UMCG research

💊 Sometimes, an adverse drug reaction (ADR) of a medication is mistaken for a new health problem, which can lead to the prescription of additional medication. This chain reaction, known as a prescribing cascade, can result in unnecessary medication use, higher healthcare costs, hospitalizations, and a reduced quality of life for patients.   For this PhD research, Atiya Mohammad aimed to better understand the occurrence, reversal and prevention of prescribing cascades. From international studies, 115 different prescribing cascades were identified, with recommendations on how to address some of them. For 66 prescribing cascades, Mohammad investigated whether these occurred in the Netherlands using data from community pharmacies. Another study examined whether prescribing cascades occurred after patients were started on new medications in the hospital.   The insights from this thesis mark a first step toward better recognition, reversal, and prevention of prescribing cascades. This can support healthcare professionals reduce unnecessary medication use and improve patients’ well-being.   Curious about the results?  https://lnkd.in/e85fbaF3   #PhD #medication #prescribing #cascades #pharmacies #umcg Graduate School of Medical Sciences - University of Groningen

👩⚕️ Did you know that accessible healthcare is a growing problem in the province of Groningen? Digital healthcare solutions can address part of this problem. Therefore, the Nationaal Programma Groningen has awarded a €1,000,000 grant to the 'Testing Ground Accessible Digital Care' project, led by UMCG and Esther Metting. This initiative aims to make digital healthcare more accessible and user-friendly, especially in areas with healthcare shortages like rural Groningen. By collaborating with SMEs, citizens, and knowledge institutions, the project focuses on remote care solutions such as telehealth. 🧑💻 The goal is to enhance livability and economic prosperity in the province while building trust in digital care. 👉 Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/eufe_4ad Provincie Groningen #DigitalHealth #Groningen #Telehealth #DigitalCare Data Science Center in Health (DASH)

👂 Pulsatile tinnitus is a less common form of tinnitus where the sound syncs with the heartbeat, often described as hissing or thumping. It results from blood flow abnormalities near the ear or bone structures and is diagnosed using medical imaging. Physicians may detect it through auscultation, known as objective pulsatile tinnitus, which helps guide imaging choices. However, detection depends on the physician’s experience and ear sensitivity, often requiring multiple imaging techniques for accurate diagnosis.   For his dissertation, which he defended on 12 February 2025, Sander Ubbink examined the added value of using microphone recordings in the ear canal to measure and analyze pulsatile tinnitus. The study shows that sound recordings are a valuable addition to the diagnostic process for pulsatile tinnitus and are more effective than auscultation (listening with a stethoscope).   Want to learn more? ➡️ https://lnkd.in/ezChFcQE   #PhD #defense #tinnitus #sound #recordings #stethoscope   Graduate School of Medical Sciences - University of Groningen

💊 Male and female bodies function differently. Therefore, medication also works differently in male and female bodies. Last week, Member of Parliament Wieke Paulusma visited UMCG for an insightful discussion on a crucial topic: medication dosing in women. Experts Sieta de Vries, Iris Sommer, and Daan Touw shared their knowledge on how sex and hormones impact medication effectiveness—and where improvements are urgently needed. 📣 The key takeaway? More research, better data-sharing, and tailored approaches are essential to ensure that women receive the right dosage, at the right time, for the best possible outcomes. #WomensHealth #UMCGResearch #PrecisionMedicine #InnovationInHealthcare

Congratulations to three UMCG-researchers: Martin Beukema, Stijn Mouton and Daniele Novarina. They have each received a €50,000 grant from NWO (Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek) for their fundamental research. 👏 👍 In his research, Martin Beukema (MMBI) aims to develop a model of the human respiratory system to better predict the efficacy of mucosal vaccines. Mucosal vaccines are promising in combating pathogens that infect the lung mucosa. This is because they induce immunity at the site of infection. So far, models do not accurately reflect the immune response of the immune system. As a result, vaccines do not appear to work as well in the clinical phase. 🫁 Stijn Mouton (ERIBA - European Research Institute for the Biology of Ageing) is researching the aberrant expression of so-called small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs). These are increasingly linked to several ageing-related diseases. In worms, he will systematically repress and activate these snoRNAs to check their effect on health. Daniele Novarina (ERIBA) investigates STRs, repetitive pieces of DNA. 🧬Expansion of these STRs is the cause of some 70 neurodegenerative diseases. He wants to develop a test to identify this expansion. This should lead to more genetic mechanisms to control STR expansion. They will receive their grant from the NWO's Exact and Natural Sciences (ENW) domain.

⚕️What does not kill you, makes you more positive? During the COVID-19 pandemic, working from home, uncertainty about infections, and social distancing were considered as the new reality. Literature has shown that such stressful circumstances may not only have a negative impact but may also lead to the experience of positive changes, such as a better appreciation of life. This is called post-traumatic growth (PTG). More knowledge on PTG gives us implications on how to improve psychological adjustment during stressful circumstances.   For her PhD thesis, Denise Blom focused on various complex issues from the PTG literature by identifying individual differences in experiencing PTG during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her results underline the importance of considering individual differences in PTG research and clinical practice.   Want to know what Blom found? ➡️ https://lnkd.in/edW9_HNH   #PhD #research #healthpsychology #COVID19 #posttraumaticgrowth Graduate School of Medical Sciences - University of Groningen

Overgewicht als verdienmodel – tijd voor een tegengeluid Waar moeten we ons heil zoeken als de huidige beleidsmakers de andere kant op kijken? Te vaak laten zij zich beïnvloeden door selectieve en dubieuze informatie die een bepaalde ‘waarheid’ representeert. De industrie kent maar één waarheid en dat is die van geld verdienen, coûte que coûte. Overgewicht als verdienmodel, zo cynisch is het. Reden genoeg om hier afstand van te nemen en de overheid ter verantwoording te roepen. Individueel zijn burgers niet opgewassen tegen desinformatie en marketing. Erik Buskens vindt dat we het niet langer met lede ogen kunnen aanzien - een tegengeluid is wel het minste wat we kunnen laten horen. Lees hier het artikel: https://lnkd.in/eMdmHrUV Frederic van Kleef Erik Buskens Rijksuniversiteit Groningen Hanze NHL Stenden Hogeschool UMCG

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a common type of cancer, with 3.200 new cases diagnosed annually in the Netherlands. Risk factors include tobacco use, alcohol consumption, human papillomavirus (HPV), and Epstein-Barr-virus (EBV).   Early detection is crucial to improve prognosis, as early-stage tumors require less aggressive treatments. Narrow Band Imaging (NBI) is an optical imaging technique that uses specific light filters to provide detailed visualization of superficial blood vessels. There is a strong correlation between these vascular patterns and histopathological diagnoses. Because of this, Manon Zwakenberg aimed to establish the diagnostic and the prognostic value of NBI in HNSCC for her PhD thesis.   This research showed that NBI improves diagnostic accuracy and tumor staging, with significant implications for diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis. Based on this research, Zwakenberg recommends using NBI as the standard instrument for the diagnosis and treatment of patients with head and neck cancer.   Curious about the results? ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eRdXckny   #PhD #tumors #diagnosis #prognosis #bloodvessels #umcg #research

A new project on theory of mind and children with hearing loss! (Funded by ZonMw) Lead by Anneke Vermeulen and Margreet Langereis (Pento | experts in horen, spreken en verstaan), and in collaboration with Lizet Ketelaar (NSDSK), Laura Rachman and I will investigate together with this spectacular team different approaches to training for theory of mind. We are looking for a PhD student too, please spread the word!

Deniz Başkent, professor of Auditory Perception, is together with her collegue Gloria Araiza Illan awarded a grant from NWO (Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek). They will receive it for developing specific technology for automatic speech recognition inclusive for everyone. Congratulations! 👏 Hearing loss affects nearly 1.5 million people in the Netherlands, resulting in devastating consequences for children and adults. Hearing screening is essential, but requires clinicians’ time and is not easily available to everyone. Automatic speech recognition (ASR) technology can revolutionise screening for hearing loss. Yet, the existing systems work only for native-speaker healthy adults. In their research, Baskent and Araiza-Illan will develop and evaluate self-administered automated tests for screening multiple populations. Thus making the tests accessible for all. She we will also customise freely available ASR systems to automate traditional hearing tests. Furthermore she wants to increase the effectiveness of the new tests by humanoid robots as interactive interfaces. 👍 She received this grant from NWO's Open Technology Programme. This provides funding for application-oriented technical-scientific research.