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 380 employees. About 70% of the employees and projects are externally funded. Read more
See introductory video with welcome to the ICR
In a paper published as open access in NPJ Vaccines, Pål Kristian Selbo and coworkers demonstrate how a light-controlled vaccine technology based on photochemical internalization (PCI) can significantly enhance immune responses to both peptide- and protein-based vaccines when combined with synthetic dsRNA adjuvants. The findings support further exploration of PCI as an approach to improve therapeutic cancer vaccines and other immunotherapies.
The work has also been highlighted in a popular science article at forskning.no.
Selbo is head of the Photochemical internalisation (PCI) research group at the Department of Radiation Biology at the Institute for Cancer Research.
A new research letter published in JAMA Network Open shows that colorectal cancer has become the leading cause of cancer-related death among adults younger than 50 years in Norway.
Recommended sites for current OUS research news:
From Oslo University Hospital, in Norwegian:
OUS Innsikt – ny forskning, innovasjon og behandling - channel for science communication
More news from OUS (oslo-universitetssykehus.no)
From UiO and centres of excellence (UiO/OUS):
News from the Inst. of Clinical Medicine, UiO
Research news - UiO
CanCell - Centre for Cancer Cell Reprogramming
Cresco - Centre for Embryology and Healthy Development
PRIMA - Precision Immunotherapy Alliance - Norwegian version
Hybrid Technology Hub - Centre for Organ on a Chip-Technology
Katarzyna (Kasia) Gajewska, a researcher in Marina Vietri’s project group at Institute for Cancer Research, has been awarded a grant of 2 MNOK under the “radical ideas” programme of the Research Council of Norway.
Her project is named “Under Pressure: Mechanosensitive Nuclear Bodies in Cancer Progression”
Cancer cells experience intense physical stress as they grow and invade surrounding tissues, yet how these forces affect the cell nucleus is not fully understood.
Policy debates about R&D careers draw on case studies and personal accounts, but survey data from the people working in R&D is scarce. As someone working the cutting edge of R&D, your experiences and perspectives will help policymakers and employers make better-informed decisions about R&D careers.
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Take the survey Deadline: Sept 25th.
Project leader Marina Vietri in Harald Stenmark’s group at Institute for Cancer Research has received a grant from the South-Eastern Norway Regional Health Authority (Helse Sør-Øst) of 9 MNOK on the project “Uncovering hidden nuclear vulnerabilities: from mechanism to anticancer strategies."
In this project, Vietri and her co-workers will investigate a newly identified cellular mechanism that appears to help cancer cells withstand stress. By understanding how this process functions and how it contributes to cancer cell survival, the aim is to identify new opportunities for improving cancer treatment. The long-term goal is to generate knowledge that may support the development of more effective therapeutic strategies and contribute to better outcomes for patients with cancer.
On 11 June, Sigrun Aasland, Minister of Research and Higher Education, launched the University of Oslo’s research strategy on emerging technologies. This long-term initiative aims to bridge basic research and technological development, and the government has allocated 25 million NOK to the University of Oslo in 2026 and 50 million NOK annually from 2027 to support its development. The initiative will be evaluated in 2030.
Altogether, this technology initiative comprises eight new research projects. Johanna Olweus will lead the project AI-Facilitated Immune Receptor Engineering (AFIRE), which will establish an integrated, AI-driven technology platform for the development of a new class of soluble and cell-based immune receptors targeting intracellular proteins.
Three Oslo University Hospital scientists received prestigous awards for their outstanding research on June 12th 2026.
The major prize - the "Excellent Researcher Award" - went to Kristina Haugaa.
Ida Lindeman and Nicola Pietro Montaldo both received the "Early Career Award".
The prize money - 400.000 and 200.000 NOK respectively - is earmarked for research activities.
