I received my PhD from the University of Amsterdam in 1993 on the subject "Proteoglycan homeostasis in articular cartilage". This project dealt with the proteoglycan metabolism in articular cartilage in several in vitro models for osteoarthritis. Since 1995 I am working as assistant professor in the department of Orthodontics and Craniofacial Biology at the Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre (RUNMC) in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. I developed a cell biological research line on wound healing after cleft palate repair. The surgical repair of cleft palate results in scar tissue on the palate, which inhibits growth of the upper jaw and the development of the teeth. In addition, fibrosis may develop in the muscles of the soft palate that are involved in speech and swallowing. The clinical aim therefore is to prevent scarring and muscle fibrosis in order to improve the outcome of cleft palate repair. Clearly, scarring and fibrosis also have a wider clinical relevance in many disease settings. The biological research within the clinical environment of our department is very rewarding to me.

My research involves animal models for wound healing in mucosa/skin and muscle. Cell biological aspects of (myo)fibroblasts and muscle cells are studied in 2-D and 3-D cell cultures, and also include the response to mechanical stress. In collaboration with other departments in Nijmegen I am developing scaffolds to improve wound healing, which are designed to attract stem cells and guide their correct differentiation. I published about 70 articles and supervised 10 PhD students (finished and ongoing). From 2000-2006, I was member of the board of the Dutch Society for Matrix Biology (NVMB) and was in the local organizing committee of the ETRS 2011 in Amsterdam.

Contact

Department of Orthodontics and Craniofacial Biology
Radboud University Nijmegen Medical centre
PO Box 9101
6500HB Nijmegen
The Netherlands

Tel: +31 24 3614084/3614005
Email: h.vondenhoff [at] dent.umcn.nl