Frank Gijsen

Dr. Frank Gijsen serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Cardiology at Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, where he leads biomechanics-focused research at the intersection of cardiovascular engineering and clinical medicine. His work bridges fundamental tissue engineering principles with diagnostic imaging and therapeutic intervention development for atherosclerotic and thrombotic diseases.

His research portfolio centers on:

• Atherosclerotic plaque vulnerability mechanisms
• Erythrocyte engineering for thrombus modeling
• Brain ischemia pathophysiology related to carotid calcifications
• Thrombus composition-mechanical property relationships
• Plaque rupture prediction through biomechanical analysis
• Advanced imaging integration (CT, OCT) with mechanical testing

Analysis of his 2024-2025 publications reveals a cohesive trajectory in developing biomimetic models of vascular pathologies. His team creates tissue-engineered atherosclerotic plaque analogs and human clot replicas to investigate microstructural determinants of mechanical failure, with particular emphasis on microcalcification effects on plaque stability and erythrocyte-rich thrombus behavior during thrombectomy procedures. This work demonstrates increasing sophistication in multi-scale characterization techniques.

Dr. Gijsen actively supervises research students as evidenced by six supervised works in his profile, and maintains extensive collaborative networks across European institutions focused on cardiovascular biomechanics and medical device innovation.