My research focuses on CT imaging of coronary atherosclerosis. I have a special interest in the impact of cholesterol-lowering on the development and possible regression of atherosclerosis, as well as potential measures involving showing patients their own CT images to ensure they continue taking the cholesterol-lowering medication. I am collaborating with several international institutions. I am a professor at the Dept. Clinical Medicine, AU, and senior consultant at the Dept Cardiology, AUH.
My reserach is focused on cardiac CT imaging (CCT) for 1. structural heart disease and 2. coronary assessment of patients with stable coronary artery disease. Special focus on the potential of CCT for planning of structural interventions such as TAVI and CRT, and development and assessment of the clinical application of new CCT derived metrics such as coronary plaque imaging and hemodynamics for improved individualized risk assessment, patient management, and planning of coronary interventions.
Over the past three decades, I have taught medical students and younger colleagues in internal medicine and cardiology, both formally and informally. I have supervised and co-supervised student research projects, as well as several national and international post-docs and PhD courses for physicians and nurses. Additionally, I am a co-author of two teaching textbooks.
Many years of academic collaborations with colleagues at Stanford UH / HeartFlow, US on CT derived coronary flow characterization, with colleagues at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, US on CT-derived coronary plaque assessment and artificial intelligence in cardiac image analysis, colleagues at St Pauls´s Hospital, Vancouver, Canada on planning of interventions in structural heart disease, and colleagues at Aalst Cardiac Center, Belgium on using CT for planning coronary interventions.
Based on my research, I have organized and co-organized several internal meetings and workshops on the use of CT cardiac imaging. I have been a member of several international multicenter study Steering Comitees´s, and Writing Comittee`s on societal guideline or specialist documents. In addition, I have been the primary invsetigator in national and international multicenter trials.
I am responsible for cardiac CT research and supervise several students, PhD candidates, and post-docs in this regard. I participate in the teaching of medical students. I am a member of international project Steering Committees and international Writing Committees, where guideline documents are prepared. I lead the CT core-lab analysis work in the department. Additionally, I contribute to the department's clinical work, with particular focus on the evaluation of patients with chest pain.
