Emma Svennberg
Affiliated to research
M.D., Ph.D.
Specialist in Internal Medicine and Cardiology
EHRA board member
Chair EHRA Digital Committee
About me
I am combining clinical work as a physicianin the department of Cardiology at Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm, Sweden, with research in arrhythmias. The combination of clinical work and research work ensure that I always have the patients' interest at heart in my research work.
My main resarch interest is in atrial fibrillation, the most common heart rhythm disorder world-wide, affection more than 3% of the adult population. Atrial fibrillation can unfortunately cause stroke, and patients with atrial fibrillation get more severe strokes compared to patients without atrial fibrillation. Fortunately, one of the most efficient therapies known in medicine is available for patients with atrial fibrillation, which is oral anticoagulant medication. Atrial fibrillation is asymptomatic in about 30% of patients, hence both patients and doctors might be unaware of the patient being at risk of a stroke.
The research I have been involved in has mainly been screening for atrial fibrillation, in order to detect the disease early and try to prevent strokes.
Research description
In the Strokestop 1 & 2 studies we have been screening > 14 000 elderly Swedish residents for atrial fibrillation using protable ECG-devices. By screening for atrial fibrillation we have detected 3% new atrial fibrillation in the screened population. Patients with newly detected atrial fibrillation have been given stroke-protective, oral anticoagulation therapy in > 90% of cases.
Currently we are starting a new research project to determine if artificial intelligence can be of use to predict heart rhythm disorders and the consequences of heart rhythm disorders.
Education
Biomedical education, Karolinska Institutet, 1997-1999
Medical education with research direction, Karolinska Institutet, 1999-2004
PhD dissertation "Screening for atrial fibrillation in high-risk individuals - a stroke preventive effort", 2016
Research school for clinicians in Epidemiology, Karolinska Institutet, 2014-6
Teaching and learning in higher education, Karolinska Instiutet, 2018
Leading research projects, Karolinska Institutet, 2018
Academic honours, awards and prizes
AF Screen International Collaboration Steering Committee 2021-
European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) Chair digital committee 2020-
EHRA Congress Scientific Programme Committee 2020
European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) Board member m-Health co-ordinator 2018-20
European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Liaison officer Digital Health Committee 2019-
ESC Editorial Board Digital Health E-journal 2019-
Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) Digital Health Committee 2019-
President of the Cardiologists of Tomorrow's Swedish branch 2015-17
The Swedish Society of Cardiology's research award 2015, 2017