Professor of Cardiology, University of Copenhagen
Senior Consultant, Dept. Cardiology, Gentofte Hospital.
Education:
MD, 1976, University of Copenhagen
Specialist, Internal Medicine (1986) and Cardiology (1991)
DMSc (dr. med.) 1981
Personal Statment
My experience with clinical epidemiology and goes 25 years back when I entered cardiology. Following a number of successful smaller studies I conducted a multicenter interventional study of ACE inhibitors in myocardial infarction published in The New England Journal of medicine along with Lars Køber. This successful study led to further interventional studies. My work with epidemiology was primarily initiated with databases from these studies which also included data from consecutive patients screened from the studies. This was further expanded with participation at the steering committee level with international studies in which I have participated in more than 10. I became associate clinical professor in 1999 and full professor in 2002 both at the University of Copenhagen. During this time my research group rose to approximately 10 full time people. In 2002 I took up the subject of register based research because multiple register were provided at that time for research within a research environment in Statistics Denmark which holds multiple nationwide databases. Since then the main focus of my research has been register based studies and controlled clinical trials in cardiology.
At this time the group is funded by multiple Danish foundations including The Danish Heart Foundation, The Danish Research Council and the Tryg foundation. Current funds totally exceeds 5 million dollars. More than 20 PhDs have graduated from the group and 3 of these are currently working in the US (Duke, Joslin Diabetes Center and Vanderbilt). The group currently includes nearly 20 people and publishes in excess of 30 peer reviewed international publications annually.
Positions and Honors
Positions and Employment
1976-1980 Research Associate, Department of Physiology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
1980-1989 Junior physician position at hospitals in Copenhagen, includes specialist training in internal medicine
1990-1994 Specialist training in Cardiology, Gentofte Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, Denmark
1994-2002 Senior Consultant, Department of Cardiology, Gentofte Hospital, Denmark
1999-2002 Associate Professor of Cardiology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
2002-2007 Professor of Medicine and Senior Consultant, Bispebjerg Hospital and University of Copenhagen, Denmark
2007- Professor of Cardiology and Senior Consultant, Gentofte Hospital and University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
Other Experience and Professional Memberships
1990- Main advisor for >20 successful PhD training programs and 2 DMSC programs
1990- Steering committee member in more than 10 international clinical controlled trials.
2009- Steering committee member and co-chair of VERDICT which randomizes 5000 patients with acute coronary syndromes to acute or delayed revascularization and also examines CT-angiography on all patients.
2009 Current steering committee member of two large international trials. SCOUT is a trial of 10,000 patients with overweight and cardiac disease, ATHENA is a 4500 patients with atrial fibrillation. Primary publications have been published, both in NEJM, and a range of secondary publications are in progress.
2008- Steering committee member of DANISH, a national study of the value of implantable defibrillators to patients with heart failure and no ischemic heart disease. This is an investigator initiated trial which will enrol 1000 patients (currently 500 enrolled)..
2009- Steering committee member and co-initiator of DANAMI3, a large scale trial of urgent revascularisation strategy for patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction. This is an investigator initiated trial sponsored by the Danish Research Council. The trial will start early 2010.
1999- Fellow of the American College of Cardiology (FACC) and European Society of Cardiology (FESC).
2002- Editorial board of European Journal of Heart Failure, Clinical Cardiology, Cardiovascular Drugs and Therapy.
1995- Multiple lectures annually at scientific conferences and symposia, currenly approximately 10 annually. The list includes hotline presentation of major clinical trials and multiple overviews primarily in the field of atrial fibrillation and heart failure.
Honors
2002 Aventis Research Award by recommendation of the Danish Society of Cardiology
2008 Visiting Professor, University of Sydney, Australia
Research
The list of original research publications in peer-reviewed international journals exceeds 350. There are 5 major articles in the New England Journal of Medicine and 11 in The Lancet. The total number of publications exceeds 400 with >50 in 2010. H-index is 46, total citations 9072.
Ongoing Research Support
Female hormone replacement therapy after ischemic heart disease. This project started in 2008 and is expected to finish in 2011. The Luncbeck foundation has funded the study with 1.2 mill DKR. I function as PI.
EDITORS – An Eastern Danish Initiative for treatment for urgent treatmetn of myocardial infarction. This 5000 patients study will start early 2010. The Danish Medical Research Council has provided a grant of 20 million DKR. I function as co-chair and steering committee member.
Pharmaceutical therapy and cardiac arrest. This epidemiological study started in 2010. It is funded by the Danish TRYG foundation with a grant of 1.3 million DKR. I function as PI.
Biobank for genetic studies of heart disease. This biobank will collect routine samples of 50,000 patients over a period of 5 years. It is funded by the Danish Medical Research Coundil with a grant of 4 million DKR
Interactions with clopidogrel treatment after myocardial infarction. This study is funded by the Danish Heart Association with a grant of 500,000 DKR.