Researcher and physician at the Department of Surgical and Perioperative Sciences. I study how the metabolism and the immune system interact in severe infections such as sepsis and COVID-19.
I am a resident physician in anesthesia and intensive care and a researcher at the Department of Surgical and Perioperative Sciences. I am also a teacher in the medical program. My main research area is the interplay between the immune system and metabolism in severe infections such as sepsis and COVID-19, which is called immunometabolic profiling. The goal is to develop better methods for diagnosis and prognosis of life-threatening infections by studying how biomarkers in the metabolism change during acute infection and recovery. Currently, we are working on projects to understand the mechanisms behind severe acute COVID-19 and the long-term health effects of the infection, known as post-COVID condition. We are following approximately 400 patients who contracted COVID-19 from 2020 to 2021 to study long-term symptoms, health-related quality of life, and physical function in relation to metabolism and the immune system. We hope to contribute to better diagnostic methods and treatment for patients with both severe acute COVID-19 and post-COVID condition.
In my role as an intensivist, I often meet patients who have suffered severely from life-threatening infections. Despite full intensive care efforts, many die or experience long-term negative health effects. Today, we do not know why some become severely ill or suffer from long-term sequelae from infections, while others do not. Our goal is to contribute to better diagnostics and treatment for these individuals.