Dr Uyen Nguyen (Dept of Cardiology) and Dr Roel Meiburg (Biomedical Engineer, TU Eindhoven) have been awarded a Dekker Team Science grant by the Dutch Heart Foundation.

If the electrical signals do not pass through the heart properly, a person can develop heart failure. Due to the incorrect signals, the heart does not contract properly and pumps too little blood. Uyen and Roel will use 'digital twins of the heart' to investigate, for each patient, the best way to help the heart pump effectively again. 

When placing a pacemaker, the cardiologist can connect the leads to both heart chambers. Recently, it has also become possible to place a single lead between the two chambers. This approach seems to resemble the natural functioning of the heart more closely and may potentially yield better results than the traditional method. However, it is not yet clear which method is better. It may even vary from patient to patient.

The two scientists are now collaborating to investigate which treatment works best for whom. Under the leadership of Uyen, 28 patients will receive such a special pacemaker. With her team, she will conduct precise measurements of their hearts. This information will be sent to TU Eindhoven, where Roel and his team will create computational models.