Dr. Jordi Heijman researcher What causes cardiac arrhythmia? That’s the basic question that we’re trying to answer. It may seem like a simple question – something goes wrong with the electrical signals that cause the heart muscles to contract in the right rhythm. But behind the abnormal heart rhythm – that is, the short circuit that causes it – lies a complex combination of factors. And that combination is far from being the same for all patients. By studying individual heart muscle cells and the interaction between cells, we’re hoping to understand the problem better. We get help from advances in new technologies, for example in the field of medical imaging. Examples include MRI, ultrasound and ECG techniques adapted especially to zoom in on the heart rhythm. It’s essential that we cooperate with other experts, like radiologists and businesses. We get a lot of valuable data by studying individual heart muscle cells, the interaction between cells, electrical conduction in the heart, and the heart as a whole. We can use that data to build smart computer models that answer questions like ‘Which patients will benefit from which therapy?’, ‘How will an abnormal heart beat develop?’ and ‘Why does one person suffer cardiac arrhythmia and another doesn’t?’. Only after we’ve come to understand the heart at a more fundamental level will we be able to narrow down our search for new therapeutic approaches. Once we’ve identified them, then the challenge is to develop the most effective and efficient treatment possible. Patients can help us with that. For example, a healthy lifestyle improves the effectiveness of treatment and speeds recovery. Thanks to the basic knowledge that we gain from every individual patient, we’re getting closer and closer to developing personalised treatment. On the job
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