Helga Bergljot Midtbø is a cardiologist and Grieg Foundation Associate Professor at the Center for Research on Cardiac Disease in Women at the University of Bergen. Her research focuses on risk factors for the development of cardiovascular disease, with particular emphasis on women. She has extensive experience in research on autoimmune and rheumatic diseases and leads several clinical research projects in this field. In addition, she studies the impact of obesity and hypertension on cardiovascular disease development, and leads the FATCOR follow-up study. Her research combines clinical studies with imaging-based methods, particularly echocardiography and assessment of arterial stiffness, to identify early signs of cardiovascular disease.

She is an active communicator of research, with a particular focus on cardiovascular disease in women and the importance of sex and gender perspectives in medical research. Through opinion articles and interviews in national media such as Bergens Tidende and Dagens Medisin, she has highlighted the need for increased knowledge and stronger evidence on treatment effects in women.

She has also participated in public debates and professional forums on sex and gender perspectives in health research, including collaborations with Kilden Gender Research and the Norwegian Women’s Public Health Association. Through these activities, she has contributed to raising awareness of how sex differences influence disease development, treatment, and outcomes, and how research on women’s health strengthens the knowledge base for both women and men.

She is actively involved in teaching and supervision of medical students and PhD candidates and has extensive experience in researcher training. For several years, she has been engaged in NORHEART, the Norwegian national PhD school for cardiovascular research, and contributes to capacity building through national and international collaborations and professional networks.

She holds several professional roles, including Associate Editor of the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, and is actively involved in peer review.

See a complete overview of publications in NVA.