Vera Damerjian Pieters

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About

Dr. Vera Damerjian Pieters is pioneering the intersection of robotics and artificial intelligence in cardiovascular medicine, with a primary focus on advancing minimally invasive cardiac interventions. Her research centers on autonomous and semi-autonomous robotic systems for transcatheter heart valve procedures, particularly Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI). In her landmark 2025 study, "Towards autonomous robot-assisted transcatheter heart valve implantation: in vivo teleoperation and phantom validation of AI-guided positioning," Dr. Pieters demonstrated the first successful in vivo teleoperation of a robotic TAVI system, achieving precise AI-guided valve positioning in animal models and phantom validation. This work, already garnering 2 citations in its first year, represents a paradigm shift toward fully autonomous cardiac interventions, potentially reducing procedure times and improving outcomes for the growing population of intermediate-risk and younger TAVI patients. Her contributions bridge the critical gap between robotic assistance and true procedural autonomy, addressing the technical challenges of real-time image guidance, haptic feedback, and safe AI decision-making in beating-heart environments. Dr. Pieters' research promises to democratize access to complex cardiac procedures by reducing the steep learning curve for surgeons and enhancing precision in challenging anatomies.