www.vumc.com/research
VUmc scientific research Top of the bill in translational human health and life sciences VUmc is a university medical centre, closely associated with VU University Amsterdam. Its core objectives are to deliver patient care in close association with scientific research, academic teaching & postgraduate training.
2011
Facts & figures
2424
In its scientific endeavours, approximately 700 full-time research staff help it to maintain a nationally and internationally competitive position in its fields of specialization. VUmc research focuses on human health and life sciences. It is organised into five major themes: ➔ cancer and immunology ➔ neurosciences ➔ cardiovascular disease ➔ movement sciences ➔ public health, primary care & long-term care Research in an international context research is strongly translational: from bench to bedside to society. VUmc’s studies focus on discovering, testing, implementing and disseminating new insights and on enhancing health care. ● The research focus of VUmc is tailored to international human health and life sciences research programmes, especially those of the European Commission. ● VUmc participates in 40 European-Commission-funded research projects. ● In 2011, VUmc was awarded a total of 88.7 million euros in external research funding. ● With 26% success rate in grant applications, VUmc is above the European average. ● Between 2006 and 2011, VUmc published 6449 interna tional scientific articles. During the same period, VUmc papers were cited 101.077 times. VUmc also produces more than one hundred PhD graduates each year.
Scientific publications
103
● VUmc
PhD Theses
703
Scientific positions (FTE)
73.7 million euros
Total value of research grants obtained
Prof Johannes Brug, Associate Dean for Research at VUmc: ‘One service point, bringing research from lab to society’
101.077
Citations 2006 - 2011
‘Translational Research usually means: bringing science from the laboratory bench to the bedside, and back’, Professor Johannes Brug explains. ‘At VUmc we take this one step further. Our goal is bench to bedside to society. We want to test, implement and disseminate our discoveries in human health and life sciences.’ Multidisciplinary collaboration ‘To this end, we collaborate very closely with the natural and social sciences, our neighbours here on campus. We organise, plan and conduct our research together in interdisciplinary research institutes.’
109
Patents
27
Public-private partnerships
Human health and life sciences ‘While our ambition is to do real translational research, we cannot cover everything. We therefore selected five focal areas of prime importance to the international health care and research agenda. All are highly relevant to our ageing society, with its increasing prevalence of chronic disease. These focal areas are: oncology, cardiovascular disease, neurology, movement sciences and public health. We have organized our research effort into five institutes. Together these research institutes cover our main campus theme: ‘Human Health and Life Sciences: H2LS. This approach provides an effective platform for our cooperation with the natural and social sciences. No leash ‘As Associate Dean for Research, I coordinate and facilitate our research efforts around our research themes. Given the excellent qualities of the directors and research staff at these research institutes, this is a relatively easy task.’
VUmc Cancer Center Amsterdam
Mission: to prevent and cure cancer and immunological diseases, and to increase the survival rate.
2011 Fa c ts & f igures
Research programmes Oncogenesis covers viral oncogenesis, progression and early diagnosis, as well as genetic predisposition and cancer genes.
130.6
Immunopathogenesis covers both fundamental and pre-clinical research into the immunological processes underlying homeostasic control, in relation with inflammatory diseases and cancer. Disease profiling we want to identify new determinants for the diagnosis, prognosis and tailored treatment of immunologica and oncological diseases. Innovative therapy covers targeted therapy, including radiotherapy, surgery and systemic therapy, as well as immunotherapy.
Scientific staff (FTE) PhD students excluded
104.8
Quality of life encompasses research within the field of quality of life in childhood, and in adult patients.
PhD students (FTE)
www.cancercenter amsterdam.nl
38
PhD theses
Dr Astrid van der Veldt: ‘Tailored treatment a step closer’
804
Scientific publications
15.7 million euros
Grants
Astrid van der Veldt admits that ‘tailoring cancer treatment is easier said than done’. In order to offer true individual care, you need to be able to check whether your drug is being delivered to the tumour or not.’ Track the drug In 2012, Dr Van der Veldt defended not one, but two PhD theses. One of these involved studying the fate of a labelled form of docetaxel (an anticancer drug) in lung cancer patients. ‘We were able to track the radioactively labelled medicine in the body, using a PET scan. We discovered that only a small portion of the drug actually arrived in the tumour. A much bigger portion was accumulated in the liver. We also found that the simultaneous administration of angiogenesis inhibitors, which limit the blood flow into tumours, needs to be carefully timed, as these drugs also hamper the delivery of docetaxel to tumours.’ Essential infrastructure Astrid van der Veldt notes that it is the excellent facilities and infrastructure on campus that make this innovative research at VUmc and the Cancer Center Amsterdam possible. ‘The chain of research has to be very well organised, given the relatively short half-life of the labelled medicine in question. VUmc and the CCA more than meet this requirement.’
Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam
Mission: to study the brain and its disease mechanisms through an integrative approach running from molecule to bedside.
2011 Fa c ts & f igures
Research Programmes Advanced technology programme aims at delivering proof-of-concept for radically new approaches in the field of detecting brain function and the early diagnosis of brain disease.
110
Genes and the brain focuses on attention & cognition, addictive behaviour, and systems biology of the synapse. Brain disease mechanisms studies mechanisms involved in neuropsychiatric disorders, dementia and white matter diseases, through an integrative approach running from molecule to bedside.
Scientific staff (FTE) PhD students excluded
99
PhD students (FTE)
www.neuroscience campus-amsterdam.nl
23
PhD theses
Professor Jeroen Geurts: ‘The true cause of MS?’
508
Scientific publications
28 million euros
Grants
‘In all humility, I think at Neuroscience Campus we are working on a paradigm-shift in MS research.’ As Professor of Translational Neuroscience Research, Jeroen Geurts heads a group of scientists who are exploring the very fundamentals of multiple sclerosis. ‘MS is still considered to be an auto-immune disease.’ Not an immune deficiency ‘We have found, however, a number of changes in brain cells that precede the involvement of the immune system. For example, at an early stage of the disease, the myelin sheath around nerve cells seems to change. This could mean that the immune system, rather than being intrinsically deficient in some way, might instead be reacting to very subtle pathological changes in the brain.’ New therapeutic approach According to Prof. Geurts, these exciting findings will have no immediate impact on the treatment of patients. ‘Not yet! For the time being, we will have to continue suppressing MS patients’ immune systems. However, in the long run, this approach may “just” be used to relieve symptoms. Through the joint efforts of the various groups on the Neuroscience Campus, we hope to find a more fundamental therapeutic approach that tackles the true cause of MS.’
Institute for Cardiovascular Research
Mission: to search for scientific solutions to cardiovascular disease.
2011 Fa c ts & f igures
Research Programmes Heart the normal heart and the transition to heart failure are studied at the molecular and cellular level, at the cardiac muscle level and at the level of the heart as a whole, in terms of muscle contraction and pump function. The major aim is to reduce the suffering from cardiac failure. Vessels long-term vascular dysfunction, mostly of unknown origin, is studied in terms of metabolism. The corner-stones of these studies are diabetes mellitus, hypertension, atherosclerosis and obesity.
33
Scientific staff (FTE) PhD students excluded
55.7
PhD students (FTE)
www.vumc.nl/icar-vu
27
PhD theses
421
Scientific publications
9 million euros
Grants
Dr Nazha Hamdani: ‘New opportunities for heart-failure patients’ Dr Nazha Hamdani combines her job at ICaR-VU with a position at Ruhr University Bochum, Germany. ‘In both of my jobs, I am working on the problem of diastolic heart failure, which affects half of all heart failure patients.’ Viagra for the heart ‘We have found a promising mechanism for the treatment of such patients, whose survival rates have shown no improvement in recent years. It appears that diastolic heart failure patients lack a specific enzyme that causes the giant protein titin in the myocardial cells to relax. We discovered that this enzyme can be activated with the drug sildenafil, commonly known as Viagra. So the evidence indicates that this enzyme can be influenced by a readily available, low-toxicity pharmaceutical agent, which may provide these patients with a novel therapeutic opportunity.’ Fundamental solutions ‘Working at ICaR-VU provides me with the challenging opportunity to get involved in the forefront of a highly relevant clinical problem. Up until now, all that we have been able to do for this large group of heartfailure patients is to relieve their symptoms. Now, this leading research project is finally opening the door to a more fundamental solution.’
MOVE research institute Amsterdam Mission: to conduct excellent scientific research on human movement and the locomotor apparatus in both healthy individuals and patients, with the long-term aim of improving and/or maintaining the mobility function and, accordingly, quality of life.
2011 Fa c ts & f igures
39.4
Research programmes Regenerative medicine prevents damage to the locomotor system (or assists recovery) resulting from disposition, ageing, inadequate nutrition, incorrect movement, trauma, loading habits, and disease. Rehabilitation seeks to clarify the underlying mechanisms of rehabilitation in patients with neurological and musculoskeletal diseases. Sport aims to reveal the fundamental processes by which the neuromuscular, cardiovascular, perceptual and motor control systems adapt to physical activity. This knowledge is used to optimize the development of talented young athletes and to boost their peak performance.
Scientific staff (FTE) PhD students excluded
49
PhD students (FTE)
www.move.vu.nl
29
PhD theses
318
Scientific publications
3.5 million euros
Grants
Professor JAAP HARLAAR: ‘Using virtual reality to treat movement disorders’ Straight from the computer games industry, Jaap Harlaar uses a virtual reality lab to study and diagnose movement disorders in both children and the elderly. From spasticity to arthritis ‘As we are able to treat more and more diseases, the number of people with chronic long-lasting problems increases’, Prof. Harlaar says. ‘Walking problems are one of the most profound concerns for everyone, greatly affecting their quality of life.’ Jaap Harlaar works mainly with children, primarily those who suffer from spasticity, but he also studies elderly individuals with MS or arthritis. His research team develops biomechanical models of different movement disorders, to enable them to specifically target their treatments. Virtual reality To this end, Prof. Harlaar uses a state-of-the-art virtual reality lab which originates from the computer games industry. ‘Rehabilitation medicine and the study of movement disorders do not fit into a single medical diagnosis’, he says. ‘The patients come from all over the medical spectrum. MOVE’s multidisciplinary approach contributes in no small measure to the efficient development of treatments aimed at improving people’s quality of life.’
EMGO+ Institute for Health and Care Research Mission: to improve public and occupational health, mental health, primary care, rehabilitation and long-term care.
2011 Fa c ts & f igures
Research programmes Quality of care aims to improve the quality of prevention programmes and health care services.
174.2
Lifestyle obesity and diabetes aims to curb the obesity and diabetes epidemics by identifying and targeting the primary lifestyle and biological determinants. Mental health aims to boost our understanding of mental health through top quality research.
Scientific staff (FTE) PhD students excluded
Musculoskeletal health aims to generate and apply knowledge about the development and lifelong maintenance of a healthy musculoskeletal system.
117.3
PhD students (FTE)
www.emgo.nl
42
PhD theses
Dr Mai Chin A Paw: ‘Research on couch potatoes from lab to real life’
866
Scientific publications
17.5 million euros
Grants
Smartphones and tablet computers drastically increased ‘screen time’ of western children. At EMGO+, Dr Mai Chin A Paw is looking for clues to potential health risks, and of ways of getting these kids moving again. ‘We want to examine the potential health risks of prolonged sitting, independent of physical activity. We are currently planning an experimental study to explore the acute effects of prolonged sitting, and to determine whether these effects can be attenuated by short periods of activity’, Dr Chin A Paw says. Maximum sitting time Many countries already have a standard for the minimum amount of activity in a healthy life style. ‘It may be necessary to add a maximum standard for sitting time to that’, Mai Chin A Paw suggests. ‘Just one limited period of physical activity per day may not compensate for many hours of watching TV or using the computer during the rest of the day.’ Tools for prevention ‘I am thrilled about the potential of investigating this problem using a range of different methodologies. In collaboration with many experts on longitudinal data-analysis, paediatric endocrinology, and clinimetrics at EMGO+, we hope to be able to provide the tools for innovative preventive interventions.’
Impact of VUmc scientific research Office of the Associate Dean for Research VU University Medical Center Van der Boechorststraat 7 1081 BT Amsterdam 020 - 444 8192 www.vumc.com/research Published by VU University Medical Center Postbox 7057 1007 MB Amsterdam www.vumc.nl March 2013
The impact of our publications has also grown. Citations of scientific publications are arguably the most important indicator of scientific impact. VUmc’s Mean Normalized Citation Score (which shows how often VUmc publications are cited relative to the world average for the field) has increased from 1.50 in 1998-2001 to 1.7 in 2007-2010. This means that VUmc publications are cited 70% more often than the world average, and that VUmc’s scientific impact score is the highest of all Dutch university medical centers. Knowledge transfer and societal impact By providing support in obtaining licenses and patents, and by actively bringing these to interested third parties, VUmc promotes entrepreneurship and the exploitation of knowledge. The Technology Transfer Office supports valorization, by helping to establish innovative public - private partnerships, tailored to the demands of individual research institutes. www.tto.vu.nl