MSc. Floor W. Hiemstra

Research

My PhD research addresses circadian rhythms in intensive care patients. Sleep and circadian rhythms in intensive care unit (ICU) patients are severely disturbed, potentially due to effects of the critical illness and sleep-altering medication and the ICU environment. ICU patients generally receive continuous enteral feeding, are exposed to dim light throughout the day and night and their sleep is frequently interrupted by alarms and clinical interventions, all unfavorable factors for circadian rhythm alignment. Disruption of the circadian system has been associated with poor clinical outcomes such as impaired immune functions, delirium, hormonal and metabolic disturbances and fatigue. Circadian rhythms are present in vital signs, such as heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature and heart rate variability, that are continuously monitored in ICU patients. In my research, I will study the relationship between the temporal dynamics of vital sign profiles and clinical outcomes in ICU patients and investigate whether the implementation of well-timed cyclic feeding regimens and regular light schedules could improve circadian rhythm alignment and clinical outcomes.

Curriculum Vitae

I studied Technical Medicine at the Technical University Delft, LUMC and Erasmus MC. During my master program, I performed several clinical and research internships in the LUMC, Erasmus MC and at Philips Research. I completed my master degree in September 2021 after finishing my final internship at the pediatric intensive care unit of the Erasmus MC Sophia. During this internship I studied the automated monitoring of sleep in critically ill children with EEG-based algorithms. In November 2021, I joined prof. dr. Joke Meijer’s group as a PhD-student, in collaboration with the LUMC Intensive Care Unit, under supervision of dr. Laura Kervezee and dr. David van Westerloo (intensivist, LUMC).