Ingrid Ljungvall

Associate Professor / Senior Lecturer (Universitetslektor) in Small Animal Veterinary Medicine at the Department of Clinical Sciences, SLU. Responsibilities include teaching veterinary students, clinical practice at the University Animal Hospital (UDS), conducting independent and collaborative research, and engaging in public outreach and third-stream activities.

My research focuses on advancing the understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases in companion animals, with a particular emphasis on cardiac conditions. Heart disease is one of the most common causes of morbidity and mortality in dogs and cats, affecting approximately 10% of the global pet population. These conditions often lead to reduced quality of life and premature death, underscoring the need for improved prevention, early detection, and therapeutic strategies. My main research interests include myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) and primary and secondary dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs, as well as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM) in cats. I am particularly interested in optimizing diagnostic methods for heart disease—including echocardiographic and auscultatory assessments—and in evaluating various circulating biomarkers, as well as other “biomarkers” such as respiratory rate, which can be monitored at home by pet owners.
Beyond cardiology, my research spans a broad and interdisciplinary spectrum, including internal medicine, surgery, genetics, proteomics, pathology, biomedical engineering, and machine learning. Through a comparative and translational lens, I address both fundamental and applied research questions relevant to clinical practice, education, and One Health.

Highest education qualification

Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) and Master of Science (MSc) at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, SLU, Uppsala, Sweden, December 1999.

Degree of Doctor of veterinary medicine (PhD) in veterinary medicine (Veterinärmedicine doctor, VMD) at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, SLU, Uppsala, Sweden. Thesis successfully defended May 27th, 2011. Thesis title: The left ventricle in dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease -remodeling and overall performance. 

Docent in Small Animal Veterinary Cardiology at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, SLU, Uppsala, Sweden, June 2016.

Distinguished University teacher/excellent teacher, SLU, Uppsala, Sweden, June 2021.

Veterinary Specialist degrees

Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ECVIM-CA) in Cardiology (and thereby an EBVS®awarded European veterinary specialist in Cardiology). Awarded by the ECVIM- CA/EBVS.

National Veterinary Specialist in Cardiology (steg II). Awarded by the Swedish Board of Agriculture.

Prizes and Awards

Award by the Royal Academy of Agriculture and Forestry for outstanding doctoral thesis, presented by the Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf at Stockholm City Hall, Sweden 2013.

Award from the Swedish Veterinary Association (Distriktsveterinär Hjalmar Håkanssons stipendiestiftelse) for a prominent PhD thesis, 2013.

Pedagogic Award from the Student Union of Veterinary Medicine (VMF), SLU, Uppsala, Sweden, 2012.

Honorary Member/guest

Guest of Honor: Elected to serve as a guest of honor at the graduation ceremony and deliver a speech on behalf of the teachers at the Faculty. Veterinary Students’ Graduation Class 2025, SLU, Uppsala.
 
Honorary Member: Elected as Honorary member and to participate in the graduation ceremony as a guest of honor and deliver a speech on behalf of the teachers at the Faculty. Veterinary Students’ Graduation Class 2018, SLU, Uppsala.

Supervised PhD students 

Throughout my academic career, I have had the privilege of supervising several PhD students, both as main and assistant supervisor. These projects have primarily focused on veterinary cardiology, internal medicine, and related disciplines—often with translational relevance and a comparative perspective. Several of the projects aim to improve diagnostics, deepen understanding of disease mechanisms, or optimize treatment strategies, with potential benefits for both animal and human health. The research is frequently conducted in collaboration with national and international partners, including universities, animal hospitals, and industry stakeholders. 

Supervised PhD students who have received a PhD degree

Main supervisor for DVM Yu-Wen Kuo, SLU. Thesis title: Echos across the globe: Insights into left atrial size assessment in dogs and cats. Preferences, measurements, and observer variation among veterinary echocardiographers. Thesis successfully defended October 2024. 

Assistant supervisor to DVM Cecilia Rohdin, SLU. Thesis title: Phenotypic and genotypic characterization of a myelopathy in Pugs: A journey from “wobbly pugs” to pug dog myelopathy.  Thesis successfully defended January 2023.

Assistant supervisor to DVM Sofia Hanås, SLU. Thesis titel: Cardiac biomarkers in cats: Associations with feline characteristics and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.  Thesis successfully defended: January 2022.

Main supervisor for DVM Lena Pelander, SLU. Thesis titel: Chronic kidney disease in the dog. Pathophysiological mechanisms and diagnostic aspects. Thesis successfully defended: May 2018.

PhD students that I currently supervise

Main supervisor to DVM Karin Kriström, SLU. Project titel: Taurine blood concentrations in Cocker Spaniel dogs with or without dilated cardiomyopathy. 
 
Main supervisor to DVM Sorawit Phetariyawong, SLU. Project title: Deciphering the mechanisms underlying myxomatous mitral valve disease and dilated cardiomyopathy in dogs.

Assistant supervisor to DVM Johanna Holmberg, SLU. Project title: Breed disposition and clinical laboratory variables in dogs with chronic inflammatory enteropathy.
 
Assistant supervisor to DVM Maria Dimopoulou, SLU. Project title: Brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome in the dog. 
 
Assistant supervisor to DVM Elisa Välimäki, University of Helsinki, Finland. Project title: Echocardiographic and radiographic cardiac findings in healthy dogs and asymptomatic dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease sedated with medetomidine-vatinoxan combinations

Supervised Master (MSc) thesis students
I have supervised a total of 34 veterinary students undertaking their Master’s thesis projects. The projects span a wide range of topics within small animal cardiology, internal medicine, clinical diagnostics, and related disciplines. Many of these theses have been based on clinical material collected at SLU or in collaboration with private animal hospitals, and some have laid the foundation for continued research at PhD level. My role as supervisor has included guiding students in scientific writing, research methodology, and critical thinking, with an emphasis on clinical relevance and scientific rigor. 

Scientific merits:

Approximately 100 peer-reviewed publications (published and accepted), in addition to several publications in non-peer-reviewed journals and more than 100 abstracts and proceedings presented at international conferences.

10 selected publications in international peer reviewed journals

1. Ljungvall I, Ahlstrom C, Höglund K, Hult P, Kvart C, Borgarelli M, Ask P, Häggström J. Use of signal analysis of heart sounds and murmurs to assess severity of mitral valve regurgitation attributable to myxomatous mitral valve disease i dogs. Am J Vet Res. 2009 May;70(5):604-13. doi: 10.2460/ajvr.70.5.604

2. Ljungvall I, Höglund K, Tidholm A, Olsen LH, Borgarelli M, Venge P, Häggström J. Cardiac troponin I is associated with severity of myxomatous mitral valve disease, age, and C-reactive protein in dogs. J Vet Intern Med. 2010 Jan-Feb;24(1):153-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1939-1676.2009.0428.x.

3. Ljungvall I, Höglund K, Carnabucci C, Tidholm A, Häggström J. Assessment of global and regional left ventricular volume and shape using real-time three-dimensional echocardiography in dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease. J Vet Intern Med. 2011 Sep-Oct;25(5):1036-43. doi: 10.1111/j.1939-1676.2011.0774.x. Epub 2011 Aug 16.

4. Ljungvall I, Rishniw M, Porciello F, Häggström J, Ohad DG. Sleeping respiratory rates in apparently healthy adult cats and cats with subclinical heart disease. J Fel Med Surg 2014;16:281-290. doi: 10.1177/1098612X13508940

5. Ljungvall I, Rishniw M, Porciello F, Ferasin L, Ohad D. Murmur intensity in small-breed dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease reflects disease severity. J Small Anim Pract. 2014 Nov;55(11):545-50. doi: 10.1111/jsap.12265. Epub 2014 Sep 12.

6. Häggström J, Andersson Å, Falk T, Nilsfors L, OIsson U, Kresken JG, Höglund K, Rishniw M, Tidholm A, Ljungvall I. Effect of body weight on echocardiographic measurements in 19 866 screened pure-bred cats with or without heart disease. J Vet Intern Med. 2016 Sep;30(5):1601-1611. doi: 10.1111/jvim.14569. Epub 2016 Aug 30.

7. Axelsson E, Ljungvall I, Bhoumik P, Bas Conn L, Muren E, Ohlsson Å, Ohlsen LH, Engdahl K, Hagman R, Hanson J, Kryvokhyzha D, Pettersson M, Grenet O, Moggs J, Del Rio-Espinola A, Epe C, Taillon B, Tawari N, Mane S, Hawkins T, Hedhammar Å, Gruet P, Häggström J, Lindblad-Toh K. The genetic consequences of dog breed formation -accumulation of deleterious genetic variation and fixation of mutations associated with myxomatous mitral valve disease in cavalier King Charles spaniels. PLOS Gen 2021;17:e1009726

8. Niskanen JE, Ohlsson Å, Ljungvall I, Drögemüller M,  Ernst RF, Dooijes D, van Deutekom HWM, van Tintelen JP, Snijders BloK CJB, van Vugt M, van Setten J, Asselbergs FW, Domanjko Petrič A, Salonen M, Hundi S, Hörtenhuber M, DoGA consortium, Kere J, Pyle WG, Donner J, Postma AV, Leeb T, Andersson G, Hytönen MK, Häggström J, Wiberg M, Friederich J, Eberhard J, Harakalova M, van Steenbeek FG, Wess G, Lohi H. Identification of novel genetic risk factors of dilated cardiomyopathy: from canine to human. Genome Medicine. Genome Med 15, 73 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13073-023-01221-3

9. Kuo, MYW, Häggström, J, Gordon S, Höglund K, Cote E, Lu TL, Dirven M, Rishniw M, Hung YW, Ljungvall I. An international survey of preferences for echocardiographic assessment of left atrial size in dogs: The BENEFIT Project. J Vet Card, Available online 10 Nov 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvc.2023.11.002

10. Kriström K, Häggström J, Fascetti A, Dirven M, Ström L, Tidholm A, Yu J, Sjödal Essén T, Pion P, Ljungvall I. The association between taurine concentrations and dog characteristics, clinical variables, and diet in English cocker spaniels: The Canine taURinE (CURE) project. J Vet Intern Med. 2024 Sep-Oct;38(5):2620-2632. doi: 10.1111/jvim.17150. Epub 2024 Aug 13.

Textbook chapters

1. Ljungvall I, Häggström J. Valvular Heart Disease in Adult Dogs. In: Ettinger SJ, Feldman E, Cote E eds. Textbook of Veterinary Internal Medicine. Diseases of Dogs and Cats. 9th ed. 2024 Elsevier, pp. 1348-1366.

2. Ljungvall I, Häggström J. Infective endocarditis. In: Bussadori C, ed. Textbook of cardiovascular medicine in dogs and cats, 1sr Ed, Edra Publishing, 2023, pp. 323-336.

3. Ljungvall I, Häggström J. Myxomatous valvular disease. In: Bussadori C, ed. Textbook of cardiovascular medicine in dogs and cats, 1sr Ed, Edra Publishing, 2023, pp. 285-317.

4. Ljungvall I, Häggström J. Myxomatous Atrioventricular Valve Disease. In: Blackwell’s Veterinary Five Minute Consult, 7th Ed., Eds: Sleeper, M.M, and Brainard, B.M, Wiley Blackwell, 2020.

5. Ljungvall I, Häggström J. Approach to the patient with suspected cardiovascular disease. In: Bryette D, ed. Clinical small animal internal Medicine, 1st Ed., Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and sons inc, 2020, pp 119-125.

6. Ljungvall I, Häggström J. Adult-Onset Valvular Heart Disease. In: Ettinger SJ, Feldman E, Cote E eds. Textbook of Veterinary Internal Medicine. Diseases of Dogs and Cats. 8th ed. 2017 Elsevier, pp. 1249-1269.

7. Ljungvall I, Häggström J. Mitral/tricuspid regurgitation due to myxomatous valve degeneration. In Cote E, ed. Clinical Veterinary Advisor, 4th Ed., St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Mosby, 2017, pp. 658-661.

8. Ljungvall I, Häggström J. Myxomatous Atrioventricular Valve Disease. In: Blackwell’s Veterinary Five Minute Consult, 6th Ed., Eds: Tilley L. P, Smith, F. W.K, 2015, pp. 155-157.

9. Ljungvall I, Häggström J. Mitral/tricuspid regurgitation due to myxomatous valve degeneration. In Cote E. Clinical Veterinary Advisor, 3rd Ed., St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Mosby, 2015, pp. 668-671.