Personal Summary

Professor and chair of the Department of Biochemistry. Chair of the Stem Cell Research of the University of Maastricht (SCRUM). Principle Investigator within the CArdiovascular Research Institute Maastricht (CARIM). Chair of the Schurgers Lab.

What is your research about?

Prof. Leon Schurgers obtained his PhD at the Department of Biochemistry within CARIM on the role of vitamin K on bone metabolism and cardiovascular disease. He worked as post-doc on a Dutch Heart Foundation grant on the role of matrix Gla-protein synthesized by vascular smooth muscle cell and vascular calcification in collaboration with the group of Prof. Catherine Shanahan (Cambridge, UK).

In 2009, he was appointed on a tenured position at the Department of Biochemistry. After entering the Toptalent programme (Maastricht UMC+) in 2016, he was appointed as Professor of Biochemistry of Vascular Calcification in 2017. He is chair of the department of Biochemistry and since 2021 he chairs the stem cell research facility of the University of Maastricht (SCRUM).

The focus of my current group is elucidating the molecular mechanisms by which cardiovascular remodelling is initiated and propagated. Our group investigates key cellular events including phenotypic switching of vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and the role of oxidative stress, extracellular vesicle release and calcification. Further, recently we expanded our research to the heart, in which we aim to identify the mechanisms leading to cardiomyopathies. In this, our group collaborates closely with the Cardiothoracic Surgery and Vascular Surgery departments of the Heart and Vessel Center (HVC) of the Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+). Patient derived primary SMCs are isolated from vascular tissue and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) are generated from patient derived peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). iPSCs are used to differentiate into patient specific cardiovascular cells (i.e., cardiomyocytes, SMCs, endothelial cells and fibroblasts). In here, our group embarked on iPSC generated cell and tissue specific 2D and 3D models to unravel underlying molecular mechanisms of (monogenetic) CVD disorders in an attempt to boost diagnosis and to find novel personalised treatment.

The underlying causes of SMC phenotypic switching and cardiomyocyte mechanobiology are insufficient to understand the pathogenesis of cardiovascular ageing at a level that allows development of novel diagnostic tools and therapeutic strategies. The Schurgers’ lab aim to elucidate the molecular mechanisms in health and cardiovascular disease. Importantly, this work will help to understand and might provide new insights in prognostic and preventive measures to combat cardiovascular ageing.

Professor Schurgers is Chairman of the steering scientific board on the world-wide quality assurance scheme for vitamin K detection and member of the scientific advisory board of the Dutch Thrombosis Society.

Contact

Department of Biochemistry, University Maastricht Visiting address: Universiteitssingel 50, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands Postal address: P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands Phone: +31 43 388 1680; Mobile: +31 652458412