Marie-José Goumans

Research:

Optimal regulation of growth factor signalling is crucial for normal embryonic development and physiology in adult life. Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) is a key growth factor family important for the differentiation of stem cells into the building blocks of heart and blood vessels. Moreover, TGF-β signalling coordinates the activity of other growth factors during development and in adult pathological environments (i.e., Wnt, Fibroblast growth factor, Notch). As a result, genetic mutations in components of the TGF-β signal transduction pathway underlie several diseases including the hereditary cardiovascular disorders pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP), and Osler-Weber-Rendu’s syndorme.  Disturbed TGF-β signalling also contributes to fibrosis of the heart and the development of atherosclerosis and vascular calcification, valvular disorders and heart failure. My research focusses on cardiovascular repair. We aim to develop new approaches to improve cardiovascular recovery upon injury or disease by investigating how cardiac cells respond to disturbed TGF-β signal transduction pathways, in particular endothelial/epithelial to mesenchymal transition and how cells influences each other via paracrine mechanisms.

Curriculum Vitae:

Marie-José Goumans, did her PhD in cardiovascular development at the Hubrecht Laboratory, investigating the role of TGFβ in cardiovascular development under the supervision of Christine Mummery. She received her PhD in 1999 with a thesis entitled: Functional analysis of TGFβsignalling in early mouse development. She started her postdoctoral training at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer research in Uppsala, Sweden and the Netherlands Cancer Institute where she made important contributions on how TGFβ affects endothelial cell behaviour. In 2003, Marie Jose was appointed assistant professor at the dept of cardiology, Utrecht UMC, where she initiated studies on cardiac progenitor cells. In 2004, she was awarded a prestigious NWO VIDI grant to unravel the role of cardiac progenitor cells in heart regeneration. In 2008, Marie - José Goumans moved to the department of Molecular Cell Biology, at the Leiden UMC and continued her studies on cardiac progenitor cell biology, and the role of the TGFβ superfamily in cardiovascular development and disease. In 2009, she became a member of the Young Academy of the Royal Dutch Academy of Science. In February 2012, she was appointed professor of molecular cardiovascular cell biology at the University of Leiden, which she accepted with her inaugural lecture entitled “hart voor de wetenschap” on November 2nd 2012.