Reinier Boon
Research focus
Ageing of the cardiovascular system.
Since 2016 Reinier Boon is an associate professor at the VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam and a W2 professor at the Goethe University in Frankfurt. Reinier received his PhD degree with honors in 2008 from the Academic Medical Center of the University of Amsterdam. He then started his post-doctoral work in the Institute for Cardiovascular Regeneration in Frankfurt, Germany in the laboratory of Prof. Dimmeler funded by the Netherlands organization for scientific research (NWO). He received multiple awards for his work on the effects of shear stress on endothelial cells and the role of microRNAs in aging of the cardiovascular system, including the prestigious Melvin L Marcus Award from the American Heart Association in 2010 and the Franz-Maximilian Groedel Research Prize of the German Cardiac Society in 2014. Research in his group is funded by the German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), the German research foundation (DFG), the European Research Council (Starting grant), Amsterdam Academic Alliance and the Dutch Scientific Organization NWO (Vidi).
The main focus of the research in the lab is ageing of the cardiovascular system. This is the main risk factor for cardiovascular disease and we are interested in the role of so-called non-coding RNA in this process. Current focus lies on long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), which control key cellular processes in endothelial cells and cardiomyocytes. We study lncRNAs in these cells that are (dys)regulated during ageing and aim to identify targets for therapeutic intervention. Our studies include functional in vitro and in vivo models, as well as molecular biology and biochemical assays.
Recent publications
Ongoing research projects
(2017-2020) Rembrandt Research Award (Rembrandt Institute): ‘14q32 non-coding RNAs in vascular disease’, Co-PI: Yael Nossent (LUMC).
(2017-2021) Vidi Grant from the Dutch Scientific Organization (NWO): ‘Non-coding RNA in cardiac ageing’.
(2016-2018) Amsterdam Academic Alliance Fellowship
2015-2019 ERC Starting Grant, ‘Non-coding RNA in vascular ageing’ (NOVA)
2014-2017 Collaborative Research Center SFB834: ‘Long non-coding RNAs as regulators of endothelial cell function’, Coordinated by Ingrid Fleming & Stefanie Dimmeler (Frankfurt).
Group members
Post-docs
Noelia Lozano-Vidal (Vidi grant)
Diewertje Bink (AAA grant)
PhD students
Laura Stanicek (Vidi grant)
Tan Phat Pham (AAA grant)
Veerle Kremer (Rembrandt grant)
Frankfurt: Patrick Hofmann (SFB834)
Frankfurt: Julia Trembinski (ERC)