Karin Klooster

With a background as a pulmonary function technician, Karin Klooster now works as a post-doc, senior clinical research coordinator in several medical device trials and is team manager of the Bronchoscopic Intervention Center at the pulmonary department of the University Medical Center Groningen in the Netherlands.

In April 2016 she finished her PhD in Bronchoscopic lung volume reduction ; ‘a new treatment modality for patients with severe emphysema’. She was awarded on behalf of the Assembly on Clinical Problems of the American Thoracic Society. The abstract “Endobronchial Valve Treatment Versus Standard Medical Care in Patients with Emphysema Without Interlobar Collateral Ventilation (The Stelvio-Trial) “ received a Dr. Sreedhar Nair Memorial Award given for top abstracts in Emphysema from the National Emphysema Foundation.

In 2015, the manuscript of ‘the Stelvio trial’ has been published in “The New England Journal of Medicine”. Endobronchial valves for emphysema without interlobar collateral ventilation (Stelvio trial). Klooster K, ten Hacken NHT, Hartman JE, Kerstjens HAM, van Rikxoort EM, Slebos DJ. N Engl J Med 2015;373:2325-35.

In their center, more than 600 patients underwent bronchoscopic lungvolume reduction treatment. She has a lot of experience in patient selection, chairing the weekly dedicated long volume reduction MDT meetings, treatment procedures, and follow-up patients after bronchoscopic lung volume reduction. She also presented her work in lectures and workshops worldwide.