Good summer!

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Dear all,

I am again acting head of the department while Pål works on his SFF application. I keep my fingers crossed that we get rewarded for it and wish him and his whole team good luck!

And I have to say, it is a pleasure to write this last editorial before the summer. First, I would like to congratulate Eva Gerdts and her research group Hypertension and Heart Dynamics  / Centre for Research on Heart Disease in Women who were awarded the faculty’s prize as  research/innovation environment of the year .

As mentioned before, the faculty’s teaching prize went to the endocrinology community for “Endopodden”, a podcast on endocrinological topics created by PhD candidate Åse Bjorvatn Sævik with active contributions from the academic community and medical students. The awards will be presented on Faculty Day on 20 October.

In addition, we also learned yesterday that Camilla Krakstad, Emmet McCormack and Yenan Bryceson have been allocated their NFR projects  Congratulations on your awards!

As I said, this is the last K2nytt before summer, I wish everyone a really good summer!

Silke

Change in the institute management

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As you know, our former Head of Administration Julie Stavnes has left. Following the announcement of the position, Maria Holmaas has now been hired as the new Head of Administration. Most of you probably know Mia. She holds a Master’s Degree in Management from BI and has long and broad work experience from the business world in finance, management, personnel administration and HR. Mia has been employed at K2 since 2016 and has worked with project administration and financial management. We are lucky to get such a competent person to the management team at K2. Welcome, Mia!

Three applications from the Faculty of Medicine proceeded to phase 2 of SFF-V. These are

The Center for Translational Epidemiology, IGS and others, is headed by Tone Bjørge

Bergen Center for Ethics and Priority Setting in Health, IGS and others, led by Ole Frithjof Norheim

Center for Diabetes Mechanisms, K2 and others, led by Pål R. Njølstad

The Dean wants full focus on these SFF applications with the effect that I am given temporary leave from my position as head of department until 150921. Silke Appeal immediately moves up as Acting Head of Department and Emmet McCormack as Head of Research. All inquiries, emails, telephones etc. must thus go to these and me during this time.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Silke and Emmet for your willingness to take on these positions. I am sure you will manage your duties in an excellent way and wish you the best of luck!

Have a great weekend!

(Norsk) Disputas – Divya Sri Priyanka Tallapragada – 24.06.21

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Divya Sri Priyanka Tallapragada

Trial lecture:              Thursday, 24 June 2021, kl 13.15

Topic:                             “The thrift gene hypothesis – just a hypothesis or why we are getting obese?”

Defence:                      Thursday, 24 June 2021, kl 15.15

Dissertation:                  “Novel adipose genes in substrate- and depot-dependent lipid accumulation”

1st opponent:                  Senior Lecturer Ingrid Wernstedt Asterholm, University of Gothenburg, Sweden

2nd opponent:                 Professor Ola Hansson, Lund University, Sweden

Committee leader:          Professor Stian Knappskog, University of Bergen

The defence will be led by Professor Emerita Birgitta Åsjø

Link to digital defence

Pr

Disputas – Elvira García de Jalón Viñegra, 25.06.21

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Trial lecture:      Friday June 25th, at 10.15

Topic:                “Imaging agents with a theranostic potential”

Difence:                    Friday June 25th at 12.15

Title:      “Preclinical molecular imaging in oncology – From chemical synthesis to clinical translatable applications”

  1. opponent: Professor Frauke Alves, Max-Planck-Institut für Experimentelle Medizin, Tyskland
    2. opponent:                 Førsteamanuensis Jørn H. Hansen, UiT – Norges arktiske universitet   3. medlem av komiteen: Professor Frits A. Thorsen, Universitetet i Bergen

Disputasen blir ledet av professor Silke Appel.

Open to all.

Link to digital defence

Press release

(Norsk) Disputas – Einar Marius Hjellestad Martinsen , 25.06.21

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Einar Marius Hjellestad Martinsen

Trial lecture:          Friday June 25th, at  10.15

Topic:                           “Use of broad-spectrum antibiotics and the composition of the pulmonary microbiome”

Defences:                                  Friday June 25th, at 12.15

Avhandlingens tittel:          “The mycobiome in COPD: Descriptive and longitudinal analysis, and participation in research bronchoscopy studies”

  1. opponent: Professor Paul Bowyer, Universitetet i Manchester
  2. opponent: Førsteamanuensis Anne Hildur Henriksen, Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet
  3. medlem av komiteen: Professor Mai Tone Lønnebakken, Universitetet i Bergen

Custos:  professor Anette Susanne Bøe Wolff.

Open for all.

Lenke til digital disputas

Pressmelding

Are you interested in becoming an evaluator for EU projects? Free Webinar Tuesday 22. June 10:00 – 11:00

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Are you interested in becoming an evaluator for EU projects?

There are many reasons why this could be a good idea:

  • you will expand your international network
  • you will have a chance to closely follow state-of-the art in your area
  • you will gain insights into the evaluation process which will help you in writing proposals
  • and many others… including that this job can be really interesting and fun!

If this sounds interesting to you, please register for the webinar here: Are you interested in becoming an evaluator for EU projects? (forskningsradet.no)

The webinar is arranged by the Research Council of Norway, and is free of charge.

You will learn from an experienced evaluator;  Joe Gorman, who will share his experience and give you useful tips.  Joe is senior researcher at SINTEF, with many years of experience from working as evaluator and with the European Commission. We will talk about

  • what kinds of evaluator profile the EU is looking for
  • how you can set up your expert profile in the best way
  • and other things you can do in order to increase you chance of being selected as an evaluator.

The webinar will be dialogue-based, and you will have plenty of time to ask questions and discuss with Joe.

Registration possible from July 1 for fall term courses; CCBIO903, CCBIONEUR910, CCBIONEUR911 and CCBIONEUR912

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Dear all

From July 1, it is possible to register for the fall term courses from CCBIO and Neuro-SysMed, and deadline is September 1. For all courses, please register in Studentweb if you are already enrolled at the UiB. If you are not enrolled at the UiB, you register through Søknadsweb, where you simultaneously apply for UiB guest student status.

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Teaching and teaching prizesy

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The annual Teaching Day was successfully conducted on May 19th in collaboration between K2 and K1, with good attendance. I want to thank all of you who contributed to making this into a great day!

Heiko Bratke

 

The K2 Teaching Prize was awarded to Heiko Bratke at section for pediatrics at Haugesund Hospital. He was awarded the prize for developing a well-structured digital educational content in MittUiB during the pandemic.

 

 

 

Åse Bjorvatn Sævik

 

 

PhD-student Åse Bjorvatn Sævik from the Endocrinology group was awarded one of the Faculty’s teaching prizes for developing the podcast “Endopodden” as a teaching tool. This project was also selected for nomination to the UGLE prize.

 

 

Monika Kvernenes from Unit for learning also received a teaching prize from the Faculty. Monika has since 2015 worked strategically with the aim of improving teaching skills amongst teachers and lecturers at the Faculty of Medicine. At the Teaching Day, she told us about the need for basic training in teaching and how to document teaching skills end experience, a requirement which is now being reinforced.

The recent UGLE meeting discussed the organization of teaching. Vestlandslegen is being planned and will likely replace MED2015 as a programme encompassing both students who will remain in Bergen throughout their study period as well as students who will have their first 3 years in Bergen followed by 3 years in Stavanger, Haugesund or Førde.The number of students is estimated to surpass 300 over time for years 1-3.

When student numbers increase, we need to be smart. One smart move is to involve student as teachers. K2 recently attracted “corona money” dedicated to positions for students either as teachers at several courses or as “digital assistants” to assist us all in digital teaching activities.

OSCE 6 and 12 are ongoing – a great thank you to all of you (administrative staff as well as teaching staff) who make a huge effort to make this happen! Good luck with the last efforts – end of term and summer vacation are beckoning!

Dissertation: Stein-Erik Hafstad Solvang 16.06.21

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Trial lecture June 16th at kl. 9.15

Subject: Oppgitt emne: “Inflammation in normal aging and frailty, what are the mechanisms and clinical implications”

 

 

 

Dissertation June 16th at 11.15

Avhandlingens tittel: “The kynurenine pathway in cognition, dementia, and aging”

  1. opponent:  Professor Sophie Erhardt, Karolinska Institutet, Sverige
  2. opponent: Dr.med. Hege Ihle-Hansen, Oslo Universitetssykehus
  3. medlem av komiteen: Førsteamanuensis II Rune A. Kroken, Universitetet i Bergen

Disputasen blir ledet av professor Tone Merete Norekvål.

Open for all

Lenke til digital disputas

Pressemelding

Hovedveileder: dr.med. Lasse Mælver Giil
Medveiledere: professor emeritus Jan-Erik Nordrehaug og professor emeritus Grethe Tell

Dissertation: Inger Marie Skoie

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Foto: Svein Lunde, SUS

Trial lecture:                         Friday June 18th at  09.15

Oppgitt emne:      “Kløe, frustrasjon og håp: Gamle, nye og kommende legemidler mot uttalt atopisk dermatitt og deres virkningsmekanisme”

Dissertation:                                                  Friday June 18th at 11.00

Avhandlingens tittel:               «Fatigue in psoriasis: prevalence and biological mechanisms»

  1. opponent: Professor Petter Gjersvik, Universitetet i Oslo
  2. opponent: Professor Arne Klungland, Universitetet i Oslo
  3. medlem av komiteen: Førsteamanuensis Heidi Grundt, Universitetet i Bergen

Custos: Professor Hartwig Kørner

Open for all

Lenke til digital disputas

Pressemelding

Hovedveileder: professor emeritus Roald Omdal
Medveiledere: dr.med. Thomas Ternowitz, dr.scient. Grete Jonsson, ph.d. Katrine B. Norheim

CCBIO Junior Scientist Symposium (JUSS) June 17, 2021

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We have the pleasure of inviting you to our CCBIO Junior Scientist Symposium (JUSS) June 17, 2021! This is an online event in Zoom.

Our keynote speaker Gro Vatne Røsland will give us an overview of microbiota in heath and diseases.  Local junior researchers will present exciting findings using liquid biopsies in metastatic melanoma and organoid models to study COVID-19 infection, advancing cancer research with murine tumor models and mass cytometry, and how to track systemic glioblastoma stem cells.

Join us for a perfect occasion for professional input and digital networking! Open for all.

When: Thursday June 17, 2021 at 09:00 – 12:15 (Norwegian time)

Where: Digital event in Zoom (logon details will be sent to registered participants)

Program: can be found here.

Registration: At ccbiojuss.no  (Even if you have registered for CCBIO901 in Studentweb.)

General information: More information about the Junior Scientist Symposia can be found here.

ECTS: Part of CCBIO901, with 3 credits (participation in the program through 2 terms.) All are however welcome for non-ECTS drop-in on each individual symposium. Perhaps you spot an interesting topic? Just remember to register!

 

Input to the portfolio plan for HEALTH

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The Research Council of Norway has now introduced a portfolio management model which means that investments are structured along fewer and more coordinated areas with their own portfolio boards. Each portfolio board has prepared a preliminary portfolio plan which forms the basis for the Research Council’s total investments within its area. These plans were prepared on the basis of existing program plans. These plans will now be revised.

The HEALTH portfolio comprises a wide range of research and innovation projects, from outstanding open research on the international front via applied research to meet societal challenges, to research and innovation for the development of a competitive health industry.

The Faculty of Medicine is invited to provide input to the portfolio plan through two input phases:

Input phase 1 – The knowledge base

In the first input phase, the purpose is to capture trends that are important as a knowledge base for the plan. A dialogue meeting has been held with the Faculty of Medicine. The challenges were:

  1. Which trends in society and research constitute a particularly important knowledge base for the portfolio plan for health?
  2. What are the most important societal challenges the portfolio plan for health must help to meet?
  3. What do questions 1 and 2 entail for prioritizing research topics, subjects and type of research / innovation?

K2 invited the research group leaders some weeks ago to provide input, and we have collected these and forwarded them to the Faculty. The result was that the Faculty out forward the following:

  1. Personalized medicine
  2. Global Health
  3. Research in the primary health care service

Input phase 2 – Draft portfolio plan

The second input phase is an online hearing in December 2021 where the Research Council invites everyone who is interested to provide input to the portfolio plan. After this input phase, the portfolio plan will be presented to the portfolio board and later for approval by the Research Council’s board in June 2022.

For information, there is a preliminary portfolio plan on the Research Council’s website for the portfolio, Porteføljeplan for Helse (forskningsradet.no)

Enjoy the week-end!

Dissertation – Torstein Valborgland

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Trial lecture:      June 10th, at  09.15

Subject:    “Helseeffekter av fysisk aktivitet og trening hos eldre kvinner   og menn”

Dissertation:               1June 10th at 11:00

Title:   “Exercise Training in Patients with Chronic Heart Failure on    Optimal Medical Therapy”

  1. opponent: Dr.med. Einar Gude, Rikshospitalet, Oslo Universitetssykehus
  2. opponent: Professor Maja Lisa Løchen, Norges arktiske universitet
  3. medlem av komiteen: Professor emeritus Jon Arne Søreide, Universitetet i Bergen

Custos:  professor emeritus Dennis Nilsen

Open for all.

Pressemelding

Marie Sklodowska Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship progra mme

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For Professors, researchers and young talents

Do you know of young research talents abroad that you would like to bring to your lab?

Or:

Are you a young talent who would like to boost your career with an international stay?

Then you should consider the Marie Sklodowska Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship progra mme.

The goal of MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships (formerly, Individual Fellowships) is to enhance the creative and innovative potential of researchers holding a PhD, wishing to acquire new skills through advanced training, international, interdisciplinary and inter-sectoral mobility.

Applicants must have been awarded their doctoral degree within 8 years prior to the deadline of the call. Exceptions: career breaks.

Fellowship types:

Postdoctoral Fellowships either can take place in Europe (i.e. in an EU Member State or a Horizon Europe Associated Country like Norway) or in a Third Country not associated to Horizon Europe (e.g. USA):

  • European Postdoctoral Fellowships: Fellows (any nationality) either come to Europe from any country in the world or move within Europe for a project. The standard duration of these fellowships must be between 12 and 24 months.
  • Global Postdoctoral Fellowships: European nationals or long-term residents who wish to engage in projects with organisations outside EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries. These fellowships require an outgoing phase of minimum 12 and maximum 24 months in a non-associated Third Country, and a mandatory 12-month return phase to a host organisation based in an EU Member State or a Horizon Europe Associated Country.

Deadline 15 Sept. 2021

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact amra.grudic@uib.no.

NorDoc – network for ph.d education

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NorDoc is a Nordic network of doctoral education in health sciences. The annual Nordic PhD Summit brings PhD students from the Nordic countries together for a PhD conference with interaction and scientific discussions – focusing on Nordic research strengths and how to get the most out of your PhD. The meeting is preceeded by a summer school for PhD candidates but the conference is open to all interested – PhD students, postdocs, supervisors and faculty.

In June 2022 Bergen will be hosting the Summer school and summit. The conference will be hosted the week before or after Bergen Summer Research School (BSRS) and the current plan is to focus the conference towards sustainability and inequality in research. This is in keeping both with the BSRS topic for 2022 and with UiB’s strong position in relation to the Sustainable Development Goals.

We are now establishing a scientific programme committee and we are searching for members to create the programme and scientific content for the summit and summer school. There will also be a committee for the practical arrangements. We are looking for scientific staff members and PhD candidates. If you are interested, please contact us by 4 June (phd@med.uib.no)

The Summer School will also offer courses for PhD candidates, and we call for groups to plan intensive 1-2 ECTS courses for June 2022. Course proposals should be submitted to the PhD programme Board via the departments by 15 October 2021.

For inspiration or registration for the 2021 Summit in Copenhagen, please see https://healthsciences.ku.dk/phd/nordoc-summer-school/

 

Dissertation – Gunnar Reksten Husebø

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Trial lecture:               Wednesday June 2nd, at 10:15

Subject:                          “Astma og KOLS i relasjon til Covid-19 pandemien”

Dissertation:                             Wednesday June 2nd, at 12.15

Title:               “Systemic inflammatory markers as predictors of longitudinal outcome in COPD”

  1. opponent: Professor Eva Rönmark, Umeå Universitet, Sverige
  2. opponent: Professor Jan Kristian Damås, NTNU
  3. medlem av komiteen: Førsteamanuensis Bjørn Blomberg, Universitetet i Bergen

Custos:  professor Silke Appel

Link to digital dissertation.

Pressrelese

Dissertation – Solveig Meyer Mikalsen

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Trial lecture:               June 8th at 10.15

Subject:                          “Fastsettelse av referanseområder og beslutningsgrenser: prosedyrer og fallgruver”

Dissertation:                              June 8th at 12:15

Avhandlingens tittel:     “Essential and Toxic Elements Before and After Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass”

  1. opponent: Professor emeritus Gunnar Nordberg, Umeå universitet, Sverige
  2. opponent: Professor Bjørn Olav Asvold, NTNU
  3. medlem av komiteen: Førsteamanuensis II Bettina Riedel, Universitetet i Bergen

Open for all.

Link to digital dissertation.

Pressrelease

 

The Government’s long-term plan for research and higher education is to be revised

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The Government’s long-term plan for research and higher education is an important, strategic tool in knowledge policy. The current long-term plan will now be revised. See here for more info about the long-term plan:

https://www.regjeringen.no/no/tema/forskning/innsiktsartikler/langtidsplan-for-forskning-og-hoyere-utdanning2/id2615974/

In connection with the audit, the UiB management has requested input from the faculties in two rounds:

Round 1:

The first round of input for UiB’s part is a dialogue meeting between the UiB management and KD on May 28 2021. In connection with this, the Rector has requested short and general input from the faculties. Due to a very short deadline, the K2 management has in a separate email asked the research group leaders for help in answering the following questions:

What is the most prominent development feature in the faculties’ research / fields?

Answers are requested to be sent to Silke Appel by Tuesday 25 May at 08. K2 makes a comprehensive answer which is sent to the faculty.

Round 2:

In the next round, the faculties will provide input to UiB centrally on the three questions below. These answers should be more comprehensive than those given in the first round. The research group leaders will receive a separate email about this, but K2 asks everyone to submit suggestions for answers to the research group leaders to the questions:

  1. What is the most prominent development feature in the faculties’ research / fields (same as above)?
  2. What is the challenge of the thematic areas in the current long-term plan?
  3. What is missing in the long-term plan? Are there areas, and needs, that are not ‘covered’ by the plan’s long-term priorities and, if so, in which ones?

Answers to these three questions should be sent by the research group leaders to Silke Appel by Monday 21 June. K2 makes a comprehensive answer which is sent to the faculty.

Friday, May 21 at 13-14, there will be a digital start-up meeting for the audit round where the Minister of Education will introduce the ambitions for the plan and the process towards a completely revised plan: https://www.regjeringen.no/no/aktuelt/innspillsrunden-for-langtidsplanen-statsrad-asheim -invites-to-boot-fashion-21-May / id2848736 /

Wishing you a peaceful and nice Pentecost!