“All meaningful, organic, and foundational learning is at heart playful.” — Marcelo Suárez-Orozco

What if learning wasn’t just about memorizing facts but about playing with possibilities? Serious games take the core elements of play – entertainment, challenge, and creativity – and weave them into education. In medicine, they do more than just engage; they revolutionize how doctors and patients alike grasp complex concepts regarding illness.

That’s exactly what Professor Marlies Schijven, MD PhD MHSc, will bring to HEART 2025. A Full Professor of Surgery at Amsterdam UMC (UvA) and University Chair on Digital Health, she has spent her career at the intersection of surgery, technology, and innovation. Her work in surgical simulation, serious gaming, and MedTech has redefined how medical professionals learn and train. As the first Chief Medical Information Officer of the Dutch Government, she has spearheaded projects in eHealth, electronic patient records (EPIC – MyChart), and wearable medical technologies.

🩺Clinically, she specializes in surgery for GERD, achalasia, and upper GI motility disorders while mentoring the next generation of innovators as Principal Educator 9and Principal Investigator at AUMC.

Internationally recognized for her expertise in VR, AR, serious gaming, validation studies, and app development for healthcare, Dr. Schijven is also the Consortium Leader of KEEPCARING, an EU Horizon 2023 program, and serves on the boards of Meander Medical Center, ZonMw, and multiple health research organizations. She actively shapes research in medical technology, guiding PhD candidates and editing for journals like BMJ Innovations, The Lancet Digital Health, and JMIR Serious Games, while serving as Chief Editor of the Sage Journal Simulation and Gaming.

Queening the Pawn is about turning small steps into odds-changing progress. Dr. Schijven’s is leaving her mark on the future of medical education – one game at a time. Are you ready to make your move?