I.M.B.H. (Ingrid) van de Laar, MD

As a clinical geneticist I like to combine patient care with research. Some unmet questions in my outpatient clinic, can be further investigated in a research project in order to find answers for individuals and families with genetic disorders. My research focuses on the identification of new genes and pathways involved in cardiovascular disorders, including aortic aneurysms, congenital heart defects and cardiomyopathies. The aim of our research is to better understand the underlying disease mechanisms and develop new strategies for therapeutic interventions.

After finishing medical school in 2002 I started my residency in Clinical Genetics at the Department of Clinical Genetics of the Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam. In 2006 I obtained a scholarship from the Dutch Heart Foundation and my PhD project started. I became registred as Clinical Geneticist in 2009. In 2012 I finished my PhD research at the Erasmus MC, department of Clinical Genetics, entitled 'Clinical and genetic studies in inherited cardiovascular malformations'. In the years thereafter a personal grant from the Dutch Heart Foundation and an Erasmus MC fellowship was obtained.

Expert consensus recommendations on the cardiogenetic care for patients with thoracic aortic disease and their first-degree relatives.
Verhagen JMA, Kempers M, Cozijnsen L, Bouma BJ, Duijnhouwer AL, Post JG, Hilhorst-Hofstee Y, Bekkers SCAM, Kerstjens-Frederikse WS, van Brakel TJ, Lambermon E, Wessels MW, Loeys BL, Roos-Hesselink JW, van de Laar IMBH; National Working Group on BAV & TAA. (2018). Int J Cardiol. 2018 May 1;258:243-248.

Mutations in SMAD3 cause a syndromic form of aortic aneurysms and dissections with early-onset osteoarthritis.
Van de Laar IM, Oldenburg RA, Pals G, Roos-Hesselink JW, de Graaf BM, Verhagen JM, Hoedemaekers YM, Willemsen R, Severijnen LA, Venselaar H, Vriend G, Pattynama PM, Collée M, Majoor-Krakauer D, Poldermans D, Frohn-Mulder IM, Micha D, Timmermans J, Hilhorst-Hofstee Y, Bierma-Zeinstra SM, Willems PJ, Kros JM, Oei EH, Oostra BA, Wessels MW, Bertoli-Avella AM. (2011). Nat Genet. 2011 Feb;43(2):121-6.

NPHP4 variants are associated with pleiotropic heart malformations.
French VM, van de Laar IM, Wessels MW, Rohe C, Roos-Hesselink JW, Wang G, Frohn-Mulder IM, Severijnen LA, de Graaf BM, Schot R, Breedveld G, Mientjes E, van Tienhoven M, Jadot E, Jiang Z, Verkerk A, Swagemakers S, Venselaar H, Rahimi Z, Najmabadi H, Meijers-Heijboer H, de Graaff E, Helbing WA, Willemsen R, Devriendt K, Belmont JW, Oostra BA, Amack JD, Bertoli-Avella AM. (2012). Circ Res. 2012 Jun 8;110(12):1564-74.