Anne-Marie Heegaard

Anne-Marie Heegaard is a Professor in the Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, where she leads research in translational and clinical pharmacology with specialization in bone pain mechanisms and treatment approaches.

Dr. Heegaard earned her M.D. (cand.med.) and Ph.D. from the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, with additional research experience including a postdoctoral fellowship at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, USA (1990-1993) and a research stay at University College London funded by the Danish Research Council (1986-1987).

Her primary research focuses on translational investigation of treatment mechanisms for malignant and non-malignant bone pain, with specific expertise in cancer-induced pain, Vitamin D metabolism, bone diseases, and in vivo optical imaging techniques. Her work bridges basic pharmacological research with clinical applications, particularly in understanding pain pathways in skeletal disorders and developing targeted interventions.

Analysis of her recent publications (2024-2025) reveals a strong interdisciplinary focus spanning multiple myeloma bone pain, fibrous dysplasia, X-Linked Hypophosphatemia, and computational approaches to analgesic development. Her research consistently demonstrates international collaboration across pain research, oncology, endocrinology, and pharmacology, with particular emphasis on identifying nociceptive mechanisms and developing translational models that connect laboratory findings with clinical pain management.

• Member of the board of the Danish Society for Pain Research
• Former member (2006-2012) of the board of the Danish Society for Pharmacology, Toxicology and Medicinal Chemistry
• Member of the Academic Council at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen (2006-2013)
• Member of the board of the Graduate Programme in Skeletal Science at University of Copenhagen
• Organizing committee member for Center of Advanced Bioimaging (CAB) Denmark

Dr. Heegaard has been instrumental in organizing major scientific meetings including the international "Image analysis and in vivo pharmacology" conferences (Roskilde 2005, 2007), Danish Pharmacology meetings (2007, 2008), and the Scandinavian pain meeting (2009), demonstrating her leadership role in the pain research community.