Frans Van de Werf is a

Belgian Belgian may refer to: * Something of, or related to, Belgium * Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent * Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German *Ancient Belgian language, an extinct language ...

cardiologist Cardiology () is a branch of medicine that deals with disorders of the heart and the cardiovascular system. The field includes medical diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular hear ...

at the University Hospital Leuven and Professor Emeritus, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences,

Katholieke Universiteit Leuven KU Leuven (or Katholieke Universiteit Leuven) is a Catholic research university in the city of Leuven, Belgium. It conducts teaching, research, and services in computer science, engineering, natural sciences, theology, humanities, medicine, l ...

. He was the chair of the university hospital's cardiovascular medicine department until 2011. He was born in

Mechelen Mechelen (; french: Malines ; traditional English name: MechlinMechelen has been known in English as ''Mechlin'', from where the adjective ''Mechlinian'' is derived. This name may still be used, especially in a traditional or historical contex ...

in 1947.He earned his M.D. from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in 1972. His research is focused on

acute coronary syndrome Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is a syndrome (a set of signs and symptoms) due to decreased blood flow in the coronary arteries such that part of the heart muscle is unable to function properly or dies. The most common symptom is centrally loca ...

thrombolysis Thrombolysis, also called fibrinolytic therapy, is the breakdown (lysis) of blood clots formed in blood vessels, using medication. It is used in ST elevation myocardial infarction, stroke, and in cases of severe venous thromboembolism (massive p ...

and

antithrombotic An antithrombotic agent is a drug that reduces the formation of blood clots (thrombi).http://cancerweb.ncl.ac.uk/cgi-bin/omd?antithrombotic Antithrombotics can be used therapeutically for prevention (primary prevention, secondary prevention) or tr ...

treatment. His doctoral thesis was an early treatise on the mechanism underlying the

gallop rhythm A gallop rhythm refers to a (usually abnormal) rhythm of the heart on auscultation. It includes three or four sounds, thus resembling the sounds of a Horse gait#Gallop, gallop. The normal heart rhythm contains two audible heart sounds called S1 ...

heart failure Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome, a group of signs and symptoms caused by an impairment of the heart's blood pumping function. Symptoms typically include shortness of breath, excessive fatigue, a ...

. Later, he collaborated in

Leuven Leuven (, ) or Louvain (, , ; german: link=no, Löwen ) is the capital and largest city of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located about east of Brussels. The municipality itself comprises the historic ...

with Désiré Collen to discover the clinical application of

tissue plasminogen activator Tissue plasminogen activator (abbreviated tPA or PLAT) is a protein involved in the breakdown of blood clots. It is a serine protease () found on endothelial cells, the cells that line the blood vessels. As an enzyme, it catalyzes the conversion ...

(tPA). Van de Werf was

editor-in-chief An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chief editor, is a publication's editorial leader who has final responsibility for its operations and policies. The highest-ranking editor of a publication may also be titled editor, managing ...

of the ''

European Heart Journal The ''European Heart Journal'' is a peer-reviewed medical journal of cardiology published by Oxford University Press on a weekly basis, on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. The first issue was published in February 1980. Overview Th ...

'' until 2008 and has served on the editorial boards of ''Circulation'', ''

New England Journal of Medicine ''The New England Journal of Medicine'' (''NEJM'') is a weekly medical journal published by the Massachusetts Medical Society. It is among the most prestigious peer-reviewed medical journals as well as the oldest continuously published one. Hist ...

'', ''

International Journal of Cardiology The ''International Journal of Cardiology'' is a peer-reviewed medical journal that publishes research articles about the study and management of cardiac diseases. The journal is affiliated with the International Society for Adult Congenital Cardia ...

'', ''

Coronary artery disease Coronary artery disease (CAD), also called coronary heart disease (CHD), ischemic heart disease (IHD), myocardial ischemia, or simply heart disease, involves the reduction of blood flow to the heart muscle due to build-up of atherosclerotic pla ...

'', '' Journal of Thrombosis and Thrombolysis''. He was awarded the 2005 Joseph Maisin prize for €100.000. In 2013
the Frans Van de Werf Fund
was inaugurated at the KU Leuven. The Fund aims to promote and support clinical cardiovascular research. This includes: financial support of clinical studies conducted at KU Leuven and awarding two scholarships up to 80 000 euro per year to promising KU Leuven researchers or researchers from outside KU Leuven.

References

External links

PubMed search for Frans Van de Werf
{{DEFAULTSORT:Werf, Frans, Van De Living people 1947 births Belgian cardiologists Flemish academics Belgian cardiovascular researchers KU Leuven alumni Academic staff of KU Leuven People from Mechelen Medical journal editors Fellows of the American College of Cardiology Fellows of the European Society of Cardiology