About the group

PRECISE is led by Henrik Holmstrøm in cooperation with Gaute Døhlen and Thomas Møller. It was established in 2016 as a continuation of the department's previous research group. Presently, PRECISE has around 15 members and 10 associated members. Members of PRECISE are responsible for supervision of more than 10 PhD-candidates.

The research group is connected to the Department of pediatric cardiology at Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet. The strong clinical association is valuable both thematically and for the use of shared positions, combining research with clinical work.

Our main objective is to promote research of potential benefit for children and adolescents with heart diseases, especially congenital heart disease. The group’s structure is interdisciplinary and based on national and international cooperation. PRECISE also cooperates closely with the user organisation (The Norwegian Association for Children with Congenital Heart Disease, FFHB).

PRECISE’s research activity has the following main areas:

  • Clinical research in diagnostics, treatment and follow-up
  • Epidemiology and registry-based research
  • Development of new methods, in particular complex digital techniques

Research goals

  • Create a good research environment at the department
  • Recruit participants with varying backgrounds, skills and competence
  • Develop, register and follow up projects
  • Establish routines for the administration of projects
  • Quality-assure formalities, project descriptions and applications
  • Coordinate the use of resources for supervision
  • Identify and develop opportunities for collaboration

Projects

Our group members are engaged in a number of research projects, in cooperation with national and international partners.

The Fontan project

The Fontan project is a comprehensive interdisciplinary follow-up project in young people with univentricular heart defects, administered by Thomas Møller (TM). It includes several sub-projects with extensive collaboration both within and outside OUS, including a drug study. The members of the project are Vibeke Klungerbo, Simone Diab, Gaute Døhlen, Henrik Holmstrøm and Thomas Møller (TM).

Three-dimensional display of heart models

Three-dimensional presentation methods are based on holograms of the heart for use in the clinic, for decision support and guidance. (Mathias Lippert and Henrik Brun)

Remotely controlled and remotely assisted echocardiography via 5G transmission

The project compares these techniques with the standard bedside methods of examination. (Håvard Solvin, Henrik Holmstrøm and Henrik Brun)

A life to live (Heart defects in Infants; presentation, detection and rescue)

This interdisciplinary collaboration project focuses on detection of congenital heart defects and complications in the first two years and is led by Henrik Holmstrøm. Contributors are Gunnar Wik, Jarle Jortveit, Gaute Døhlen (GD), and Henrik Holmstrøm (HH).

HOBS baby 

Heart OBServational-app is a mobile app that aims to improve the follow-up of families of children with severe congenital heart defects. Project members are Elin Hjorth-Johansen, Gunnar Wik, and Henrik Holmstrøm.

Neo-Doppler

Neo-Doppler is a collaboration project with NTNU on new ultrasound methods for recording brain circulation. Jakob Klcovansky, Henrik Holmstrøm and Gaute Døhlen are the project members.

Hemodynamic simulation

This project on digital flow models is a collaboration with NORCE and UiS. Contributors include Jan Ludvig Vinningland, Charlotte de Lange, Henrik Brun, and Henrik Holmstrøm.

Radiation doses during heart catheterization

This is a collaboration project with the University of Southeast Norway and international partners linked to the EU project "Harmonic". Contributors from PRECISE are Susmita Afroz and Gaute Døhlen.

Prevention of sudden death in children with genetic heart disease

The project is a collaboration with ProCardio, OUS. Contributors from PRECISE are Marit Kristine Smedsrud and Gaute Døhlen.

Infant blood pressures

The project is a collaboration with ORAACLE  Innlandet Hospital. Henrik Holmstrøm is head of the project.

PhD projects

  • Gunnar Wik- Early death in children with congenital heart defects (GD, HH)
  • Simone Diab- Improved detection of right ventricular failure in pediatric heart disease (HH, GD, TM)
  • Jakob Klcovansky- Non-invasive cerebral blood flow monitoring in children with congenital heart defects (HH, GD)
  • Anders Haugom Christensen- Causes and consequences of autonomic reinnervention after heart transplantation (GD)
  • Vibeke Klungerbo: Cardiorespiratory fitness in children and adolescents living with a Fontan circulation (HH, TM)
  • Elin Hjorth-Johansen- HOBS- Heart Observation App (HH)
  • Håvard Solvin- Fjernstyrt og fjernassistert ekkokardiografi via 5G-overføring (HH, HB)
  • Matthias Lippert- Validation of AI based mixed reality heart holograms in congenital heart disease (HB)
  • Marlen Fossan Aas- ImNut Cardiovascular substudy (HH)
  • Susmita Afroz- Radiation doses during heart catheterization (HH, GD)
  • Elin Ørbeck Vallevik- Infant blood pressures (HH)

Cooperation

The group has a broad collaboration with several institutions:

  • departments at OUS
  • several Norwegian hospitals
  • NTNU
  • UiS
  • private business companies
  • a large number of international academic institutions and hospitals.

Recent publications

  1. Hjorth-Johansen E, Børøsund E, Moen A, Østen IM, Wik G, Solevåg AL, Eger SHW, Holmstrøm H. An individualised mobile app was beneficial for the mothers of infants with severe congenital heart defects. Acta Paed 2024. https://doi.org/10.1111/apa.17556 
  2. Diab S, Rösner A, Døhlen G, Brun H, Grindheim G, Vithessonthi K, Friedberg MK, Holmstrøm H, Möller T. Systolic Function in the Fontan Circulation Is Exercise, but Not Preload, Recruitable. J Am Soc Echo 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.echo.2024.11.005
  3. Rasooli R, Holmstrom H, Teigen KE, Jolma IW, Vinningland JL, de Lange C, Brun H, Hiorth A. In vitro hemodynamic performance of a blood pump for self-powered venous assist in univentricular hearts. Scientific Reports 2024. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-57269-7
  4. Lippert M et al. HoloPatch: Improving intracardiac patch fit through holographically modelled templates. European Heart Journal-Imaging Methods and Practice 2024. https://doi.org/10.1093/ehjimp/qyae103
  5. Leth-Olsen M, Døhlen G, Torp H, Nyrnes SA. Cerebral blood flow dynamics during cardiac surgery in infants. Pediatr Res 2024. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41390-024-03161-z.