Since 2016, Bianca Brundel is director of the non-profit organisation Atrial Fibrillation Innovation Platform (www.afiponline.org), which aims to improve communication between AF patients and researchers and conduct innovative clinical studies by the use of crowdfunding.

Role of protein homeostasis and the protein quality control system underlying atrial fibrillationBianca Brundel is currently Established Investigator, funded by the Dutch Heart Foundation (2014-2019) and Consortium leader of HALT&REVERSE (collaboration with Dr. Natasja de Groot EMC; 2014-2019) and CVON-AFFIP (together with Dr. Natasja de Groot; 2017-2022). She opened up new directions for research on protein homeostasis and the protein quality control system underlying atrial fibrillation with the development of a Drosophila model. She is founder of NYKEN BV (2009), a bio-pharmaceutical company to develop innovative therapies for the treatment of atrial fibrillation, using its proprietary platform of Heat Shock Factor activators ( www.nyken.com ). Bianca Brundel is project leader, together with Prof. Dr. J. van der Velden of the CVON project 'Dosis' (2015-2019). This project aims to identify determinants for onset of inherited cardiomyopathy. Previously developed innovative experimental model systems, which were successfully utilized in atrial fibrillation and GWAS studies, will be exploited in inherited cardiomyopathy studies. Also the invention on the role of protein quality control system in atrial fibrillation will be expanded to other heart and vascular diseases. Brundel has collaborations with (inter)national top researchers (Stanley Nattel, Ivor Benjamin, Edward O'Brien, Rolf Bodmer). Since 2016, she is director of the foundation Atrial Fibrillation Innovation Platform, which aims to improve communication between AF patients and researchers and conduct innovative clinical studies by the use of crowdfunding. See www.AFIPonline.org http://www.physiologyamsterdam.org

2002-2003: Initiation of innovative research line.Development of the in vitro cell-model system for atrial fibrllation (AF). Initiation of research on the protective role of HSP in AF. 2003-2007: consolidation of research line on the protective role of HSP on myocyte remodeling, in collaboration with Prof. Dr. S. Nattel of the Montreal Heart Institute, Canada. 2007-present: Expansion of research line.

Nyken is developing innovative therapeutics for diseases caused by derailed proteostasis. These diseases include Acute Kidney Injury, Heart Failure, Atrial Fibrillation, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s Disease, among others. The company is using its proprietary platform of Heat Shock Factor 1 mimetics. Heat Shock Factors, a family of transcriptional regulators, control the expression of Heat Shock Proteins (HSPs). HSPs, in particular HSP27 and HSP70, are molecular chaperones that assist in proper protein folding and protect cells against stress-induced damage. They play a pivotal role in suppressing misfolded proteins and inhibiting the cellular mechanisms that ultimately lead to cell death. During aging this protective stress response becomes less active.Our company has discovered a novel series of small molecules, structurally related to the non-toxic and well-known HSP enhancer geranylgeranylacetone (GGA), that are all potent HSF1 mimetics, promote the expression of HSPs (e.g. HSP27 and HSP70), and have shown to be renal-, cardio-, and neuroprotective.For further company info: www.nyken.comInventor on patents: Patents• Brundel BJJM, Henning RH and Kampinga HH: Usage of increased levels of HSP27 in the treatment of a supraventicular arrhythmia. Patent 2004 (WO/2006/062402).• Brundel BJJM, Steen H, Heeres A, Borst M: Geranylgeranylacetone modifications with HSP-inducing properties I: Patent 2010 (WO/2012/026813).• Brundel BJJM, Steen H, Heeres A, Borst M: Geranylgeranylacetone modifications with HSP-inducing properties II: Patent 2012 (PCT/NL2012/050262).