Frits Prinzen

Professor of Physiology

Department of Physiology, Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht (CARIM), Maastricht University, the Netherlands

Expertise

Electrophysiology & Arrhythmia Pacing, Defibrillators & Cardiac Resynchronisation Therapy Heart Failure Vascular Disease and Surgery Aortic Disease - General Aneurysm Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

Biography

Personal History

Prof Frits W. Prinzen was born July 2nd, 1954, in Hilversum, the Netherlands. He is a world expert in pacing therapies, both for bradycardia and heart failure.¹

His other interests include running, skating, biking and hiking.⁵

Academic History

In 1978, Prof Prinzen earned his Master's degree in Medical Biology from Utrecht University. In 1982, he received his PhD in Physiology from Maastricht University with a thesis on the relationship between cardiac mechanics, metabolism and blood flow during ischemia.³

His main research topics include regional cardiac mechanics and long-term structural and functional adaptations to various conditions, with emphasis on asynchronous electrical activation and cardiac resynchronisation.¹

Career Overview

Prof Prinzen is Professor of Electro-Mechanics of the Heart at the Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht (CARIM) where he leads the research line "Electromechanics of the Heart". In his group, physiologists collaborate with cardiologists and biomedical engineers.^{1, 2}

His work is highly translational, ranging from preclinical to clinical research and more recently incorporating computer simulations. Results from his work have provided new insights and opportunities for pacemaker therapies. Prof Prinzen has been a part of several EU-funded projects, including an International Training Network and has run multiple investigator-initiated studies.⁴

Prof Prinzen is chairman of the Cardiovascular System Dynamics Society and of the Innovation Committee of the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) where he coordinates a discussion group about innovation in cardiac electrophysiology. He is also a member of the Scientific Initiatives Committee of the EHRA. He is co-author of over 280 scientific articles, with over 16,000 citations.^{2, 3, 4}

Career Timeline

1982 - 1987: Post Doc., Department of Physiology, Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht (CARIM), Maastricht University
1987 - 1997: Assistant Professor of Physiology, Department of Physiology, Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht (CARIM)
1995 - 1996: Sabbatical leave, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA
1997 - 2009: Associate Professor of Physiology, Department of Physiology, Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht (CARIM)
2004: Sabbatical leave, University of Göttingen, Germany
2009 - Present: Professor of Electro-Mechanics of the Heart, Department of Physiology, Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht (CARIM)

Areas of Speciality