Dr. Monika Østensen_

Biography Dr. Monika Østensen

Dr. Østensen has been Professor of Rheumatology and Head of the Department of Rheumatology at the University Hospital of Trondheim Norway from 1991 – 99 where she founded the Center for Mothers with Rheumatic Disease. During the following 10 years she established and was head of the Center for Preconceptional Counselling and Pregnancy in Patients with Rheumatic Diseases at the University Hospital of Bern, Switzerland. From 2011 to 2022 Dr. Østensen was consultant for the High-Risk Pregnancy Unit, Department of Rheumatology, at Sørlandet hospital in Kristiansand Dr. Østensen has been the convenor of the Eular task force‘Points to consider for use of Antirheumatic drugs before pregnancy and during pregnancy and lactation’. Dr. Østensen has been a member of the Eular task force: “Recommendations for the management of family planning, assisted reproduction, gestation, delivery and menopause in patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Antiphospholipid Syndrome”. Dr. Østensen is a honorary member of the Norwegian, the Swiss and the German Society of Rheumatology.

Dr. Østensen has organized 3 International Pregnancy Conferences, several conferences on disease pathology in rheumatic diseases and annual courses on Pregnancy and Rheumatic Disease. She has published numerous articles in peer reviewed journals, written chapters for Rheumatology books, co-edited two books on pregnancy in rheumatic disease, and written patient information booklets.

Dr. Østensen’s research has focused on the effect of pregnancy on rheumatic diseases, the immunology of pregnancy, and therapy during pregnancy and lactation.