Celebrating four years with high activity at the Center by the employment of the Grieg Foundation associate professor of cardiology
Center for research on Cardiac Disease in Women celebrates its 4th year anniversary. We celebrate this achievement with interviewing Helga Midtbø who has been appointed as the Grieg associate professor in cardiology at the Center
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Thank you for taking the time to talk with us today, Helga. Why did you become interested in heart disease in women in the first place?
-Thank you for inviting me! My interest in heart disease in women started when I was a PhD fellow. I was fortunate to work with professor Eva Gerdts on a project focusing on heart disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. This disease is much more common in women than men, so it gave me valuable insight into the theme heart disease in women.
Can you tell us a bit on your current field of research?
-Absolutely. My research focuses in sex differences in heart disease, in particular how risk factors vary between women and men, and how the same risk factor may have a different impact in women and men. I still explore this among patients with rheumatoid arthritis, but also patients with obesity and hypertension. These patient groups all develop chronic inflammation that give high risk of cardiovascular disease. Women are overrepresented in these patient groups. My goal is to document factors that may improve cardiovascular health in these patients.
This sounds like a really important job! How will the appointment as Grieg Foundation associate professor of cardiology help advancing this work?
-I will use this appointment to build up and strengthen collaboration with other research groups in our field and develop new projects to advance knowledge on how sex differences in heart disease can be reduced. I will also focus on improving knowledge on heart disease in women among young researchers and health workers to advance knowledge and care within heart disease in women.
Thank you, Helga, for giving us insight and for shearing your plans for the new position. We look forward to follow your carrier in the years to come.
-Thank you for your interest. I look forward to continuing this important work and I am most grateful for the support from Grieg Foundation that has made it possible.
