Reinier Boon, Professor Molecular Cardiovascular Ageing, receives the ERC Consolidator grant for his research into heart failure in the elderly.

Life expectancy in the European Union is rising and the prevalence of age-induced cardiovascular disease increases concomitantly. The main clinical presentation of age-induced cardiovascular disease is heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). HFpEF is a complex disease involving different cell types and mechanisms that contribute to impaired relaxation of cardiomyocytes. Currently there is no appropriate treatment for HFpEF. His proposal, entitled "Non-coding RNA and Intercellular Communication in Cardiac Aging" aims to better understand the molecular mechanisms behind intercellular communication and ageing that lead to HFpEF. His research focuses specifically on the role of the gene Sarrah and other so-called non-protein coding genes (lncRNAs), since these genes play a role in cardiac aging.

The ERC Consolidator Grant is one of the largest research grants in Europe for researchers who want to further expand a research group. This year, 327 top scientists throughout Europe received a total of €655 million.

Reinier Boon Reinier Boon