Institute for Experimental Medical Research, Oslo University Hospital Ullevaal

Current research focus

Molecular mechanisms of heart failure

Research projects

Supervisor

• Multiple cytokines as diagnostic markers in heart failure
• Chromogranin A, granins and heart disease
• Identification of novel secreted factor by expression profiling of hearts from mice with myocardial failure
• The role of syndecan-4 as a stress-sensor and co-receptor in development of myocardial hypertrophy
• Syndecan-4, a transmembranous heparan sulphate proteoglycan, and heart failure
• The role of syndecan-4 in extracellular matrix remodeling in response to pressure overload
• Mouse models for defective Ca²⁺ handling and SR dysfuntion in the heart and skeletal muscle
• Pulmonal hypoxia and pulmonary hypertension; Mechanisms involved in transition to heart failure
• Modelling of excitation-contraction coupling
• Syndecan-4 and heart failure: regulation and modulation of pathological cardiac hypertrophy by syndecan-4
• Secretoneurin in cardiac ischemia and heart failure
• The role of interleukin-18 in cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure
• Syndecan-4 signaling in cardiac myofibroblast development in response to mechanical stress
• New aspects in myocardial remodeling and dysfunction due to left ventricular pressure overload
• The homeostatic chemokine CXCL13 and its receptor CXCR5 are regulated in experimental and human heart failure, and are involved in cardiac remodelling.
• Role of inflammatory mediators in right ventricular pressure overload

Collaborator

• Pathophysiological role of inflammatory cytokines in heart failure
• Identification and modulation of signaling complexes involved in hypertrophy and heart failure
• The effect of preload reduction on the LV function
• Hematopoiesis in mice with heart failure
• SERCA2-RyR2 interplay underlying triggered arrhythmias
• Heart failure protein interaction
• Calcium homeostasis and the failing heart
• Molecular alterations of cardiac troponins
• Reduction of Serca2 function in skeletal muscle: effects on muscle function and fatigue development
• Spatial homogeneity of cardiomyocyte Ca²⁺ handling and sarcomeric function
• Mechanisms regulating left ventricular remodelling in patients with aortic stenosis.
• Molecular processes triggered by altered Ca²⁺ cycling and SR dysfunction in heart failure
• Syndecan-4 and heart failure: regulation and modulation of pathological cardiac hypertrophy by syndecan-4
• Circulating miRNA in heart failure
• Exercise training as anti-arrhythmic therapy in heart failure
• Optimization of gene deletion protocols in mouse models utilizing Mer-Cre-Mer (MCM) technology
• Pathogenic role of the regulatory chemokines CCL19 and CCL21 during pressure overload
• Role of Neil3 in regulating stem cell recruitment following myocardial infarction
• The role of collagen type VIII during reverse myocardial remodelling
• Small leucine rich proteoglycans and reverse remodelling of cardiac extracellular matrix