Researchers

Research group leaders

Lina Bergman

Lina Bergman

MD, Specialist Obsterics and Gynecology, Associate Professor

Research:
Prinicipal investigator for neurological complications in PROVE, Principal investigator for GO-PROVE, Co-investigator for IMPACT

Lina is a researcher and clinician, focusing on preeclampsia and organ complications as well as prediction of disease. She is working at Gothenburg University but also affiliated to Uppsala University and Stellenbosch University.

Catherine Cluver

Catherine Cluver

MD, Subspecialist Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Associate Professor

Research:
Principal investigator for PROVE, Principal investigator for PI trials

Catherine is a researcher and clinician, working as a maternal-fetal medicine specialist in Cape Town and leading clinical trials for preeclampsia research at Tygerberg Hospital, Stellenbosch University. She is also affiliated researcher at Mercy Perinatal, Melbourne.

Postdocs

Owen Herrock

Owen Herrock

PhD, Postdoc

Research:
Inflammation and hypertension in preeclampisa

Owen is a postdoctoral fellow with Lina Bergman at the University of Gothenburg.

 

Sanketa Raut

Sanketa Raut

PhD, Postdoc

Research:
Kidney injury/repair in preeclampsia

Sanketa is a postdoctoral researcher with Lina Bergman at the University of Gothenburg.

 

Teelkien van Veen

Teelkien van Veen

MD, PhD

Research:
Co-investigator in PROVE, GO PROVE and UPMOST, focusing on cerebral autoregulation in preeclampsia

Co-investigator in PROVE, GO PROVE and UPMOST, focusing on cerebral autoregulation in preeclampsia

 

PhD students

Ellen Kupka

Ellen Kupka

MD, PhD student

Ellen Kupka is a clinician at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Falu Hospital.

 

Stefan Botha

Stefan Botha

PhD student

Stefan is currently studying towards a joint PhD, under the Berlin University Alliance, through the University of Melbourne and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin.

 

Niclas Carlberg

Niclas Carlberg

MD, PhD student

Niclas Carlberg is an anesthetist with a special interest in obstetric anesthesia, working at Sahlgrenska University Hospital Östra in Gothenburg. He is also a PhD-student, investigating dynamic cerebral autoregulation and endothelial dysfunction in preeclampsia.

 

Valentina Bucher

Valentina Bucher

PhD student

Valentina is a PhD candidate with Lina Bergman at the University of Gothenburg.

 

Karusha Knipe

Karusha Knipe

Bsc Biochemistry and physiology, MD, Specialist Obstetrician Gynaecologist, Phd candidate

Research:
Cerebral autoregulation in pre-eclampsia

Karusha is a consultant obstetrician gynaecologist in clinical practice at Tygerberg Hospital a large tertiary centre based in Cape Town, as well as a senior lecturer at Stellenbosch University.

 

Erica Wesslén

Erica Wesslén

MD, PhD applicant

Erica is a final-year resident of obstetrics and gynecology at Sahlgrenska university hospital, with an MD from Gothenburg University.

 

Nicole Wallin

Nicole Wallin

PhD applicant

Nicole holds a medical degree from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg. She has been involved in the GO-PROVE study since her summer internship in 2021 and continued to work part-time with the study.

 

Malin Andersson

Malin Andersson

MD

Research:
PhD student in GO-PROVE

Malin is a senior consultant in Anesthesiology and Intensive Care at Östra sjukhuset/ Sahlgrenska University Hospital Gothenburg, Sweden.

 

Research coordinators

Pia Gudmundsson

Pia Gudmundsson

PhD

Pia Gudmundsson has a PhD in psychiatric epidemiology with focus on depression in women.

 

Research assistants

South Africa

Jacqui Visser

Jacqui Visser

Reserearch Nurse & Midwife

Jacqui obtained is a Research Nurse and Midwife

 

Research assistants

Sweden

 Maria MacGregor

Maria MacGregor

BBA, MMedSc

Research:
Research Assistant for GO-PROVE

Maria is a graduate student of the University of Gothenburg, where she earned a Master of Medical Science degree in Global Health.

 

Felicia Andersson

Felicia Andersson

Research Assistant

Felicia is a research assistant at Östra hospital in Gothenburg.
At the moment she is working with the Go-Prove study and PI4 study.

 

Veronika Golubinskaya

Veronika Golubinskaya

PhD

Veronika is a research assistant with Lina Bergman at the University of Gothenburg.

 

Statistician

Henrik Imberg

Henrik Imberg

PhD (Applied Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics)

Henrik Imberg is a senior biostatistician and statistical consultant at Statistiska Konsultgruppen Sweden AB, Gothenburg, Sweden.

 

Mercy Perinatal

Tu’uhevaha Kaitu’u-Lino

Tu’uhevaha Kaitu’u-Lino

BBiomedSci (hons), PhD. Associate Professor at the University of Melbourne

Research:
Laboratory studies to identify new biomarkers for Preeclampsia and to study the pathogenesis of the disease

Tu’uhevaha is head of the Diagnostics Discovery and Reverse Translation Group at the University of Melbourne and Mercy Perinatal.

 

Roxanne Hastie

Roxanne Hastie

BiomedSc, BSc (Hons), M Epi, PhD, Researcher at Mercy Perinatal and Affiliated Researcher at Uppsala University

Research:
Laboratory based studies and epidemiological studies, Principal investigator for ICE and co-investigator for PROVE

Roxanne is a research scientist dual skilled in complex laboratory and epidemiology research. Roxanne’s research aims to combine these streams to undertake translational research that reduces the burden of major pregnancy complications, including preeclampsia. Roxanne works at the University of Melbourne and Mercy Perinatal and holds an affiliated research position with Uppsala University.

Collaborating researchers

PROVE and GO PROVE

Verena Sengpiel

Verena Sengpiel

MD, Specialist Obstetrics and Gynecology, Associate Professor

Research:
Co-investigator for GoProve

Verena works as clinician at Sahlgrenska University Hospital and researcher at Gothenburg University.

Anna-Karin Wikström

Anna-Karin Wikström

MD, Specialist Obstetrics and Gynecology, Professor

Research:
Prinicpal investigator for IMPACT, principal investigator  for UPMOST, epidemiologist

Anna-Karin is a professor at Uppsala University. She works mainly with preeclampsia research in the fields of epidemiology and observational clinical studies. 

Susanne Hesselman

Susanne Hesselman

MD, PhD, Senior Consultant Ob/Gyn Falun Hospital, Sweden

Research:
Epidemiological studies of preeclampsia and labour, affiliated researcher at Uppsala University

Susanne’s research focuses on epidemiological studies of adverse pregnancy outcomes in the Swedish national and quality registers.

Isabella Björkman-Burtscher

Isabella Björkman-Burtscher

MD, Professor in Neuroradiology

Research:
Co-investigator for GO PROVE

Isabella is a professor in Neuroradiology at Sahlgrenska Academy and in charge for the MR protocol in GO PROVE/UPMOST together with Johan Wikström.

Eduard Langenegger

Eduard Langenegger

MD, PhD. Subspecialist in Maternal Fetal-Medicine and Obstetric Critical Care

Research:
Co-investigator for Prove

Eduard is a clinician and researcher. He established an obstetric critical care unit (OOCU) at Tygerberg Hospital, University of Stellenbosch.

 

Helen Elden

Helen Elden

Professor

Research:
Co-investigator for GO PROVE

Helen Elden is a full professor in reproductive and perinatal health and a senior consultant university midwife at the institute of health and caring sciences and the department of obstetrics and gynecology, The Sahlgrenska academy, University of Gothenburg, Sahlgrenska university hospital, Gothenburg. 

 

Karolina Lindén

Karolina Lindén

RNRM, PhD, Associate Professor

Karolina Lindén is a midwife (RNRM), and an associate professor in reproductive and perinatal health, at University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

 

Pauli van Heerden

Pauli van Heerden

Obstetrician and Gynaecologist

Pauli van Heerden is a Stellenbosch University-trained Obstetrician and Gynaecologist and is currently pursuing a sub-specialisation in Maternal-Fetal Medicine in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Tygerberg Hospital.

 

David Hall

David Hall

Professor

David Hall is Professor and Principal Specialist in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Stellenbosch University and Tygerberg Hospital.

 

Ronney Panerai

Ronney Panerai

Professor

Research:
Participates in the studies of cerebral autoregulation in PROVE, GO PROVE and UPMOST

Professor Panerai is an expert in the field of cerebral autoregulation and participates in the studies of cerebral autoregulation in PROVE, GO PROVE and UPMOST

 

Collaborating researchers

Pharamacokinetics

Helmuth Reuter

Helmuth Reuter

Professor, Head of Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Stellenbosch University

Research:
Pharmacokinetics studies for preeclampsia treatment

Helmuth Reuter is a professor of internal medicine and clinical pharmacology, currently heading the Division of Clinical Pharmacology (at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences) at Stellenbosch University.

 

Eric Decloedt

Eric Decloedt

Associate Professor, Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Stellenbosch University

Research:
Co-investigator for Preeclampsia Intervention trials, Pharmacokinetics studies for preeclampsia treatment

Eric Decloedt is an associate professor and a medical specialist in clinical pharmacology.

 

Collaborating researchers

Pre-clinical studies

Ralf Dechend

Ralf Dechend

Obstetrician and Gynaecologist

Ralf is a specialist in internal medicine since 2001 and cardiology and is currently working as a professor of internal medicine at HELIOS Clinic Berlin Buch and the Experimental and Clinical Research Center, Charité and Max-Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine in Berlin.

 

Olivia Nonn

Olivia Nonn

MD, PhD

Olivia Nonn received both her MD and PhD degrees at the Medical University of Graz (Austria), working with placentology experts Prof. Berthold Huppertz and Prof. Martin Gauster.

 

Carlos Escudero Orozco

Carlos Escudero Orozco

MD, PhD (Biomedical Sciences), Full-professor Universidad del Bio Bio

Research:
In vitro studies of the vasculature in preeclampsia with material from PROVE, GO PROVE and UPMOST focusing on brain endothelial cells  

Carlos Escudero is a vascular physiologist. His current area of interest is to understand the potential negative consequences of preeclampsia in the brain vascular formation and the integrity of the blood-brain barrier in mother and babies exposed to preeclampsia.

Susanne Lager

Susanne Lager

MSc, PhD, Associate Professor

Research:
Co-investigator for UPMOST

Susanne Lager is a Senior Lecture in laboratory science at the Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Uppsala University, Sweden.