Research at Oslo University Hospital

In order to stimulate excellent research and draw attention to the hospital's research activity, Oslo University Hospital reward outstanding publications every half-year.

Six research groups were awarded for their excellent papers published during the second half-year of 2018 on June 7th in the large auditorium at Ullevål sykehus. Each group received NOK 50.000 for use in further research. The prize winners gave short presentations.

The six selected articles are of especially high quality, and they present important finding on both-short and long-term scales. The works reflect the good quality and the interdisciplinarity that characterises several research environments at Oslo University Hospital. The research is a fundamental condition for the institution to maintain and strenghten the quality in the patient treatment.

Clinical studies require a large amount of support. Many different professions work together towards a common goal, to deliver a study of good quality with reliable results.

Each year on the 20^thof May, clinical studies are celebrated in honor of James Lind who conducted the first controlled study on sailors and scurvy. Krisina Schee (left) and Elin Westerheim from the Clinical Trial Unit at Oslo University Hospital the has written a blog where they illuminate the support staff and the different roles involved in a clinical study.

Johanna Olweus, Head of Dept of Cancer Immunology at the Institute for Cancer Research, OUS Radiumhospitalet, and Professor at the University of Oslo, was May 21 elected member of the executive board of CIMT during the CIMT 2019 conference for 900 participants in Mainz, Germany.
CIMT is the largest and most influential organization for Cancer Immunotherapy in Europe, and has had major global impact in the field. The board contains of a handful of world-renowned immunologists. 

Tor Erik Rusten is heading the Tumor-Host Biology research group at the Department of Molecular Cell Biology at the Institute for Cancer Research. His research on autophagy has recently (May 23rd) been presented in a feature article in popular science form, published on the Oslo University Hospital home page (in Norwegian), entitled "Autophagy - Hope or Threat to Cancer Patients?".

Clinical trials play an important part in the development of new drugs. These trials are usually performed on a selected patient population in order to focus on the drug’s effect on the target indication. Hospital researchers may, however, see the need for clinical trials on a more diverse population, e.g. patients with additional diagnoses, or within areas that are not relevant for, or prioritised by, the pharmaceutical industry. The purpose might be to reduce drug consumption, finding new indications for existing drugs or identifying the most cost-effective treatments. Consequently, hospital researchers, trial staff and the patients participating in clinical trials all contribute to improved patient treatment and ensuring that health resources are spent wisely.

In connection with the "Clinical Trials Day" 2019 Ellen Johnsen and Martha Colban, Research Support  at Oslo University Hospital, have written a blog (in Norwegian) entitled " Clinical Trials – more than new drugs".

A recent international large-scale study that included NORMENT has identified new genes in the human DNA that increase the risk of developing bipolar disorder.

The results were recently published in the prestigious journal Nature Genetics. Professor Ole A. Andreassen from the Division of Mental Health and Addiction at OUH and NORMENT was among the leaders of the study, and 13 NORMENT researchers and Norwegian collaborators also contributed.

Radforsk is an evergreen investor focusing on companies that develop cancer treatment. Since its start-up in 1986, Radforsk has ploughed NOK 200 million of its profit back into cancer research at Oslo University Hospital. This year, four researchers will be awarded a total of NOK 4.5 million. One of them is Anette Weyergang, who will receive NOK 3.75 million over a three-year period.