Five FHML researchers receive Veni grants

Why does the heart make its familiar “lub-dub” sounds, and do these sounds tell us anything about how well the heart is functioning? Hongxing Luo (CARIM) is going to investigate this.

By combining animal measurements, ultrasound technology that tracks tiny shear waves in the heart muscle, and digital stethoscope recordings, he will link sound patterns to the stiffness of the heart. The findings will feed a smartphone-based system that lets patients record short sounds at home and may alert clinicians to worsening heart failure about a week earlier.

Brain-computer interface technology records brain activity and translates it into computer commands that control assistive devices. This way, motor function can be recovered for people that lost (part of) their ability to move. 

This project by Maarten Ottenhoff (MHeNs) will develop a new type of brain-computer interface that uses a fundamentally different brain signal. Instead of thinking ‘move your hand forward’, users now think about what they want to achieve: ‘take a bite from this apple’. This way, brain-computer interface technology becomes available for people with motor impairments caused by cortical damage.

In Alzheimer’s disease, not only are nerve cells affected, but also myelin, the insulating layer that enables efficient communication in the brain. This layer can be repaired, but this natural repair process is impaired in Alzheimer’s disease. 

Melissa Schepers’s (MHeNs) project focuses on stimulating myelin repair in human brain cells by targeting specific signals that tell these cells when and how to mature. By studying these processes in human cells and tissue, the research aims to identify new strategies to support brain connectivity and slow functional decline.

Alzheimer’s disease, the leading cause of death in the Netherlands, disproportionately affects women, who represent two-thirds of patients. This risk increases after early menopause, when menstruation stops and hormone levels drop. 

Merel van der Thiel (MHeNs) studies how hormonal changes during menopause affect the brain’s ability to clear waste products linked to Alzheimer’s disease development. Using advanced brain scans, researchers track early changes in waste clearance after menopause and how they influence dementia risk. The results could help identify women at higher risk and support early, personalized strategies to prevent Alzheimer’s disease in women.

Many people with lung cancer lose muscle unintentionally, which impacts daily activities and can make cancer treatments less effective. This project by Wouter van de Worp (NUTRIM) studies how tumours release proteins into the bloodstream that reach skeletal muscle and trigger muscle breakdown. 

Using innovative laboratory models and tracking techniques, researchers will pinpoint which tumour-derived proteins are directly responsible for this process. These insights will help lay the foundation for future treatments aimed at preserving muscle strength and improving quality of life for cancer patients.