Cardiac research Haukeland

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death globally. Different kinds of heart disease place a heavy burden on patients, society and the health care system. To improve cardiovascular health, clinical researchers currently explore strategies to better prevent, diagnose and treat disease patterns through novel biomarkers, imaging techniques and experimental and clinical intervention protocols.

The Bergen Cardiac research program focuses on unsolved and new aspects along the line of medical discoveries and inventions: preclinical discovery of possible new causative factors of atherosclerosis, early identification of sublinical cardiovascular disease and finally improved diagnostics and treatment of stable and acute heart disease.

The research program intends to deliver high quality cardiovascular research using novel biomarkers, coronary computed tomography angiography, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and cardiac ultrasound. Further, the program uses a translational research approach to introduce novel interventions and medical devices in the diseased heart and better percutaneous and surgical treatment in patients with heart disease.

The research program is co-financed by Trond Mohn Foundation (contribution 15 MNOK over 4 years).

The program consists of three projects:

The Bergen Atherosclerosis and Cardiac bIOmarker (BACIO) Study led by Torbjørn Omland and Kristin M Aakre

Experimental studies on ischemic mitral regurgitation led by Stig Urheim

And support for the research environment at the Bergen Translational Cardiac Research Group led by Kjell Vikenes

The overall aim of the project is to increase collaboration and harness synergies at the research environment by the organisation of meetings, conferences, seminars and staff exchange. The researchers will also collaborate with a newly appointed science advisory committee.

Furthermore, the project will seek to increase the visisbility of the research and the researchers by establishing web presences and communication activities and by participation ion conferences and seminars.