We are delighted to share that Karl Jacobs, our team member and lecturer and researcher at ACTA (Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam), has received an AR&D Research Grant for his project Mapping Human Vascular Development: 3D Reconstruction of Embryonic and Fetal Vasculature in Health and Disease.

With this project he aims to map the development of the vascular system in human embryos and fetuses using 3D imaging. By systematically charting these early blood vessels and comparing normal and abnormal development, Karl and his collaborators hope to better understand how disruptions in vascular development contribute to congenital abnormalities, particularly in the craniofacial region. In the long term, the project should lead to a detailed 3D reference map of human vascular development, and new ways to recognize abnormalities earlier.

The project is carried out in close collaboration with Dr. Bernadette de Bakker, with support from colleagues within ACTA and the Dutch Fetal Biobank, as well as Dr. Ruslan Hlushchuk of the University of Bern, an expert in microangiography and vascular imaging.

“Receiving the AR&D grant was a special moment,” says Karl in the AR&D annual report. “My initial reaction was one of great enthusiasm and gratitude that this research, into the role of vascular development in congenital disorders, is seen as an important and promising area of research.” Preparations for the project are already underway, including setting up the research workflow and preparing the first specimens for imaging: the first steps in what the team hopes will become a new research direction centered on vascular development and congenital disorders.

Congratulations, Karl!