TURBO grant for Dick Thijssen

On Wednesday, October 7th, four TURBO grants were awarded to new technical-medical research proposals.  With these grants, research groups from the University of Twente (TechMed Centre) and the Radboudumc can further develop an innovative idea with the intent of subsequently submitting it to an external grant provider. The TURBO program is now in its fourth year. One of the grants went to Dick Thijssen.

Cardiovascular Risk Computation: a wake-up call for risk prediction 

Berend Westerhof UT and Dick Thijssen Radboudumc

Worldwide,17.9 million people die from cardiovascular disease (CVD) each year, accounting for 31% of all deaths. Ultrasound-based assessment of carotid artery is a popular strategy to assess vascular health, specifically wall thickness and plaque presence. Recently, researchers Berend Westerhof (UT) and Dick Thijssen (Radboudumc) introduced novel technologies to examine carotid dynamics and haemodynamics. The proposed TURBO-work aligns with the current development of hand-held pocket-size echo-Doppler devices. This allows for point-of-care assessment, providing an in-depth evaluation of vascular health.

Other grants went to:

Accelerating bone metastasis fracture risk: Jelmer Wolterink UT and Bram van Ginneken Radboudumc
Fitness of the heart: Robert Passier UT and Dirk Lefeber Radboudumc
Development of a Powered ankle-foot: Ali Sadeghi UT and Alexander Geurts Radboudumc

About TURBO

The TURBO program started in 2017 and is an acronym for 'Twente University Radboudumc Opportunities.' It ties in with the TOPFIT program, which gives further effect to the ‘Concepts for a Healthy Life' innovation profile of the East region in the Netherlands. The purpose of a TURBO grant is to prepare a project for acquiring larger, external funding, such as those provided by national and European funds and companies that are active in the field of health care and technology.