About the group

Our main objective is to study heart physiology and pathophysiology and how various cardiovascular diseases alter cardiac function in order to improve diagnostic methods and clinical solutions.

Cardiac function in disease

We study heart function in experimental models and patients. The general objective is to gain new insights into the mechanisms of cardiovascular diseases and to develop new imaging and measurement methods that quantify disease processes and heart function. The idea is to develop better diagnostic understanding and solutions and to transfer these to improved clinical practice.

Specific objectives

Here is an overview of our long-term objectives:

  • Investigate mechanisms of left ventricular dyssynchrony, improve methods to distinguish between patients who will and will not benefit from cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), and improve methods to evaluate the acute effect of CRT.
  • Investigate mechanisms of diastolic dysfunction and improve diagnostic methods for diastolic heart failure.
  • Investigate whether new blood flow imaging technology can improve the clinical evaluation of cardiovascular function.
  • Further develop non-invasive myocardial work and pressure-volume methods and investigate how these can be used in the evaluation of heart function.

Affiliation

The research group is part of the Institute for Surgical Research and the Department of Cardiology, Rikshospitalet, at UiO and OUH.

Cooperation

The group has extensive national and international collaboration with numerous partners.

National

  • Lasse Løvstakken, NTNU, Trondheim
  • Håvard Attramadal, Institute for Surgical Research, UiO and OUH, Research group: Molecular Cardiology
  • Ivar Sjaastad, Institute for Experimental Medical Research, UiO and OUH
  • Steinar Halvorsen, The Intervention Centre, UiO and OUH
  • Ole Jakob Elle, The Intervention Centre, UiO and OUH
  • Jan Gunnar Fjeld, Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, OUH
  • Erik Fosse, UiO and OUH. Founder of Cardiaccs AS
  • Hans Henrik Odland, founder of Pacertool AS, OUH
  • Erik Kongsgård, Head of the Section for Arrhythmias, UiO and OUH
  • Torbjørn Holm, cardiac electrophysiologist, OUH
  • Thor Edvardsen, UiO and OUH
  • Fred-Johan Pettersen, specialist in medical sensors, UiO and OUH
  • Sten Roar Snare, GE Vingmed Ultrasound, UiO and OUH
  • Samuel Wall, Simula
  • Assami Rösner, UiT The Arctic University of Norway
  • Kristina H. Haugaa, Associate professor, Director of Procardio, UiO and OUH
  • Stig Urheim, Head Section of Cardiac Imaging, Haukeland University Hospital and University of Bergen
  • Harald Brunvand, Consultant Cardiologist, Sørlandet Hospital

International

  • Joao A.C. Lima, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
  • Frits Prinzen, PhD Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
  • Sherif Nagueh, Methodist DeBakey Heart and Vascular Center, Houston, Texas, USA
  • Martin Penicka, OLV Hospital Aalst, Belgium
  • Jens-Uwe Voigt, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium
  • Jong-Won Ha, Cardiology Division, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
  • Luigi Paolo Badano, Head Noninvasive Cardiac Imaging Laboratory, University of Padova, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Sciences, Italy
  • James D. Thomas, Director of Center for Heart Valve Disease at the Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute, Chicago, Illinois, USA
  • Erwan Donal, Department of Cardiology, University Hospital of Rennes, France
  • Pablo Lamata, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
  • Denisa Muraru, University of Padova, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Sciences, Italy
  • Katsuji Inoue, Specialist in Internal Medicine and Cardiology, Department of Community Emergency Medicine, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Toon, Japan
  • Kasumi Masuda, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Division of Health Sciences, Suita, Japan