Another Dekker Grant for young scientist from Medical Delta Cardiac Arrhythmia Lab

Dr. Maryam Kavousi (Erasmus MC), researcher of the scientific program Medical Delta Cardiac Arrhythmia Lab, receives a Dekker grant from the Hartstichting for her research on heart failure and atrial fibrillation. Last year Rohit Kharbanda, PhD student at Erasmus MC and researcher of the Medical Delta Cardiac Arrhythmia Lab, received a Dekker grant.

Doctoral epidemiologist Maryam Kavousi does research on the two most common heart diseases: heart failure and atrial fibrillation. Kavousi wants to achieve earlier detection of these diseases. She wants doctors to be able to do more to prevent these heart problems and to treat patients individually.

Cohesion between heart diseases

In heart failure, the pumping power of the heart is reduced. Atrial fibrillation is a heart rhythm disorder: the heart beats irregularly and often too fast. Both conditions are closely related: one can increase the risk of the other. At the moment, both conditions are often only discovered when the disease process has already been going on for some time and health problems arise.

Kavousi researches how both heart diseases are related in their early stages. To this end, she will analyze (anonymous) medical data from tens of thousands of people. These are people who already participate in long-term studies, during which they give blood and fill in extensive questionnaires. Her research aims to improve doctors' knowledge of which patients require regular monitoring in order to detect both heart diseases in time.

Dekker Grants

Dekker grants are individual grants for talented cardiovascular researchers at different stages of their career. The Dekker grants are being awarded for the 35th time this year. Kavousi will receive over €400,000 for her research over a period of four years.

Also read Dekkerbeurzen voor 10 talentvolle onderzoekers | Hartstichting and Dekkerbeurs voor Maryam Kavousi en Bob Roozenbeek - Amazing Erasmus MC (in Dutch)