Gertrude Nieuwenhuijs-Moeke

Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology, Peri-operative organ injury and recovery, Principal Investigator Profile

Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology, Peri-operative organ injury and recovery, Principal Investigator

About my research

Anaesthesiologist and clinical scientist with a dual focus on patient care and translational research. Head of Research and Deputy Head of the Department of Anaesthesiology at the University Medical Center Groningen. My work centers on perioperative organ protection, ischemia-reperfusion injury, and strategies to improve surgical outcomes, with a special emphasis on transplantation and high-risk surgical populations.

Principal Investigator of large (international) projects such as VAPOR-2 and VITALISE, and leader of national consortia focussing on innovation and perioperative care. My research portfolio bridges basic mechanisms, ex vivo models, and clinical trials, aiming to translate insights “from cell to society.” This includes developing pharmacological interventions, biomarker-driven precision care, and digital innovations for prediction and prevention.

Committed to open science and interdisciplinary collaboration, I work with international partners across Europe and beyond, as well as with patients, public organizations, and industry. I strongly believe in a systems approach and the power of using all available data, from molecular to societal level, to better understand, predict, and prevent perioperative injury. My ambition is to transform perioperative health and care by reducing complications, enhancing recovery, and creating sustainable, value-based healthcare systems. I see perioperative medicine as a driver of change, linking prevention, precision, and innovation to build resilient healthcare for future generations.