Program > Speakers

Prof. Dr. Judith Sluimer (Rotterdam, The Netherlands) earned her PhD from Maastricht University in 2008, investigating hypoxia in atherosclerosis under Prof. Mat Daemen's guidance. She then joined Prof. Ira Tabas's lab at Columbia University as a post-doc, delving into macrophage apoptosis and autophagy, funded by organizations like the Netherlands Scientific Organisation (NWO) and the International Atherosclerosis Society (IAS).

She established her independent research line in 2010, securing the NWO Veni grant and a tenure track at Maastricht UMC+.  Judith and her team aim to reverse vascular aging and atherosclerotic plaque destabilization by understanding inflammatory and fibrotic cellular mechanisms. She combines experimental in vivo and in vitro models with single cell sequencing, studies involving human tissue samples, and non-invasive imaging. Her group's diverse collaborations have yielded significant insights into vascular cell heterogeneity and intercellular communication, supported by grants and fellowships from organizations like a Dutch Heart foundation personal fellowship, NWO VIDI, Marie Curie and a Humboldt fellowship. She actively engages in global research collaborations, contributing to projects like the Leducq grant scheme and affiliations with University of Edinburgh and RWTH Aachen.

In addition to research, teaching and mentoring, Judith has organized major scientific events and holds key roles in academic societies, previously serving as treasurer for the European Vascular Biology Organization, and contributing to ESC’s basic research council, and editorial boards of Cardiovascular Research and Vascular Pharmacology.

Presentation title: Fibroblast identity, function and paracrine communication in vascular pathology