PhD defence C.A. (Charlotte) Houck

The improved life expectancy of patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) goes hand in hand with an increasing prevalence of atrial tachyarrhythmias, including atrial fibrillation. Outcomes of treatment of atrial tachyarrhythmias in CHD patients are yet suboptimal. These unsatisfactory outcomes may be due to incomplete understanding of the pathogenesis of atrial tachyarrhythmias in this unique population. The course of atrial tachyarrhythmia development in CHD patients is considerably different from that in the general population. It is therefore likely that the initiation and perpetuation of atrial tachyarrhythmias in CHD patients are mediated by factors that are (at least in part) specific to this population. This thesis aims to further characterize factors involved in the pathogenesis of atrial tachyarrhythmias in patients with CHD, as this information is essential to be able to modify or design treatment strategies and improve treatment outcomes.

Due to corona, the PhD defences do not take place publicly in the usual way in the Senate Hall or in the Professor Andries Querido Room. The candidates will defend their dissertation either in a small group or online.