Maria Belland Olsen

Maria Belland Olsen is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Research Institute for Internal Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, affiliated with the University of Oslo, Faculty of Medicine. Her work bridges immunology, cardiovascular research, and reproductive medicine within two primary research groups: Immune regulation in atherosclerosis and other cardiometabolic diseases and Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

Her research focuses on Immunology, Cardiovascular Disease, and Obstetrics, with specific expertise in Microchimerism, Inflammasome activation, DNA repair mechanisms (particularly NEIL3), and atherosclerosis pathogenesis. She investigates how immune dysregulation contributes to pregnancy complications like preeclampsia, cardiovascular events, and metabolic disorders using human tissue samples and murine models. Key methodologies include molecular analysis of immune pathways, histocompatibility studies, and therapeutic intervention testing.

Analysis of her 15 most recent publications (2021-2025) reveals three dominant research trajectories: (1) Fetal microchimerism's role in pregnancy complications through histocompatibility mechanisms, (2) Complement system and inflammasome contributions to atherosclerosis progression and cardiovascular mortality, and (3) DNA repair enzymes (NEIL3) in vascular biology and metabolic phenotypes. Her work consistently demonstrates translational potential, identifying biomarkers like plasma properdin levels and therapeutic targets such as resolvin D2 and SLAMF1-derived peptides.

Dr. Olsen operates within the collaborative infrastructure of Oslo University Hospital's research ecosystem, particularly in laboratories focused on immune regulation in cardiometabolic diseases. Her current projects continue to explore the intersection of reproductive immunology and cardiovascular pathophysiology, with emphasis on molecular mechanisms that could inform clinical interventions for preeclampsia and atherosclerosis.