Institute for Cancer Research

Kjetil Taskén
Institute head

Institute for Cancer Research has since its foundation in 1954 played a central role within the field of cancer research both in Norway and internationally. The Institute has seven research departments and more than 320 employees, master students included. About 70% of the employees and projects are externally funded. Read more

See introductory video with welcome to the ICR 

See full video covering all of ICR and its Departments 

Publication overview

Annual reports

 

Current news and events

OUS Researcher Awards 2023Excellent researcher awards to Halvorsen, Kryeziu and Skjerven

From left: Kryeziu, Halvorsen and Skjerven
From left: Kryeziu, Halvorsen and Skjerven

Three Oslo University Hospital scientists received prestigous awards for their outstanding research on Friday June 9th.
The major prize - the "Excellent Researcher Award" - went to Bente Halvorsen. Kushtrim Kryeziu and Håvard O. Skjerven both received the "Early Career Award".
The prize money - 300.000 and 150.000 NOK respectively - is earmarked for research activities.

The awards are distributed anually in order to honour excellent scientific work. The awarding process is organized by the hospital's research committee, while an external Scientific Advisory Board has evaluated the candidates. 

The Pseudovax project presented by Kjersti Flatmark during handover to the Minister of Health

Kjersti Flatmark during her presentation
Kjersti Flatmark during her presentation

On Friday 26 May, the Minister of Health and Care Services Ingvild Kjerkol received a report from the regional health trust with national key figures and a mention of the best research and innovation projects in the hospitals in 2022.
The Pseudovax project was chosen as one of several important research projects to be presented in this national report. And this specific project was earlier this year selected as the project from our health trust to be presented in connection with the submission of the report to the Minister of Health. Kjersti was invited to give a 12 min oral presentation together with one project from each of the other health regions in connection with the report being handed over to the Minister of Health and Care Services.

PhD defences on transcriptomics of colorectal cancer and molecular pathology of prostate cancer

Over the past week, two PhD candidates from the Department of Molecular Oncology successfully defended their theses at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo.

On June 2nd, M.D. Mari Bogaard presented her PhD thesis titled "On the hunt for improved biomarkers in primary prostate cancer – combining morphological features and molecular changes".

One week earlier, on May 26th, M.Sc. S. Hossein Moosavi defended his thesis on the "Clinical implications of transcriptomic and pharmacological tumor heterogeneity of metastatic colorectal cancers".

Kjetil Taskén is awarded the UiO innovation prize

This year's five award winners
This year's five award winners

The University Board at the University of Oslo (UiO) annually awards prizes to scientific staff for outstanding efforts and results. Kjetil Taskén receives this year's innovation prize, and he is awarded the prize for his instrumental work in building up precision cancer medicine in Norway.
- We highlight UiO's very best researchers, communicators and teachers through these awards. This year's five award winners show that long-term, purposeful and hard work contributes to increased competence and knowledge which benefits us all, says rector Svein Stølen.

Åslaug Helland receives King Olav V's Prize for Cancer Research 2023

Ingrid Stenstadvold Ross and Åslaug Helland. Photo: Jorunn Valle Nilsen
Ingrid Stenstadvold Ross and Åslaug Helland. Photo: Jorunn Valle Nilsen

Åslaug Helland is awarded the prestigious prize for her excellent molecular and clinical research, particularly on lung cancer diagnosis and treatment and for her efforts to introduce precision oncology for all types of cancer in Norway. The prize, one million NOK, will be presented by HM King Harald V in a ceremony in Oslo on 2 May.
Helland has made important contributions in characterising and identifying target populations of patients and in understanding cancer resistance mechanisms across multiple tumour types. 

PRIME-ROSE: EU project receives 6 million EUR from EU Cancer Mission

Kjetil Taskén
Kjetil Taskén

The European Commission approved the project Precision Cancer Medicine Repurposing System Using Pragmatic Clinical Trials, PRIME-ROSE on 24 April 2023. The project will run for five years (2023-2028) and is funded by the European Commission Horizon Europe Mission on Cancer with 6 mill EUR. The consortium consists of altogether 24 partners, including nine beneficiaries and fifteen associated partners.
The pan-European PRIME-ROSE project is led by Professor Kjetil Taskén, Head of Institute for Cancer Research at Oslo University Hospital. OUH will receive about 20 mill NOK.