteinases in acute myocardial infarction. In 2003, he joined the Department of Cardiology of Maastricht UMC+ as an academic medical specialist and in 2006 he took over the Multidisciplinary Cardiomyopathy Program (Genetics, Immunology, Microbiology and Pathology departments).

In 2008, he established his independent research laboratory at Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht. His research interests focus on the molecular mechanisms of heart failure, looking at the interplay between inflammatory cells, fibroblasts and cardiomyocytes. Particular focus is on the role of non-structural matrix proteins, matrix turnover and non-coding RNAs.

Furthermore, he is Professor of 'Inflammation and Matrix Biology in Cardiomyopathies' at the University of Leuven and he is a board member of the ESC Heart Failure Association, ESC Working Group of Myocardial Function, ESC Heart Failure Association Committee on Diastolic Heart Failure and ESC Heart Failure Association Committee on Translational Research.

Website www.hfresearch.eu

Stephane-heymans

Department of Cardiology
Universiteitssingel 50, 6229 ER Maastricht
PO Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht
Room number: G3.230
T: +31(0)43 388 43 04

  • 2016
    • Summer, G., Kelder, T., Radonjic, M., van Bilsen, M., Wopereis, S., & Heymans, S. (2016). The Network Library: a framework to rapidly integrate network biology resources. Bioinformatics, 32(17), 473-478. https://doi.org/10.1093/bioinformatics/btw436
    • Smilde, B. J., Woudstra, L., Hing, G. F., Wouters, D., Zeerleder, S., Murk, J.-L., van Ham, M., Heymans, S., Juffermans, L. J. M., van Rossum, A. C., Niessen, H. W. M., Krijnen, P. A. J., & Emmens, R. W. (2016). Colchicine aggravates coxsackievirus B3 infection in mice. International Journal of Cardiology, 216, 58-65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijcard.2016.04.144
    • Deckx, S., Heymans, S., & Papageorgiou, A.-P. (2016). The diverse functions of osteoglycin: a deceitful dwarf, or a master regulator of disease?Faseb Journal, 30(8), 2651-2661. https://doi.org/10.1096/fj.201500096R
    • Pinto, Y. M., Elliott, P. M., Arbustini, E., Adler, Y., Anastasakis, A., Boehm, M., Duboc, D., Gimeno, J., de Groote, P., Imazio, M., Heymans, S., Klingel, K., Komajda, M., Limongelli, G., Linhart, A., Mogensen, J., Moon, J., Pieper, P. G., Seferovic, P. M., ... Charron, P. (2016). Proposal for a revised definition of dilated cardiomyopathy, hypokinetic non-dilated cardiomyopathy, and its implications for clinical practice: a position statement of the ESC working group on myocardial and pericardial diseases. European Heart Journal, 37(23), 1850-1858. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehv727
    • Gupta, S. K., Itagaki, R., Zheng, X., Batkai, S., Thum, S., Ahmad, F., Van Aelst, L. N., Sharma, A., Piccoli, M.-T., Weinberger, F., Fiedler, J., Heuser, M., Heymans, S., Falk, C. S., Foerster, R., Schrepfer, S., & Thum, T. (2016). miR-21 promotes fibrosis in an acute cardiac allograft transplantation model. Cardiovascular Research, 110(2), 215-226. https://doi.org/10.1093/cvr/cvw030
    • Gast, M., Schroen, B., Voigt, A., Haas, J., Kuehl, U., Lassner, D., Skurk, C., Escher, F., Wang, X., Kratzer, A., Michalik, K., Papageorgiou, A., Peters, T., Loebel, M., Wilk, S., Althof, N., Prasanth, K. V., Katus, H., Meder, B., ... Poller, W. (2016). Long noncoding RNA MALAT1-derived mascRNA is involved in cardiovascular innate immunity. Journal of Molecular Cell Biology, 8(2), 178-181. https://doi.org/10.1093/jmcb/mjw003
    • Dennert, R., Streukens, B., Gommers, S., Heymans, S., & Bekkers, B. (2016). Perimyocarditis Complicated by Early Development of Constrictive Pericarditis. Canadian Journal of Cardiology, 32(3), 395.e11-395.e12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cjca.2015.06.004
    • Peters, T., Beijnsberger, S., Beqqali, A., Bitsch, N., Nakagawa, S., Prasanth, K. V., de Windt, L. J., van Oort, R. J., Heymans, S., & Schroen, B. (2016). Long Non-Coding RNA Malat-1 Is Dispensable during Pressure Overload-Induced Cardiac Remodeling and Failure in Mice. PLOS ONE, 11(2), Article e0150236. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0150236
    • Van Aelst, L. N. L., Summer, G., Li, S., Gupta, S. K., Heggermont, W., De Vusser, K., Carai, P., Naesens, M., Van Cleemput, J., Van de Werf, F., Vanhaecke, J., Thum, T., Waer, M., Papageorgiou, A. .-P., Schroen, B., & Heymans, S. (2016). RNA Profiling in Human and Murine Transplanted Hearts: Identification and Validation of Therapeutic Targets for Acute Cardiac and Renal Allograft Rejection. American Journal of Transplantation, 16(1), 99-110. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajt.13421
    • Begieneman, M. P. V., Emmens, R. W., Rijvers, L., Kubat, B., Paulus, W. J., Vonk, A. B. A., Rozendaal, L., Biesbroek, P. S., Wouters, D., Zeerleder, S., van Ham, M., Heymans, S., van Rossum, A. C., Niessen, H. W. M., & Krijnen, P. A. J. (2016). Ventricular myocarditis coincides with atrial myocarditis in patients. Cardiovascular Pathology, 25(2), 141-148. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carpath.2015.12.001
  • 2015
    • Summer, G., Kelder, T., Ono, K., Radonjic, M., Heymans, S., & Demchak, B. (2015). cyNeo4j: connecting Neo4j and Cytoscape. Bioinformatics, 31(23), 3868-3869. https://doi.org/10.1093/bioinformatics/btv460
    • Ounzain, S., Micheletti, R., Arnan, C., Plaisance, I., Cecchi, D., Schroen, B., Reverter, F., Alexanian, M., Gonzales, C., Ng, S. Y., Bussotti, G., Pezzuto, I., Notredame, C., Heymans, S., Guigo, R., Johnson, R., & Pedrazzini, T. (2015). CARMEN, a human super enhancer-associated long noncoding RNA controlling cardiac specification, differentiation and homeostasis. Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology, 89, 98-112. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yjmcc.2015.09.016
    • Hazebroek, M. R., Kemna, M. J., Schalla, S., Sanders-van Wijk, S., Gerretsen, S. C., Dennert, R., Merken, J., Kuznetsova, T., Staessen, J. A., Brunner-La Rocca, H. P., van Paassen, P., Tervaert, J. W. C., & Heymans, S. (2015). Prevalence and prognostic relevance of cardiac involvement in ANCA-associated vasculitis: Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis and granulomatosis with polyangiitis. International Journal of Cardiology, 199, 170-179. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijcard.2015.06.087
    • Corsten, M., Heggermont, W., Papageorgiou, A.-P., Deckx, S., Tijsma, A., Verhesen, W., van Leeuwen, R., Carai, P., Thibaut, H.-J., Custers, K., Summer, G., Hazebroek, M., Verheyen, F., Neyts, J., Schroen, B., & Heymans, S. (2015). The microRNA-221/-222 cluster balances the antiviral and inflammatory response in viral myocarditis. European Heart Journal, 36(42), 2909-U56. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehv321
    • Piers, S. R. D., Everaerts, K., van der Geest, R. J., Hazebroek, M. R., Siebelink, H.-M., Pison, L. A. F. G., Schalij, M. J., Bekkers, S. C. A. M., Heymans, S., & Zeppenfeld, K. (2015). Myocardial scar predicts monomorphic ventricular tachycardia but not polymorphic ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation in nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy. Heart Rhythm, 12(10), 2106-2114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrthm.2015.05.026
    • Deckx, S., Carai, P., Bateman, J., Heymans, S., & Papageorgiou, A.-P. (2015). Breeding Strategy Determines Rupture Incidence in Post-Infarct Healing WARPing Cardiovascular Research. PLOS ONE, 10(9), Article e0139199. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0139199
    • Heymans, S., Gonzalez, A., Pizard, A., Papageorgiou, A. P., Lopez-Andres, N., Jaisser, F., Thum, T., Zannad, F., & Diez, J. (2015). Searching for new mechanisms of myocardial fibrosis with diagnostic and/or therapeutic potential. European journal of heart failure, 17(8), 764-771. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejhf.312
    • Papageorgiou, A.-P., Heggermont, W., Rienks, M., Carai, P., Langouche, L., Verhesen, W., De Boer, R. A., & Heymans, S. (2015). Liver X receptor activation enhances CVB3 viral replication during myocarditis by stimulating lipogenesis. Cardiovascular Research, 107(1), 78-88. https://doi.org/10.1093/cvr/cvv157
    • Devaux, Y., Zangrando, J., Schroen, B., Creemers, E. E., Pedrazzini, T., Chang, C.-P., Dorn, G. W. . II., Thum, T., & Heymans, S. (2015). Long noncoding RNAs in cardiac development and ageing. Nature Reviews Cardiology, 12(7), 415-425. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrcardio.2015.55
    • Diaz-Munoz, M. D., Bell, S. E., Fairfax, K., Monzon-Casanova, E., Cunningham, A. F., Gonzalez-Porta, M., Andrews, S. R., Bunik, V. I., Zarnack, K., Curk, T., Heggermont, W. A., Heymans, S., Gibson, G. E., Kontoyiannis, D. L., Ule, J., & Turner, M. (2015). The RNA-binding protein HuR is essential for the B cell antibody response. Nature Immunology, 16(4), 415-425. https://doi.org/10.1038/ni.3115
    • Ounzain, S., Micheletti, R., Beckmann, T., Schroen, B., Alexanian, M., Pezzuto, I., Crippa, S., Nemir, M., Sarre, A., Johnson, R., Dauvillier, J., Burdet, F., Ibberson, M., Guigo, R., Xenarios, I., Heymans, S., & Pedrazzini, T. (2015). Genome-wide profiling of the cardiac transcriptome after myocardial infarction identifies novel heart-specific long non-coding RNAs. European Heart Journal, 36(6), 353–368. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehu180
    • Bryant, C. E., Gay, N. J., Heymans, S., Sacre, S., Schaefer, L., & Midwood, K. S. (2015). Advances in Toll-like receptor biology: Modes of activation by diverse stimuli. Critical Reviews in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 50(5), 359-379. https://doi.org/10.3109/10409238.2015.1033511
  • 2014
    • Emmens, R. W., Woudstra, L., Papageorgiou, A., Carai, P., Smit, S., Seven-Deniz, S., Rozendaal, L., Paulus, W. J., Wouters, D., Zeerleder, S., Murk, J.-L., van Ham, M. S., Heymans, S., van Rossum, A. C., Niessen, H. W. M., & Krijnen, P. A. J. (2014). Lymphocytes Infiltrate the Quadriceps Muscle in Lymphocytic Myocarditis Patients: A Potential New Diagnostic Tool. Canadian Journal of Cardiology, 30(12), 1547-1554. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cjca.2014.07.018
    • Elliott, P. M., Anastasakis, A., Borger, M. A., Borggrefe, M., Cecchi, F., Charron, P., Hagege, A. A., Lafont, A., Limongelli, G., Mahrholdt, H., McKenna, W. J., Mogensen, J., Nihoyannopoulos, P., Nistri, S., Pieper, P. G., Pieske, B., Rapezzi, C., Rutten, F. H., Tillmanns, C., ... Watkins, H. (2014). 2014 ESC Guidelines on diagnosis and management of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy The Task Force for the Diagnosis and Management of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). European Heart Journal, 35(39), 2733-2779. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehu284
    • Jacobs, L., Thijs, L., Jin, Y., Zannad, F., Mebazaa, A., Rouet, P., Pinet, F., Bauters, C., Pieske, B., Tomaschitz, A., Mamas, M., Diez, J., McDonald, K., Cleland, J. G. F., Brunner-La Rocca, H.-P., Heymans, S., Latini, R., Masson, S., Sever, P., ... Staessen, J. A. (2014). Heart 'omics' in AGEing (HOMAGE): design, research objectives and characteristics of the common database. Journal of Biomedical Research, 28(5), 349-59. https://doi.org/10.7555/JBR.28.20140045
    • Westermann, D., & Heymans, S. (2014). Fibrosis or hypertrophy: let TIMPs decide. Cardiovascular Research, 103(2), 196-197. https://doi.org/10.1093/cvr/cvu160
    • Murdoch, C. E., Chaubey, S., Zeng, L., Yu, B., Ivetic, A., Walker, S. J., Vanhoutte, D., Heymans, S., Grieve, D. J., Cave, A. C., Brewer, A. C., Zhang, M., & Shah, A. M. (2014). Endothelial NADPH Oxidase-2 Promotes Interstitial Cardiac Fibrosis and Diastolic Dysfunction Through Proinflammatory Effects and Endothelial-Mesenchymal Transition. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 63(24), 2734-2741. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2014.02.572
    • Leite-Moreira, A. F., Lourenco, A. P., Balligand, J.-L., Bauersachs, J., Clerk, A., De Windt, L. J., Heymans, S., Hilfiker-Kleiner, D., Hirsch, E., Iaccarino, G., Kaminski, K. A., Knoell, R., Mayr, M., Tarone, G., Thum, T., & Tocchetti, C. G. (2014). ESC Working Group on Myocardial Function Position Paper: how to study the right ventricle in experimental models. European journal of heart failure, 16(5), 509-518. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejhf.66
    • Tarone, G., Balligand, J.-L., Bauersachs, J., Clerk, A., De Windt, L., Heymans, S., Hilfiker-Kleiner, D., Hirsch, E., Iaccarino, G., Knoell, R., Leite-Moreira, A. F., Lourenco, A. P., Mayr, M., Thum, T., & Tocchetti, C. G. (2014). Targeting myocardial remodelling to develop novel therapies for heart failure A position paper from the Working Group on Myocardial Function of the European Society of Cardiology. European journal of heart failure, 16(5), 494-508. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejhf.62
    • Beaumont, J., Lopez, B., Hermida, N., Schroen, B., Jose, G. S., Heymans, S., Valencia, F., Jose Gomez-Doblas, J., De Teresa, E., Diez, J., & Gonzalez, A. (2014). microRNA-122 down-regulation may play a role in severe myocardial fibrosis in human aortic stenosis through TGF-beta(1) up-regulation. Clinical Science, 126(7-8), 497-506. https://doi.org/10.1042/CS20130538
    • Papageorgiou, A.-P., & Heymans, S. (2014). Peroxidasin-like protein: expanding the horizons of matrix biology. Cardiovascular Research, 101(3), 342-343. https://doi.org/10.1093/cvr/cvu017
    • Rienks, M., Papageorgiou, A.-P., Frangogiannis, N. G., & Heymans, S. (2014). Myocardial Extracellular Matrix An Ever-Changing and Diverse Entity. Circulation Research, 114(5), 872-888. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.114.302533
    • Hazebroek, M. R., Everaerts, K., & Heymans, S. (2014). Diagnostic approach of myocarditis: strike the golden mean. Netherlands Heart Journal, 22(2), 80-84. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12471-013-0499-3
    • Hazebroek, M. R., van Paassen, P., Weerwind, P. W., Cooper, L. T. . J., Uriel, N., Caliskan, K., de Vries, B., Maessen, J. G., Autschbach, R., Heymans, S., & Donker, D. W. (2014). A passionate endurance cyclist ultimately survives sudden death in right ventricular giant cell myocarditis. International Journal of Cardiology, 170(3), E74-E75. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijcard.2013.11.028
    • Hohl, M., Ardehali, H., Azuaje, F. J., Breckenridge, R. A., Doehner, W., Eaton, P., Ehret, G. B., Fujita, T., Gaetani, R., Giacca, M., Hasenfuss, G., Heymans, S., Leite-Moreira, A. F., Linke, W. A., Linz, D., Lyon, A., Mamas, M. A., Oresic, M., Papp, Z., ... Maack, C. (2014). Meeting highlights from the 2013 European Society of Cardiology Heart Failure Association Winter Meeting on Translational Heart Failure Research. European journal of heart failure, 16(1), 6-14. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejhf.10
  • 2013
    • Dirkx, E., Gladka, M. M., Philippen, L. E., Armand, A.-S., Kinet, V., Leptidis, S., el Azzouzi, H., Salic, K., Bourajjaj, M., da Silva, G. J. J., Olieslagers, S., van der Nagel, R., de Weger, R., Bitsch, N., Kisters, N., Seyen, S., Morikawa, Y., Chanoine, C., Heymans, S., ... De Windt, L. J. (2013). Nfat and miR-25 cooperate to reactivate the transcription factor Hand2 in heart failure. Nature Cell Biology, 15(11), 1282-1293. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncb2866
    • Caforio, A. L. P., Pankuweit, S., Arbustini, E., Basso, C., Gimeno-Blanes, J., Felix, S. B., Fu, M., Helio, T., Heymans, S., Jahns, R., Klingel, K., Linhart, A., Maisch, B., McKenna, W., Mogensen, J., Pinto, Y. M., Ristic, A., Schultheiss, H.-P., Seggewiss, H., ... Elliott, P. M. (2013). Current state of knowledge on aetiology, diagnosis, management, and therapy of myocarditis: a position statement of the European Society of Cardiology Working Group on Myocardial and Pericardial Diseases. European Heart Journal, 34(33), 2636-2648. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/eht210
    • Witjas-Paalberends, E. R., Piroddi, N., Stam, K., van Dijk, S. J., Oliviera, V. S., Ferrara, C., Scellini, B., Hazebroek, M., ten Cate, F. J., van Slegtenhorst, M., dos Remedios, C., Niessen, H. W. M., Tesi, C., Stienen, G. J. M., Heymans, S., Michels, M., Poggesi, C., & van der Velden, J. (2013). Mutations in MYH7 reduce the force generating capacity of sarcomeres in human familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Cardiovascular Research, 99(3), 432-441. https://doi.org/10.1093/cvr/cvt119
    • Van Aelst, L. N. L., & Heymans, S. (2013). MicroRNAs as Biomarkers for Ischemic Heart Disease. Journal of Cardiovascular Translational Research, 6(4), 458-470. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12265-013-9466-z
    • Vanhoutte, D., van Almen, G. C., Van Aelst, L. N. L., Van Cleemput, J., Droogne, W., Jin, Y., Van de Werf, F., Carmeliet, P., Vanhaecke, J., Papageorgiou, A.-P., & Heymans, S. (2013). Matricellular proteins and matrix metalloproteinases mark the inflammatory and fibrotic response in human cardiac allograft rejection. European Heart Journal, 34(25), 1930-1941. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehs375
    • Camporeale, A., Marino, F., Papageorgiou, A., Carai, P., Fornero, S., Fletcher, S., Page, B. D. G., Gunning, P., Forni, M., Chiarle, R., Morello, M., Jensen, O., Levi, R., Heymans, S., & Poli, V. (2013). STAT3 activity is necessary and sufficient for the development of immune-mediated myocarditis in mice and promotes progression to dilated cardiomyopathy. EMBO Molecular Medicine, 5(4), 572-590. https://doi.org/10.1002/emmm.201201876
    • Leptidis, S., el Azzouzi, H., Lok, S. I., de Weger, R., Olieslagers, S., Kisters, N., Silva, G. J., Heymans, S., Cuppen, E., Berezikov, E., De Windt, L. J., & Martins, P. D. C. (2013). A Deep Sequencing Approach to Uncover the miRNOME in the Human Heart. PLOS ONE, 8(2), Article e57800. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0057800
  • 2012
    • Heggermont, W. A., & Heymans, S. (2012). MicroRNAs Are Involved in End-Organ Damage During Hypertension. Hypertension, 60(5), 1088-1093. https://doi.org/10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.111.187104
    • Dennert, R., van Paassen, P., Wolffs, P., Bruggeman, C., Velthuis, S., Felix, S., van Suylen, R.-J., Crijns, H. J., Tervaert, J. W. C., & Heymans, S. (2012). Differences in Virus Prevalence and Load in the Hearts of Patients with Idiopathic Dilated Cardiomyopathy with and without Immune-Mediated Inflammatory Diseases. Clinical and Vaccine Immunology, 19(8), 1182-1187. https://doi.org/10.1128/CVI.00281-12
    • Hazebroek, M., Dennert, R., & Heymans, S. (2012). Idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy: possible triggers and treatment strategies. Netherlands Heart Journal, 20(7-8), 332-335. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12471-012-0285-7
    • Corsten, M. F., Schroen, B., & Heymans, S. (2012). Inflammation in viral myocarditis: friend or foe?Trends in Molecular Medicine, 18(7), 426-437. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molmed.2012.05.005
    • Papageorgiou, A.-P., & Heymans, S. (2012). Interactions between the extracellular matrix and inflammation during viral myocarditis. Immunobiology, 217(5), 503-510. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.imbio.2011.07.011
    • Donners, M. M. P. C., Wolfs, I. M. J., Stoger, L. J., van der Vorst, E. P. C., Pottgens, C. C. H., Heymans, S., Schroen, B., Gijbels, M. J. J., & de Winther, M. P. J. (2012). Hematopoietic miR155 Deficiency Enhances Atherosclerosis and Decreases Plaque Stability in Hyperlipidemic Mice. PLOS ONE, 7(4), Article e35877. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0035877
    • Papageorgiou, A.-P., Swinnen, M., Vanhoutte, D., VandenDriessche, T., Chuah, M., Lindner, D., Verhesen, W., de Vries, B., D'hooge, J., Lutgens, E., Westermann, D., Carmeliet, P., & Heymans, S. (2012). Thrombospondin-2 prevents cardiac injury and dysfunction in viral myocarditis through the activation of regulatory T-cells. Cardiovascular Research, 94(1), 115-124. https://doi.org/10.1093/cvr/cvs077
Overview