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Uyên Châu Nguyên wins UM Dissertation Prize 2025

Uyên Châu Nguyên wins UM Dissertation Prize 2025

29 January 2026

During the Dies Natalis of Maastricht University, Uyên Châu Nguyên received the UM Dissertation Prize 2025.

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Global research network launched to study menopause and heart health

Global research network launched to study menopause and heart health

20 January 2026

Ten international health research funders, including the Dutch Heart Foundation, are investing $10 million in a new global research network to improve early prevention of cardiovascular disease in women. The initiative focuses on understanding how menopause affects heart health and how early intervention can reduce risk.

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Carim Maastricht
Carim Maastricht

Christian Knackstedt

Associate professor

Dr Christian Knackstedt was born in in Giessen (Germany). After completing his secondary school (Gymnasium) in Münster, he started his medical training at the University of Münster, Germany. During his studies, he spent some time abroad in France, Switzerland, and the US and finally obtained his medical degree.

After an interim position at the Department of Cardiology, Herz- und Diabeteszentrum, Bad Oeynhausen, he soon moved to the University Hospital at the RWTH Aachen University where he pursued his formation as internist and cardiologist. Also, he succeeded in obtaining his German 'promotion' and later 'habilitation' besides passing the board examinations for internal medicine, cardiology and sport medicine. Gaining some more expertise in the field of sport cardiology as a senior physician at the Institute of Cardiology and Sports medicine, German Sport University Cologne, Cologne, Germany, he finally returned to his roots as a clinical cardiologist at Maastricht UMC+. He now holds a position as senior physician with an expertise in heart failure.

My research interest has always been the niche between heart failure and imaging/ mostly echocardiography. One of the topics I am currently interested in, is early detection of cardiac dysfunction. This goes hand in hand with the application of new echocardiographic techniques in the clinical practice. Also, I have been engaged and involved in research activities to improve therapy of heart failure by different means.

Christian-knackstedt

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

  • 2026
    • Venner, M. F. G. H. M., Verdonschot, J. A. J., & Knackstedt, C. (2026). Letter to the editor: Diastolic dysfunction as predictive parameter for the development of post-TIPS cardiac decompensation. International Journal of Cardiology, 442, Article 133886. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijcard.2025.133886
    • Mourmans, S. G. J., Achten, A., Weerts, J., Scheepers, M., Barandiarán Aizpurua, A., Henkens, M., Uszko-Lencer, N., Brunner-La Rocca, H.-P., Knackstedt, C., & van Empel, V. P. M. (2026). The diagnostic yield of an elaborate workup for comorbidities in a real-life heart failure with preserved ejection fraction outpatient population. European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, 33(2), 276-285. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurjpc/zwaf429
  • 2025
    • Weerts, J., Aizpurua, A. B., Patel, R. B., van de Bovenkamp, A. A., Amin, H., Sanders-van Wijk, S., Mourmans, S. G. J., Achten, A., Handoko, M. L., Bayes-Genis, A., Brunner-La Rocca, H.-P., Shah, S. J., Knackstedt, C., & van Empel, V. P. M. (2025). A simplified approach for diagnosing heart failure with preserved ejection fraction by assessing the left atrium and natriuretic peptides. European journal of heart failure, 27(12), 2897-2902. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejhf.3651
    • Li, X., Achten, A., Nassiri, S., Mourmans, S., van de Bovenkamp, A. A., Knackstedt, C., Handoko, M. L., Weerts, J., & van Empel, V. (2025). Sex-specific performance of clinical diagnostic algorithms for HFpEF across two independent cohorts. Netherlands Heart Journal, 33(12), 412-420. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12471-025-02000-y
    • Achten, A., Peeters, L., Verkoulen, G., Weerts, J., Knackstedt, C., Boerma, E.-J., van Empel, V., & Wijk, S. S. (2025). Time to screen: rationale and roadmap for HFpEF screening in individuals with obesity. Heart Failure Reviews, 30(6), 1207-1213. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10741-025-10540-z
    • Tingen, H. S. A., Berends, M., Tubben, A., van der Meer, P., Slart, R. H. J. A., Bijzet, J., van der Zwaag, P. A., Kimmich, C., Knackstedt, C., Muntinghe, F. L. H., Houwerzijl, E. J., Hazenberg, B. P. C., & Nienhuis, H. L. A. (2025). Detecting early cardiomyopathy in transthyretin variant carriers: reappraising the diagnostic value of Perugini grade 1 radiotracer uptake on bone scintigraphy. European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, 52(13), 5000-5005. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-025-07328-6
    • Chua, A. P. A., Weerts, J., Achten, A., Nabeta, T., Sarrazyn, C., Lopez-Santi, P., Mourmans, S. G. J., Su, J. L., Bax, J. J., Knackstedt, C., van Empel, V. P. M., & Ajmone-Marsan, N. (2025). Left Atrial Strain Index in Patients with Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction. Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography, 38(11), 1099-1101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.echo.2025.07.008
    • Schoonvelde, S. A. C., Nollet, E. E., Zwetsloot, P. P., Knackstedt, C., Germans, T., Hirsch, A., Schinkel, A. F. L., van Slegtenhorst, M. A., Verhagen, J. M. A., de Boer, R. A., van der Velden, J., & Michels, M. (2025). Genotype-negative hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: Exploring the role of cardiovascular risk factors in disease expression. International Journal of Cardiology, 437, Article 133444. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijcard.2025.133444
    • Sikking, M., Wiethoff, I., Henkens, M., Evers, S., Stroeks, S., Venner, M., Weerts, J., Brunner-la Rocca, H.-P., Knackstedt, C., van Empel, V., Michels, M., Heymans, S., Hiligsmann, M., & Verdonschot, J. (2025). High societal costs and reduced health-related quality of life in inflammatory and systemic immune disease-associated dilated cardiomyopathies. Quality of Life Research, 34(10), 2901-2910. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-025-04027-5
    • Schoonvelde, S. A. C., Zwetsloot, P.-P., Hirsch, A., Schinkel, A. F. L., Knackstedt, C., Germans, T., van Slegtenhorst, M. A., Verhagen, J. M. A., de Boer, R. A., & Michels, M. (2025). Accelerometry-defined physical activity and quality of life in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Heart, Article 326217. https://doi.org/10.1136/heartjnl-2025-326217
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