Hanna Talacua

H. (Hanna) Talacua is a Congenital Cardiothoracic Surgeon at the University Medical Center (UMC) Utrecht in the Netherlands.1 She specializes in cardiac surgery for children, lung surgery in children, and adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) surgery.1

Dr. Talacua's educational background includes:

1. Medical degree from the University of Utrecht, which she started in 2003.1
2. PhD research on in situ tissue engineering of heart valves, focusing on creating heart valves from the body's own tissue, particularly relevant for children as these valves can grow with the patient.1
3. Master's degree in Care Ethics and Policy from the University of Humanistic Studies, completed in 2020.12

Her career path includes:

1. Completing her cardiothoracic surgery training at the Academic Medical Center in Amsterdam in 2015.1
2. Working in adult cardiac surgery at AMC and Isala Clinics in Zwolle during her training.1
3. Starting her position at the Wilhelmina Children's Hospital of UMC Utrecht in 2021, focusing on congenital heart surgery.1

Dr. Talacua is passionate about improving the lives of children born with anatomically abnormal hearts. She believes that with proper care, these children can have a chance at a good life.1

In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Talacua is involved in research. She is currently collaborating with the University of Humanistic Studies to investigate what constitutes quality of care from various perspectives, including patients, parents, nurses, and other healthcare providers.1