Public defence: Susmita Afroz

Susmita Afroz will defend her PhD degree in Person, Health and Society. Her thesis explore how medical radiation is used in the care of children with congenital heart disease and provides knowledge to improve understanding about dose burden and dose trend which can contribute to assess long-term health effects.

28 May

Practical information

  • Date: 28 May 2026
  • Time: 10.00 - 15.00
  • Location: Drammen, Room A6509 and Zoom
  • Download calendar file

    • Zoom link for digital participation will come here

    Program

    10.00. Trial lecture: TBA

    12.00. Public defence: Use of ionizing radiation in a Norwegian cohort of children with congenital heart disease: imaging frequency and radiation dose for the Health Effects of Cardiac Fluoroscopy and Modern Radiotherapy in Pediatrics (HARMONIC) study

    Evaluation comittee

    • First opponent: Associate professor Anja Almén, Lund University
    • Second opponent: Docent Michael Sandborg, Linköping University
    • Chair of defence: Professor Kjell Ivar Øvergård, University of South-Eastern Norway
    • Administrator: Associate professor Bente Monica Aakre, University of South-Eastern Norway

    Supervisors

    • Principal supervisor: Professor Hilde M. Olerud, University of South-Eastern Norway
    • Co-supervisor: Bjørn Helge Østerås, Oslo University Hospital
Any questions?

Susmita Afroz is defending her thesis for the degree philosophiae doctor (PhD) at the University of South-Eastern Norway. 

Portrett av Susmita Afroz She has pursued the PhD program in Person, Health and Society at the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Department of Optometry, Radiography and Lighting Design.

You are invited to follow the trial lecture and the public defence.

  • Link to the dissertation will come here

Summary

Children born with congenital heart disease often need many medical examinations and treatments while growing up. Some of these examinations use X-rays or other forms of radiation, for example heart catheterization, CT scans, and chest X-rays. These procedures are important and often life-saving, but over time they can add up to a considerable amount of radiation exposure. Until now, it has not been well understood how much radiation children with heart disease receive in total, or how this varies by age, diagnosis, and type of examination.

This PhD project studied children with congenital heart disease in Norway over almost 50 years, from the 1970s to today. Information was collected from hospital records and imaging systems to understand how often radiation-based examinations were used and how radiation doses have changed over time. The research is part of a large European project called HARMONIC (Health Effects of Cardiac Fluoroscopy and Modern Radiotherapy in Pediatrics), which aims to better understand possible long-term health effects of medical radiation in children.

The results show that heart catheterization is the largest source of radiation exposure for children with congenital heart disease, especially for those with more complex heart conditions who need repeated procedures. Children with simpler heart defects usually undergo fewer procedures and therefore receive much lower radiation doses. The study also shows that radiation doses from heart catheterization have been reduced by more than half over the last two decades. This improvement is linked to better technology, safer equipment, and increased focus on radiation protection.

Overall, the findings show that doctors use radiation when it is medically necessary and that major efforts have been made to reduce radiation exposure over time. This research helps doctors, authorities, and parents better understand radiation use in pediatric heart care and supports safer treatment for children now and in the future.