Dr. Ole Saetrum Opgaard
MD, PhD, FACE
Assistant Professor in Clinical Medicine, UCI
Dr. Ole Saetrum Opgaard went to medical school at Westfalische Wilhelms-University in Munster, West-Germany. He continued his specialty training in his native Norway and Sweden, and is board certified in Internal Medicine and in Endocrinology in both countries. While working as an endocrinologist at the University Hospital of Lund and Malmo, he also participated in endocrinology research at the University of Lund, Sweden, as well as at the Erasmus University of Rotterdam, The Netherlands. He has presented some of his research, with focus on the role of Neuropeptides in the cardiovascular circulation, at the yearly scientific sessions of the American Heart Association, and he has more than 20 publications in peer-reviewed international scientific journals. He has summarized some of his research in the book "Neurovascular Interactions" (chapter "Modern Visualization of The Endothelium").
His long-time research-collaborator, Professor Lars Edvinsson, who is the President of the International Headache Society, is considered to be one of the world leading researchers in the area of migraine. His discoveries of the role of Neuropeptides in the cerebral circulation, where they can induce migraines through changes in vessel tone, have led to new treatment modalities and drugs. This is a striking example of how knowledge of cardiovascular regulation can have implications for various organs and diseases.
Dr. Saetrum Opgaard came to the United States with an invitation to do hormonal research at the University of California, Irvine, sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In order to become a licensed physician in the US, he completed the United States Medical Licensing Exams (USMLE), followed by the necessary Internship- and Residency training. Immediately afterwards, he completed a two-year Fellowship in Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism at the University of California, Irvine, where he is presently an Assistant Clinical Professor.
His main areas of expertise are hormonal disturbances and diabetes, and he has extensive experience in the treatment of thyroid, pituitary and adrenal diseases. His research background has enabled him to better understand the mechanisms of the disease process and the various ways treatment modalities work.
Hospital Affiliations
Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center
UC Irvine Medical Center