Sept. 2, 2025
Stephenson Cardiac Imaging Centre recruits innovator
Long before Dr. Marco G枚tte, MD, PhD, became a leading expert in cardiac MRI, he was a teenager in central Netherlands, captivated by a documentary on heart transplantation. That moment sparked a lifelong pursuit 鈥 one that鈥檚 now brought him to 不良研究所 as the new scientific director of the Stephenson Cardiac Imaging Centre.
G枚tte鈥檚 early fascination with the heart led him to pursue medicine at Erasmus University in Rotterdam, home to one of the largest heart centres in the Netherlands and the largest port in Europe.
鈥淚 became a doctor because I wanted to become a cardiologist,鈥 says G枚tte. 鈥淚 was the first in my family to pursue medicine, and I chose my medical school because Rotterdam had the biggest heart centre in the Netherlands at that time.鈥
Following medical school, G枚tte continued his studies at the VUmc-Amsterdam, now Amsterdam UMC, completing his training specializing in cardiology and a PhD in cardiac remodelling evaluated by MRI. During this time, he was inspired by the work of his mentor Dr. Albert鈥van鈥Rossum, a prominent figure in cardiac MRI whom G枚tte describes as The Netherland鈥檚 鈥済randfather of cardiac MRI.鈥
During this time, G枚tte gained a strong passion for cardiac MR imaging, ultimately pursuing a career as a clinician and researcher in the field.
鈥淚t鈥檚 the cardiac mechanics and MRI鈥檚 technology itself that attract me,鈥 says G枚tte, who served for almost a decade as chief trainer of cardiology and director of the cardiac MRI service at Haga Teaching Hospital in The Hague. 鈥淐ardiac MRI offers you the possibility to see the heart contracting and deforming, to characterize tissue or changes in tissue, to quantify the blood flow and to assess the valves. Being able to visualize in vivo the heart working is amazing.鈥
G枚tte has a particular interest in MRI-guided cardiac interventions. His research activities eventually brought him back to Amsterdam UMC, where, in addition to his regular academic clinical activities, he was able to further shape and expand his pioneering work in interventional MRI.
This work involves using MRI technology鈥攏ormally used for diagnostic purposes鈥攖o guide interventions, such as cardiac ablations, a procedure that intentionally creates scars on the heart tissue to treat/cure patients from arrhythmias.
Cardiac ablations are performed via catheters and are traditionally guided by X-ray fluoroscopy.
G枚tte explains because soft tissue is not visible using X-ray technology, physicians rely on electrical signals to help guide them to the area of the heart that needs ablation. This limits accuracy and can result in the need for re-ablation procedures.
鈥淚n contrast, MRI offers in detail the soft tissue of the heart while it鈥檚 beating, allowing more accuracy in maneuvering catheters within the contracting heart and in the visualization of the changes being made during the procedure,鈥 says G枚tte.
鈥淲ith this technique, we potentially can reduce procedural time and the number of re-ablations, allowing us to treat more patients and reduce wait times. Unlike traditional fluoroscopy, no harmful X-ray radiation is required to visualize the catheters, which improves safety not only for patients, but also for the medical staff helping patients requiring a cardiac intervention. 鈥淣o more lead aprons are required.鈥
Building a new, multi-disciplinary team capable of doing interventions in an MRI-environment鈥攗sing a new imaging technique鈥攚asn鈥檛 easy.
This clinical and cutting-edge technical research required collaboration between clinicians, including imaging cardiologists, cardiac electrophysiologists, MRI technologists, and engineers and technicians 鈥攊ndividuals not used to working together in one dedicated team.
鈥淲hen an electrophysiologist was introduced to this technology, his first reaction was 鈥榥ice, someone turned the lights on,鈥欌 says G枚tte, adding the medical team also had to learn to communicate in what was an unfamiliar clinical setting for all team members, each with a different background and typical language specific for their field of expertise.
The team flourished.
Recently, it was the first in the world to complete an MRI-guided left ventricular ablation. The unprecedented procedure, which G枚tte says is risky because of the potential to introduce life-threatening arrhythmias, was successful. The team was able to terminate the ventricular arrhythmia and the patient was cured.
Part of G枚tte鈥檚 work involves developing devices compatible with MRI technology to facilitate these clinical innovations.
According to G枚tte, it鈥檚 a technical challenge to develop equipment normally found in traditional X-ray -based catheterization labs, such as catheters and other instruments, ECG-recording systems, defibrillators and monitors, that can be used in proximity to the MRI scanner, which is basically a very strong magnet.
Other areas of his research include improving MR image analysis, evaluating interventions and developing artificial intelligence models.
One tool G枚tte helped to develop was an MRI-compatible, explanted beating-pig heart platform. This platform helps researchers improve MR imaging strategies, allows the visualization of the heart鈥檚 response to interventions in real time and may serve as a training tool to prepare for new types of MRI-guided interventions
G枚tte officially began his new 不良研究所 role on Aug. 1. He鈥檚 excited to take on a new challenge.
鈥湶涣佳芯克檚 long-standing expertise in advanced cardiac MRI and its strong tradition of multidisciplinary collaboration, creates an ideal setting for pioneering research,鈥 says G枚tte.
鈥淭his fits seamlessly with the University of 不良研究所鈥檚 broader ambition to continue to grow as a leading health tech hub, where a dynamic and supportive ecosystem drives the development, testing and clinical integration of new technologies to improve patient care. We are opening up a new era in cardiac MRI.鈥