Perioperative kidney protection
Earlier recognition of patients with, or at risk of, acute kidney injury (AKI), and interventions to prevent or treat it. AKI carries short-term harm — longer ICU and hospital stays, the need for renal replacement therapy, added morbidity and mortality — and, longer-term, progression toward chronic kidney disease and eventually transplantation or dialysis. Reducing its incidence or severity improves outcomes for patients and populations, and reduces healthcare costs.
Collaborations
PhD students
Lars Snel
SGLT2 inhibition and kidney protection in cardiac surgery.
Marjella Eijmael
SGLT2 inhibitors, GLP-1 agonists, and cardiac surgery-associated AKI.
Vera de Winter
Joining the kidney-protection line — publications forthcoming.
Co-supervisors
Daniel H. van Raalte, Jeroen Hermanides.
Collaborators
Amsterdam UMC, anaesthesia
Benedikt Preckel, Markus W. Hollmann, Jorinde A.W. Polderman, Mark L. van Zuylen.
University of Melbourne
Adam M. Deane, Yugeesh R. Lankadeva, Clive N. May, Connie P.C. Ow.
Patient organisations
Funding & main projects
Six linked grants and studies, from mechanism to multicentre trial.
MERCURI-2
Multicentre RCT of preoperative SGLT2 inhibition to prevent AKI after cardiac surgery. Built on the MERCURI-1 pilot study; published in JAMA (30 July 2026) — dapagliflozin reduced AKI incidence from 52% to 28%.
Read the trial page → Funded · ZonMw GGGMERCURI-3
Trial testing whether patients already taking an SGLT2 inhibitor should continue it through cardiac surgery, rather than interrupt it as current guidelines advise. Start-up phase; recruitment expected 2027.
Read the trial page → Ongoing · NWO VeniNEPTUNE
Does ketone supplementation protect the kidney through improved oxygenation? Metabolomics, an ovine model, and a clinical trial.
Read the trial page →STELLAR
Can Functional Renal Reserve Capacity catch subclinical kidney decline early enough for SGLT2i to prevent CKD after cardiac surgery? Proposal materials on hold, pending future funding opportunities.
NEPHRITIC
Investigating incretin/GLP-1 receptor agonism as a renoprotective strategy against acute kidney injury.
Read the fellowship page → Completed · MSCA FellowshipELECTRIC
The same renoprotective question, approached through SGLT2 inhibition.
Read the fellowship page →