Noluthando Ntlapo is a PhD student in the Department of Epidemiology at Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam. She holds a Master’s degree in Demography and Population Studies from the University of the Western Cape, South Africa. Her research focuses on the bidirectional relationships between psychosocial factors and cardiometabolic health. In her research, she investigates how depression and its longitudinal patterns influence the development of atrial fibrillation, integrating observational and genetic epidemiological approaches.

“What are the bidirectional, longitudinal, and biological pathways linking depression to the development of atrial fibrillation?”

This study examines the relationship between depression and atrial fibrillation (AF). First, bidirectional causal associations between depression and AF are assessed using two-sample Mendelian randomization. Second, trajectories of depressive symptoms are analysed to determine how short- and long-term depression relate to AF risk. Finally, potential biological mechanisms underlying this association are explored by investigating relevant biomarkers as mediators. Together, these approaches aim to provide a comprehensive understanding of the depression–AF relationship, which remains insufficiently understood.

PhD student,
Erasmus MC