Jan Hedner receives European sleep award

The award is given every two years at the society's scientific meeting, which this time took place in Seville, Spain.

“It was truly an experience to be recognized by ESRS. For me, it's confirmation that we've accomplished something meaningful in this field after many years of research”, says Jan Hedner, who is a senior professor in respiratory medicine at the Institute of Medicine.

Sleep apnea is a risk factor for several serious diseases, such as high blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke.

Tremendous development

Jan Hedner notes that sleep research has developed tremendously in recent years, both in terms of diagnostic methods and treatments.

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“This trend is not stopping here and now. On the contrary, we can expect further simplified methods for recognition and diagnosis. A range of new treatment methods is also on the horizon.”

“Our research is currently in an intensive phase where we are seeking medications that could be useful for nighttime breathing disorders. We also have a program aimed at identifying subgroups of patients where we can more specifically tailor treatment on an individual basis. This is called personalized therapy. A very exciting area.”

Significant contribution

Jan Hedner earned his PhD in pharmacology and has focused throughout his career on how breathing is controlled by the central nervous system. In its citation, ESRS notes that Jan Hedner has made a significant contribution to the development of sleep care over the years. He has also established the European sleep apnea database (ESADA), which is the largest sleep apnea database in the world with over 43,000 patients. He has authored more than 310 scientific papers on respiratory regulation and sleep apnea, with a special focus on cardiovascular diseases and various therapeutic interventions.