معرفی
Helle F Jørgensen is an Associate Professor at the University of Cambridge, based at the Victor Phillip Dahdaleh Heart and Lung Research Institute (VPD-HLRI). She is a Principal Investigator in the Cardiovascular and Respiratory Medicine (CaRM) section of the Department of Medicine and a key member of the Cambridge Cardiovascular Interdisciplinary Research Centre and the British Heart Foundation (BHF) Cambridge Centre of Excellence.
Dr. Jørgensen earned her PhD in molecular biology from Aarhus University in 2000 under Professor Brian Clarke. Her postdoctoral training included research on DNA-methylation-binding factors with Professor Sir Adrian Bird at the University of Edinburgh and investigations into transcription factors and epigenetic mechanisms in embryonic stem cell maintenance with Professor Dame Amanda G Fisher at the London Institute of Medical Research.
Her research focuses on vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) plasticity and heterogeneity in vascular health and disease. She has demonstrated that a small number of pre-existing VSMCs undergo extensive proliferative expansion to generate the majority of cells in atherosclerotic lesions, with similar clonal expansion observed in other vascular disease models. Using single-cell transcriptome profiling, her group has revealed substantial VSMC heterogeneity both in lesions and healthy arteries. This work has significant implications for understanding VSMC behavior and developing selective targeting strategies for disease-associated VSMCs.
Her laboratory employs single-cell approaches, lineage tracing, and global epigenetic profiling to study how gene expression programs are regulated and impact phenotypic plasticity in genetic disease models and human tissue. They investigate how VSMCs contribute to atherosclerosis development, the disease underlying heart attack and stroke, with focus on how these cells downregulate their contractile phenotype in response to injury and inflammation.
- British Heart Foundation Senior Basic Science Research Fellow
Dr. Jørgensen's work has important translational implications for cardiovascular medicine. Her research on VSMC heterogeneity and clonal expansion provides critical insights into atherosclerosis pathogenesis and identifies potential therapeutic targets. As part of the BHF Cambridge Centre of Excellence, her research contributes to the broader mission of improving cardiovascular and lung health worldwide through collaborative research across university, NHS, commercial, and charitable sectors.
The Jorgensen Group operates within the Victor Phillip Dahdaleh Heart and Lung Research Institute, a state-of-the-art facility that brings together researchers and clinicians to advance understanding of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Her work bridges fundamental molecular mechanisms with clinical applications in vascular medicine.
