Ursula Heilmeier, MD

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Biography

Ursula Heilmeier studied medicine at the University of Regensburg Medical School, Germany funded through a scholarship from the German National Academic Foundation (Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes). After graduating from Medical School, she started her residency training in radiology at the Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) hospital in Munich and finished her doctoral thesis (Dr.med.) summa cum laude; in her thesis she investigated macrophage and dendritic cell differentiation. She then joined MQIR at UCSF as a postdoctoral scholar to study musculoskeletal aging. Her research work centers around bone and cartilage health and senescence, with an emphasis on diabetic bone disease and osteoarthritis. She received several awards for her work including the ASBMR Young Investigator Award, the ECTS New Investigator Award as well as awards from the ESCEO and the ISCD.

Publications

Chronic low-grade inflammation in patients with systemic sclerosis is associated with increased risk for arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

Analysis of Hand Joint Space Morphology in Women and Men with Hereditary Hemochromatosis.

Inflammatory arthritis in systemic sclerosis is associated with elevated C-reactive protein and requires musculoskeletal ultrasound for reliable detection.

Circulating serum microRNAs including senescent miR-31-5p are associated with incident fragility fractures in older postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Longitudinal Evolution of Bone Microarchitecture and Bone Strength in Type 2 Diabetic Postmenopausal Women With and Without History of Fragility Fractures-A 5-Year Follow-Up Study Using High Resolution Peripheral Quantitative Computed Tomography.

Central osteophytes develop in cartilage with abnormal structure and composition: data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative cohort.

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