Troels Korshøj Bergmann, Professor of Clinical Pharmacology

By Tomas Homburg, thomburg@health.sdu.dk, 5/15/2024

This is a combination position, where he is also a consultant with service at both Esbjerg Hospital and at Pharmacology, Odense University Hospital.
The focus of Troels K. Bermann's professorship is to research the reasons why drugs have different effects on patients. The rate at which patients metabolise drugs varies greatly, and sensitivity to the effects of drugs is also highly variable. The consequence is that there is a big difference in how the patients benefit from the medication, but also how many side effects they have. And the two things don't have to be connected.

By investigating the reasons for this, e.g. by measuring the concentration of drugs in the blood, it is possible to adjust the dosage of drugs so that a better balance can be achieved between effect and side effects. Troels K. Bergmann's research is patient-oriented, which means that it deals with challenges in patients and is aimed at improving clinical practice. In addition to research, Troels K. Bermann will teach clinical pharmacology at the new medical programme at Esbjerg Hospital in the new professorship, which is a great pleasure for him.

After his internship, Troels K. Bergmann was employed at Middelfart Hospital and at the cancer department at Odense University Hospital. At that time, his interest in research had long since been aroused, as he already published his first articles as a medical student. One of the work was done by Professor Dr. Med. Kim Brøsen from Clinical Pharmacology at the University of Southern Denmark. It turned out to be a watershed for his career, so when he searched for topics for his PhD thesis at the cancer department, he chose a pharmacological angle, namely to investigate the reasons why there is such a big difference in how patients with ovarian cancer respond to chemotherapy. The study became a close collaboration between clinical pharmacology, which would turn out to be his own specialty, and clinical oncology (cancer treatment).

Troels K. Bergmann was on a research stay at the University of Queensland in Australia, where he worked for a year and a half on research into immunosuppressive treatment of kidney transplant patients. After returning home in 2012, he completed his training as a specialist by employing him at the medical department in Aabenraa, at the renal department in Odense, and at the clinical pharmacology departments in Odense and Aarhus. In 2014, he became a clinical associate professor at the University of Southern Denmark. As a newly qualified specialist, he was employed at Odense University Hospital in 2015 with a part-time position at Esbjerg Hospital. He has held this position ever since - and from 2017 as a consultant.

Troels K. Bergmann has taught at the specialist training programme in clinical pharmacology since 2015. He has been Chairman of the Board of the Danish Society of Clinical Pharmacology from 2016 to 2018. He has also been Secretary General of the European Association of Specialist Doctors' Section for Pharmacology since 2016. In addition, he is editor of the scientific journal Basic & Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology since 2017.

About Troels K. Bergmann

Troels K. Bergmann was born in Hørsholm on 16 February 1972. He graduated from Viby County High School in Aarhus in 1992, and he graduated in medicine from the University of Southern Denmark in 2001. He lives in Middelfart with his wife and their youngest son; The eldest son has moved away from home. In his spare time, he spends time with family, friends or sees old high school friends. He is also an avid jogger and enjoys computer and board games.