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Social and economic background influences survival in intensive care: Research with societal impact

Social and economic background influences survival in intensive care: Research with societal impact

18 August 2026

A large-scale study by researchers from Maastricht UMC+ and Amsterdam UMC demonstrates that lower socioeconomic status (SES) of patients admitted to Dutch intensive care units contributes to worse survival.

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Fatma Karapinar appointed as Professor in Medication Safety

Fatma Karapinar appointed as Professor in Medication Safety

12 August 2026

As of 1 June 2026, Dr Fatma Karapinar has been appointed Professor of Medication Safety at Maastricht University.

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Carim Maastricht
Carim Maastricht

Heidi Noels

Professor

Prof. Heidi Noels is leading the research group 'Molecular cardiovascular and cardio-renal-metabolic research' within the Institute for Molecular Cardiovascular Research (IMCAR) of the University Hospital Aachen. In parallel, she holds an honorary affiliation with the Biochemistry Department of the Cardiovascular Research Institute (CARIM) of Maastricht University, and is cofounder of the 'Aachen-Maastricht Institute for Cardiorenal Research (AMICARE)', which characterises the close cooperation between both universities.

Her research group studies pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the development of cardiovascular diseases, including atherosclerosis, cardiomyopathy and myocardial infarction. This includes a strong focus on kidney-heart communication, and by extension kidney-heart-metabolic crosstalk, with a focus on inflammation and metabolic disturbances.

Dr Noels initially obtained her PhD in Medical Sciences in the Medical Faculty of the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, with a focus on the transcription factor NF-kB, a key regulator of inflammation. After her move to IMCAR, her work provided novel insights into the role of inflammation in atherosclerosis through diverse regulatory mechanisms involving NF-kB. New findings also resulted in the characterisation of the role of chemokine receptors and their ligands in regulating inflammatory processes in atherosclerosis and vascular inflammation.

Recent work includes the study of cellular and molecular mediators and mechanisms of kidney-heart crosstalk in cardiorenal and cardio-renal-metabolic disease. This includes the study of vascular inflammation/dysfunction and atherosclerosis as well as ischemic and non-ischemic cardiac remodeling. The aim is to support novel therapies to reduce the cardiovascular and cardio-renal-metabolic burden which highly impacts our society.

Dr Noels is integrated in multiple interdisciplinary and international collaborations. She Furthermore, she is Coordinator of the European Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action (MSCA) Doctoral Network LipidBRIGHT (UM, 2026-2030), Managing Director of the DFG-funded research consortium SFB/TRR219 (RWTH, 2018-2029) and Coordinator of two DFG-funded graduate schools (SFB/TRR219; SFB1739; RWTH). Previously, she was Co-Coordinator of the European (MSCA) Doctoral Network 'CaReSyAn' (2018-2021).

For her research, Dr Noels received the W.H. Hauss Award of the German Atherosclerosis Society (2018) as well as the international Werner Risau Award in Vascular Biology (2015).

Beyond research, Dr Noels is also involved in teaching in the Medical Faculty of RWTH Aachen, where she heads the qualification profile 'Organ crosstalk & comorbidities' for medical students.

Heidi noels

Department of Biochemistry
Universiteitssingel 50, 6229 ER Maastricht
P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht

  • 2026
    • Junho, C. V. C., Dai, Y., Schieren, L., Hourtz, S., Rykova, T., Vondenhoff, S., Wessiepe, M., Zou, J., Jankowski, J., Goettsch, C., & Noels, H. (2026). Advanced glycation end product (AGE)-modified albumin does not enhance neutrophil extracellular trap formation and minimally impacts endothelial inflammation in large vessels. Life Sciences, 398, Article 124467. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lfs.2026.124467
    • Evans, B. R., Schulz, J., Triantafyllidou, V., Yerly, A., Thakur, M., Angliker, N., Siegrist, M., Jansen, Y., Yan, Y., Maas, S. L., Gold, C., Farina, F. M., Bayer, B., Bartelt, A., Weber, C., Wettich, J., Maegdefessel, L., Sachs, N., Schindewolf, M., ... Doering, Y. (2026). ChemR23 prevents phenotypic switching of vascular smooth muscle cells into macrophage-like foam cells in atherosclerosis. Cardiovascular Research, 122(2), 195-213. https://doi.org/10.1093/cvr/cvaf258
    • Thakur, M., Quillard, T., Angliker, N., Siegrist, M., Jansen, Y., Yan, Y., Wollenhaupt, J., Goettsch, C., Maegdefessel, L., Sachs, N., Schindewolf, M., Kotelis, D., Noels, H., & Döring, Y. (2026). DDR1 Regulates Femoral Arterial Calcification in Lower-Extremity Artery Disease Through NF-Kappa B Activation. Acta Physiologica, 242(1), Article e70146. https://doi.org/10.1111/apha.70146
    • Mikolajetz, D., Kalim, S., Noels, H., Wu, Z., Jankowski, V., Jankowski, J., & de la Puente-secades, S. (2026). Impact of amino acid supplementation on cardiovascular and chronic kidney diseases: a systematic review. Cardiovascular Research, 122(2), 178-194. https://doi.org/10.1093/cvr/cvag007
    • Bhargava, S., Rao, Z., Vanholder, R., Tacke, F., Noels, H., Jankowski, V., Hermann, J., & Jankowski, J. (2026). The impact of gut-liver-derived mediators on the organ crosstalk with brain, heart, and kidney: A systematic review. Molecular Metabolism, 103, Article 102295. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molmet.2025.102295
    • Schnidrig, K., Thakur, M., Tuleja, A., Bernhard, S. M., Noels, H., Kotelis, D., Schindewolf, M., & Doring, Y. (2026). Implications of inflammation and sex in lower extremity arterial disease. European Journal of Clinical Investigation, 56(1), Article e70144. https://doi.org/10.1111/eci.70144
  • 2025
    • Yerly, A., van der Vorst, E. P. C., Schindewolf, M., Kotelis, D., Noels, H., & Doring, Y. (2025). Chemokine-receptor-guided B-cell immunity in cardiovascular disease. Basic Research in Cardiology, 120(6), 1075-1090. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00395-025-01140-x
    • Baaten, C. C. F. M. J., Wollenhaupt, J., Henning, T. M., Vondenhoff, S., Schröer, J. R., Stamellou, E., Saritas, T., Kurt, B., Boger, L., Antwerpen, A., Hermann, J., Nagy, M., Sternkopf, M., Buhl, E. M., Raffetseder, U., van der Meijden, P. E. J., Kuijpers, M. J. E., Spronk, H. M. H., Schunk, S. J., ... Noels, H. (2025). Impaired Secondary Platelet Response in Chronic Kidney Disease as a Consequence of Prior Platelet Activation. JACC: Basic to Translational Science, 10(9), Article 101355. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacbts.2025.101355
    • Lauxen, J. S., Vondenhoff, S., Junho, C. V. C., Martin, P., Fleig, S., Schuett, K., Schulze-Spaete, U., Soehnlein, O., Prates-Roma, L., Doering, Y., Baaten, C. C. F. M. J., & Noels, H. (2025). Neutrophil Function in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Acta Physiologica, 241(6), Article e70057. https://doi.org/10.1111/apha.70057
    • Noels, H., van der Vorst, E. P. C., Rubin, S., Emmett, A., Marx, N., Tomaszewski, M., & Jankowski, J. (2025). Renal-Cardiac Crosstalk in the Pathogenesis and Progression of Heart Failure. Circulation Research, 136(11), 1306-1334. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.124.325488
    • Liehr, T., Kankel, S., Hardt, K. S., Buhl, E. M., Noels, H., Keller, D. T., Schröder-Lange, S. K., & Weiskirchen, R. (2025). Genetic and Molecular Characterization of H9c2 Rat Myoblast Cell Line. Cells, 14(7), Article 502. https://doi.org/10.3390/cells14070502
    • de la Puente-secades, S., Mikolajetz, D., Gayrard, N., Hermann, J., Jankowski, V., Bhargava, S., Meyer, A., Argiles, A., Saritas, T., van der Vorst, E. P. C., Wu, Z., Noels, H., Tepel, M., Alghamdi, K., Ward, D., Zidek, W., Wolf, M., Floege, J., Schurgers, L., ... Jankowski, J. (2025). Vasoconstriction-inhibiting factor: an endogenous inhibitor of vascular calcification as a calcimimetic of calcium-sensing receptor. Cardiovascular Research, 121(3), 507-521. https://doi.org/10.1093/cvr/cvaf016
  • 2024
    • Schulze-Spaete, U., Wurschi, L., van der Vorst, E. P. C., Hoelzle, F., Craveiro, R. B., Wolf, M., & Noels, H. (2024). Crosstalk between periodontitis and cardiovascular risk. Frontiers in Immunology, 15, Article 1469077. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2024.1469077
    • Lellig, M., Rodríguez, M., López-Baltanás, R., Hermann, J., Wollenhaupt, J., Noels, H., Zidek, W., Tepel, M., Mahfoud, F., Jankowski, J., Muñoz-Castañeda, J. R., & Jankowski, V. (2024). Pyridoxal-5'-phosphate: A cost-effective treatment candidate for hypertensive patients?Journal of Internal Medicine, 296(5), 435-448. https://doi.org/10.1111/joim.20015
    • Dai, Y., Junho, C. V. C., Schieren, L., Wollenhaupt, J., Sluimer, J. C., van der Vorst, E. P. C., & Noels, H. (2024). Cellular metabolism changes in atherosclerosis and the impact of comorbidities. Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology, 12, Article 1446964. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcell.2024.1446964
    • Noels, H., Jankowski, V., Schunk, S. J., Vanholder, R., Kalim, S., & Jankowski, J. (2024). Post-translational modifications in kidney diseases and associated cardiovascular risk. Nature Reviews Nephrology, 20(8), 495-512. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41581-024-00837-x
    • Stamellou, E., Noels, H., & Floege, J. (2024). Factor XI inhibition in hemodialysis patients: the safer anticoagulation?Kidney International, 106(1), 21-23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.kint.2024.03.029
    • Harlacher, E., Schulte, C., Vondenhoff, S., Schmitt-Kopplin, P., Diederich, P., Hemmers, C., Moellmann, J., Wollenhaupt, J., Veltrop, R., Biessen, E., Lehrke, M., Peters, B., Schlieper, G., Kuppe, C., Floege, J., Jankowski, V., Marx, N., Jankowski, J., & Noels, H. (2024). Increased levels of a mycophenolic acid metabolite in patients with kidney failure negatively affect cardiomyocyte health. Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine, 11, Article 1346475. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcvm.2024.1346475
    • Vondenhoff, S., Schunk, S. J., & Noels, H. (2024). Erhöhtes kardiovaskuläres Risiko bei Patienten mit chronischer Niereninsuffizienz. Herz, 49(2), 95-104. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00059-024-05235-4
  • 2023
    • Junho, C. V. C., Frisch, J., Soppert, J., Wollenhaupt, J., & Noels, H. (2023). Cardiomyopathy in chronic kidney disease: clinical features, biomarkers and the contribution of murin models in understanding pathophysiology. Clinical Kidney Journal, 16(11), 1786-1803. https://doi.org/10.1093/ckj/sfad085
    • Baaten, C. C. F. M. J., Vondenhoff, S., Jankowski, J., & Noels, H. (2023). Thrombozytenstörungen bei Urämie: Mediator von Herz- und Gefäßschäden. Die Nephrologie, 18(6), 346–354. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11560-023-00682-2
    • Soppert, J., Brandt, E. F., Heussen, N. M., Barzakova, E., Blank, L. M., Kuepfer, L., Hornef, M. W., Trebicka, J., Jankowski, J., Berres, M.-L., & Noels, H. (2023). Blood endotoxin levels as biomarker of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical gastroenterology and hepatology, 21(11), 2746-2758. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cgh.2022.11.030
    • van Kuijk, K., McCracken, I. R., Tillie, R. J. H. A., Asselberghs, S. E. J., Kheder, D. A., Muitjens, S., Jin, H., Taylor, R. S., Schreur, R. W., Kuppe, C., Dobie, R., Ramachandran, P., Gijbels, M. J., Temmerman, L., Kirkwoord, P. M., Luyten, J., Li, Y. M., Noels, H., Goossens, P., ... Sluimer, J. C. (2023). Human and murine fibroblast single-cell transcriptomics reveals fibroblast clusters are differentially affected by ageing and serum cholesterol. Cardiovascular Research, 119(7), 1509-1523. https://doi.org/10.1093/cvr/cvad016
    • Soppert, J., Heussen, N. M., & Noels, H. (2023). The authors reply. Kidney International, 103(6), 1199-1201. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.kint.2023.02.023
    • Baaten, C. C. F. M. J., Vondenhoff, S., & Noels, H. (2023). Endothelial Cell Dysfunction and Increased Cardiovascular Risk in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease. Circulation Research, 132(8), 970-992. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.123.321752
    • Noels, H., & Jankowski, J. (2023). Increased Risk of Cardiovascular Complications in Chronic Kidney Disease: Introduction to a Compendium. Circulation Research, 132(8), 899-901. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.123.322806
    • Thakur, M., Junho, C. V. C., Bernhard, S. M., Schindewolf, M., Noels, H., & Doring, Y. (2023). NETs-Induced Thrombosis Impacts on Cardiovascular and Chronic Kidney Disease. Circulation Research, 132(8), 933-949. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.123.321750
    • Krammer, C., Yang, B. S., Reichl, S., Besson-Girard, S., Ji, H., Bolini, V., Schulte, C., Noels, H., Schlepckow, K., Jocher, G., Werner, G., Willem, M., El Bounkari, O., Kapurniotu, A., Gokce, O., Weber, C., Mohanta, S., & Bernhagen, J. (2023). Pathways linking aging and atheroprotection in Mif- deficient atherosclerotic mice. Faseb Journal, 37(3), Article e22752. https://doi.org/10.1096/fj.202200056R
  • 2022
    • Bhargava, S., Merckelbach, E., Noels, H., Vohra, A., & Jankowski, J. (2022). Homeostasis in the Gut Microbiota in Chronic Kidney Disease. Toxins, 14(10), Article 648. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins14100648
    • Baaten, C. C. F. M. J., Rigatto, C., & Noels, H. (2022). CKD Effects on Platelets: Implications for Cardiovascular Risk. Kidney International Reports, 7(10), 2126-2128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ekir.2022.08.005
    • Berger, M., Baaten, C. C. F. M. J., Noels, H., Marx, N., & Schutt, K. (2022). Herz und Diabetes: Thrombozytenfunktion und antithrombozytäre Therapie bei chronischer Nierenerkrankung. Herz, 47(5), 426-433. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00059-022-05129-3
    • Wollenhaupt, J., Frisch, J., Harlacher, E., Wong, D. W. L., Jin, H., Schulte, C., Vondenhoff, S., Moellmann, J., Klinkhammer, B. M., Zhang, L., Baleanu-Curaj, A., Liehn, E. A., Speer, T., Kazakov, A., Werner, C., van der Vorst, E. P. C., Selejan, S.-R., Hohl, M., Böhm, M., ... Noels, H. (2022). Pro-oxidative priming but maintained cardiac function in a broad spectrum of murine models of chronic kidney disease. Redox Biology, 56, Article 102459. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.redox.2022.102459
    • Hemmers, C., Schulte, C., Wollenhaupt, J., Wong, D. W. L., Harlacher, E., Orth-Alampour, S., Klinkhammer, B. M., Schirmer, S. H., Böhm, M., Marx, N., Speer, T., Boor, P., Jankowski, J., & Noels, H. (2022). Chemokine CCL9 Is Upregulated Early in Chronic Kidney Disease and Counteracts Kidney Inflammation and Fibrosis. Biomedicines, 10(2), Article 420. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines10020420
    • Soppert, J., Frisch, J., Wirth, J., Hemmers, C., Boor, P., Kramann, R., Vondenhoff, S., Moellmann, J., Lehrke, M., Hohl, M., van der Vorst, E. P. C., Werner, C., Speer, T., Maack, C., Marx, N., Jankowski, J., Roma, L. P., & Noels, H. (2022). A systematic review and meta-analysis of murine models of uremic cardiomyopathy. Kidney International, 101(2), 256-273. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.kint.2021.10.025
    • Harlacher, E., Wollenhaupt, J., Baaten, C. C. F. M. J., & Noels, H. (2022). Impact of Uremic Toxins on Endothelial Dysfunction in Chronic Kidney Disease: A Systematic Review. International journal of molecular sciences, 23(1), Article 531. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23010531
    • Baaten, C. C. F. M. J., Schroer, J. R., Floege, J., Marx, N., Jankowski, J., Berger, M., & Noels, H. (2022). Platelet Abnormalities in CKD and Their Implications for Antiplatelet Therapy. Clinical journal of the American Society of Nephrology, 17(1), 155-170. https://doi.org/10.2215/CJN.04100321
  • 2021
    • Orth-Alampour, S., Gayrard, N., Salem, S., Bhargava, S., Jankowski, V., Jover, B., Notarnicola, C., Noels, H., van der Vorst, E. P. C., Kuppe, C., Wolf, M., Goettsch, C., Theelen, W., Bruck, H., Fliser, D., Loscalzo, J., Wu, Z. J., Marx, N., Zidek, W., ... Jankowski, J. (2021). Prevention of vascular calcification by the endogenous chromogranin A-derived mediator that inhibits osteogenic transdifferentiation. Basic Research in Cardiology, 116(1), Article 57. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00395-021-00899-z
    • Noels, H., Lehrke, M., Vanholder, R., & Jankowski, J. (2021). Lipoproteins and fatty acids in chronic kidney disease: molecular and metabolic alterations. Nature Reviews Nephrology, 17(8), 528-542. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41581-021-00423-5
    • Baaten, C. C. F. M. J., Sternkopf, M., Henning, T., Marx, N., Jankowski, J., & Noels, H. (2021). Platelet Function in CKD: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, 32(7), 1583-1598. https://doi.org/10.1681/asn.2020101440
    • Hermann, J., Noels, H., Theelen, W., Lellig, M., Orth-Alampour, S., Boor, P., Jankowski, V., & Jankowski, J. (2021). Correction to: Sample preparation of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue sections for MALDI-mass spectrometry imaging. Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, 413(11), 3141-3141. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-021-03276-w
  • 2020
    • Holmar, J., de la Puente-secades, S., Floege, J., Noels, H., Jankowski, J., & Orth-Alampour, S. (2020). Uremic Toxins Affecting Cardiovascular Calcification: A Systematic Review. Cells, 9(11), Article 2428. https://doi.org/10.3390/cells9112428
    • Doring, Y., Noels, H., van der Vorst, E., & Weber, C. (2020). Seeing is repairing: how imaging-based timely interference with CXCR4 could improve repair after myocardial infarction. European Heart Journal, 41(37), 3576-3578. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehaa625
    • Holmar, J., Noels, H., Boehm, M., Bhargava, S., Jankowski, J., & Orth-Alampour, S. (2020). Development, establishment and validation of in vitro and ex vivo assays of vascular calcification. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 530(2), 462-470. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbrc.2020.05.085
    • Noels, H., & Jankowski, J. (2020). Editorial on the Special Issue "Comorbidities in Chronic Kidney Disease". Toxins, 12(6), Article 384. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins12060384
    • Sternkopf, M., Nagy, M., Baaten, C. C. F. M. J., Kuijpers, M. J. E., Tullemans, B. M. E., Wirth, J., Theelen, W., Mastenbroek, T. G., Lehrke, M., Winnerling, B., Baerts, L., Marx, N., De Meester, I., Doring, Y., Cosemans, J. M. E. M., Daiber, A., Steven, S., Jankowski, J., Heemskerk, J. W. M., & Noels, H. (2020). Native, Intact Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 Is a Natural Suppressor of Thrombus Growth Under Physiological Flow Conditions. Arteriosclerosis Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, 40(3), E65-E77. https://doi.org/10.1161/atvbaha.119.313645
    • Hermann, J., Noels, H., Theelen, W., Lellig, M., Orth-Alampour, S., Boor, P., Jankowski, V., & Jankowski, J. (2020). Sample preparation of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue sections for MALDI-mass spectrometry imaging. Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, 412(6), 1263-1275. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-019-02296-x
    • Lammers, T., & Noels, H. (2020). Lipids in disease pathology, diagnosis & therapy. Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews, 159, 1-3. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addr.2020.11.006
    • Tilstam, P., Soppert, J., Hemmers, C., Harlacher, E., Doering, Y., van der Vorst, E. P. C., Schulte, C., Alampour-Rajabi, S., Theelen, W., Asare, Y., de Winther, M. P. J., Lawrence, T., Bernhagen, J., Schober, A., Zernecke, A., Jankowski, J., Weber, C., & Noels, H. (2020). Non-activatable mutant of inhibitor of kappa B kinase α (IKKα) exerts vascular site-specific effects on atherosclerosis in Apoe-deficient mice. Atherosclerosis, 292, 23-30. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2019.10.023
    • Soppert, J., Lehrke, M., Marx, N., Jankowski, J., & Noels, H. (2020). Lipoproteins and lipids in cardiovascular disease: from mechanistic insights to therapeutic targeting. Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews, 159, 4-33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addr.2020.07.019
  • 2019
    • Gajjala, P. R., Bruck, H., Noels, H., Heinze, G., Ceccarelli, F., Kribben, A., Saez-Rodriguez, J., Marx, N., Zidek, W., Jankowski, J., & Jankowski, V. (2019). Novel plasma peptide markers involved in the pathology of CKD identified using mass spectrometric approach. Journal of Molecular Medicine, 97(10), 1451-1463. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00109-019-01823-8
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