By Marianne Fuglsang Welling Farsinsen, AAU Communication and Public Affairs Translated by LeeAnn Iovanni, AAU Communication and Public Affairs

Professor Peter J. Schwartz is one of the world's most influential cardiologists in ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. For more than 50 years, he has been involved in the study of the congenital long QT syndrome, a particularly dangerous ventricular cardiac arrhythmia, an area in which he is recognized worldwide. He also heads the International Calmodulinopathy Registry which attempts to collect all known arrhythmia/disease-associated calmodulin mutations.

Collaboration and science with impact

Through interdisciplinary collaboration with research groups at AAU, Professor Peter J. Schwartz has demonstrated the power and impact of combining basic and clinical science. The value of the collaboration is clear in a highly publicized recent lawsuit from Australia. In 2021, Peter J. Schwartz, along with AAU’s Professor Mette Nyegaard, Department of Health Science and Technology, and Professor Michael Toft Overgaard, Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, published a research article in the renowned EP Europace that since underpinned 'The Australian Case' where a woman after being incarcerated for 20 years – convicted of strangling her four children – was recently pardoned and released.

Professor Michael Toft Overgaard, Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, talks about the case:

"The pardon comes after a court hearing where we presented our scientific data describing the effect of a calmodulin mutation that the two daughters carried, and where we, in conjunction with Peter J. Schwartz, presented the particular conditions that apply to the calmodulin genes. A classic example of 'Knowledge for the World' and science having an impact. The case has also given the Australian Academy of Science a boost in terms of changing the legal system. They are working to establish special scientific councils that can help appoint scientists with the right skills as expert witnesses in particularly complicated cases," explains Michael Toft Overgaard.

The case has further strengthened the collaboration with Peter Schwartz and his group in Milan – a collaboration that will be supported for the next four years by a joint grant from the Novo Nordisk Foundation's Tandem Program: "The Calmodulinopathy Research Program: Unraveling the Mechanistic Link between Calmodulin Mutations and Clinical Phenotypes".

"It is a great privilege to help honour Professor Peter J. Schwartz with his award of the honorary doctorate at AAU. Peter J. Schwartz is a prominent, world-leading researcher in cardiac arrhythmia, bridging fundamental genetic understanding with clinical experience. His curiosity-driven scientific approach has questioned established dogmas, solved significant challenges, and has provided unequivocal experimental, clinical and molecular connections between the autonomic nervous system, long QT syndrome (LQTS) and sudden cardiac death. Peter's work has had a major impact in terms of early diagnosis and clinical care, with broad implications in cardiology. I am really looking forward to the anniversary celebration with the award of an honorary doctorate to Peter J. Schwartz," concludes Professor Michael Toft Overgaard, Department of Chemistry and Bioscience.