HARTERAAD

Their core work

HARTERAAD is a Dutch heart patient organization (NGO) based in The Hague, representing people living with cardiac conditions and advocating for patient-centered cardiovascular research. In EU research consortia, they contribute patient community access, dissemination to patient audiences, and ensure research agendas remain grounded in real patient needs and lived experience. Their name — "Hart" (heart) + "Raad" (council/advice) in Dutch — reflects their role as a bridge between the medical research world and the people affected by heart disease. They participate across a broad spectrum, from early-stage molecular biology training networks to large-scale prospective clinical validation studies.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Their earliest H2020 involvement (TRAIN-HEART, 2019) sat firmly in translational molecular biology — microRNA, lncRNA, nanomedicine, and antisense oligonucleotides as tools for treating ischemic heart failure, suggesting engagement with upstream bench-to-bedside research. By 2021 their focus shifted decisively toward clinical-stage interventional cardiology: STOPSTORM studies stereotactic radiotherapy for lethal arrhythmias, a highly specialized procedural domain far removed from molecular biology. This arc — from molecular research training networks toward prospective clinical validation cohorts — suggests HARTERAAD is following the maturation of cardiovascular medicine itself, moving with research as it approaches the patient.

HARTERAAD is moving deeper into clinical-stage and interventional research, making them an increasingly relevant partner for late-phase cardiovascular trials that require patient community involvement and real-world evidence generation.

How they like to work

HARTERAAD never coordinates — they always join as a partner or third party, which is typical for patient organizations whose value lies in community access rather than project management. Despite a small footprint (two projects), they have engaged with 44 unique consortium partners across 12 countries, indicating they are embedded in well-networked European research consortia rather than working in small closed groups. This breadth suggests they are sought out as a patient voice rather than a technical contributor, and are comfortable operating inside large, complex multi-stakeholder projects.

HARTERAAD has worked alongside 44 unique consortium partners spanning 12 countries, a remarkably wide reach for an organization with only two funded projects. Their network is European in scope, anchored in academic medical centers and clinical research institutions active in cardiovascular medicine.

What sets them apart

HARTERAAD occupies a rare niche in cardiovascular research consortia: a patient organization that brings direct access to heart disease communities, lay dissemination capacity, and a patient-needs lens that academic partners cannot supply themselves. EU research projects increasingly require patient and public involvement (PPI) components to satisfy ethical and impact requirements, and HARTERAAD fulfills that role with domain-specific credibility in cardiology. For a consortium building a clinical study or training network in cardiovascular medicine, they represent a ready-made connection to the patient world that most research institutions lack.

Highlights from their portfolio

• STOPSTORM
  A large prospective European validation cohort (2021–2027) for a frontier cardiac treatment — stereotactic radioablation of ventricular tachycardia — making it one of the most clinically significant cardiovascular studies in the H2020 portfolio.
• TRAIN-HEART
  An MSCA Innovative Training Network funding early-career researchers across the full translational pipeline from RNA-based cardioprotection to nanomedicine delivery, representing cutting-edge molecular cardiology training at a European scale.