Monthly Archives: June 2016

Have a nice summer!

sommer4This is the last issue of K2News before the summer holiday. It is therefore natural to give a short summary of the first 6 months of 2016. It has been a year of ups and downs.  By far the biggest downturn was Helga Salvesen’s death in January. Helga was a number one in many ways, and her passing touched us all. Taking care of each other in everyday life is the best way to honor her.

There have been many ups this season. What is most important, depends on who you ask. Stian Knappskog might answer that he got “Søren Falchs pris” for young researchers. Torbjorn Jonung might say that he received the teaching award, while Eystein Husebye might say that  the EU project, of which he is the coordinator, is on track. Siv might say that the K2 budget is in balance.  For my own part, I would argue that we have put in place a new strategy plan for the department with clear goals and measures. This we will come back to this over the summer.

Anyway, summer is coming up and it is important to recharge our batteries and realize that life is more than work and K2.

Have a nice summer!

Per

 

Towles for use in the Laboratorybuilding

There will be towels available in the showers/wardrobes, for employies who want to shower when they arrive at work.
The towles will be on the shelfs in the showerroom.  It is important that you put used towles in the sack inside the showerroom.
NB! Hospital clothes shall not be put in these sacks.
We know that many of Our employes run or use a bike to work. It is therefore Our pleasure to offer this.

For now this is a temporary arrangement.

Wrighting course

BlyantThere will be held a wrighting course September 21, for researchers who want to write accurate feature articles, blog posts and other popular science texts

All researchers at the University of Bergen, including phd-candidates, are welcome to attend.

Participants to associated projects and centers with external funding, such as from the EU’s researchprogram, The Norwegian Research Council and BFS will be prioretized.

Application deadline 31 August.

Fore information and registration form on employee pages: http://www.uib.no/foransatte/99055/skriv-s%C3%A5-du-blir-lest

Research Conference 2016

“Helse Vest” Annual Research Conference will be held on Thursday 27 and Friday 28 October 2016 in Os, outside Bergen (Solstrand Hotel & Bad). Organizer is “Det regionale samarbeidsorganet” between Helse Vest, the University of Bergen and University of Stavanger. The target group of the conference is m.a. directors, managers, researchers and users.

Deadline for entries 31 August 2016

Program and registration (in Norwegian only)

Parking this summer

13511514_1040558346038933_544500915_nThe one who is responsible for the parking spaces at the ”roof” is starting their summer vacation on June 8th (week number 27) Week 27 is the final week of the reserved parking. After that week it’s the first man/woman to get there who gets a spot. There will be sent out a new possibility to apply for parking, it will be sent out on August 8th. The new system will then last out this year.

If you have any questions you can contact Ingvild Jonsvoll in the expedition, 8th floor (Ingvild.Jonsvoll@uib.no / 55973050)

 

Look to Israel?

Eystein 2A few weeks ago I heard a talk by Professor Ulf Landegren from Uppsala University about innovation and commercialization of research. Landegren himself has developed innovative molecular tools for measuring DNA, RNA and proteins in blood and tissues, resulting in a large number of patents and companies including Olink (www.olink.com).
Landegren also delved on how governments and universities facilitate innovation and presented a figure that shows proportion of GDP spent on R&D in relation to number of scientists and engineers. The figure was taken from an article in Nature Immunology (Kollias and Lambris, 2015) in which Greek researchers pointed out everything that did not work in Greece in general and in Greek research policies in particular. They mention, among other things, politically driven research with no clear strategy, no real evaluation of money spent, and when evaluations are performed they lead nowhere.Chart
Research and development (R&D) versus scientists / engineers per million. Size of the circle reflects the size of the amounts used for R&D.

Not surprisingly, Norway spends the lowest amount of money on R&D compared to our Nordic neighbors, despite broad political consensus that we should spend more. After all, we are “one of the richest countries in the world.” Another striking feature that puts us on what Landegren thinks is the wrong part of the ball park (with Greece), is that Norway has a high proportion of researchers per million inhabitants compared to available R&D funds. At first glance it may seem good to have many scientists, but limited research and innovation funds allocated to many scientists might produce mediocre results in many areas instead of groundbreaking research that can be commercialized and create new industries and jobs. In the opposite end of the field you find Israel as an outlier with a 4.3% share of GDP spent on R&D spread over about 1600 researchers per million. Perhaps there is a connection between this research policy and the fact that Israel produces more high-tech start ups than countries like Britain, Canada and China. Maybe we have something to learn by looking to Israel and our Nordic neighbors.

I wish you all a good weekend!

Eystein

 

The HSE Corner

Invitation to user training in EcoExposure – reminder

UiB and K2 will use EcoExposure as exposure registry for staff and students who may be exposed to substances that can cause serious illnesses over time. Bente-Lise Lillebø from the HSE department will visit K2 and teach us how we as users must register exposure.

Time: Thursday, 23 June, 12.30 to 13.30
Location: Auditorium 4, BB-building.

Welcome!

Horizon 2020 – input on the Advisory Group report

The Advisory Group (AG) report for Social Challenges in health, demographic change and quality of life (SC1) is now available. The report is advisory for the design of the work programme for SC1 for the period 2018-2020. This is described in the preface. The AG report will be used as the basis for discussions at the meeting between the AG and the programme committee on 21 September 2016. The programme comittee will provide input on behalf of Norway. Good suggestions paves the way for this.

Input on the report can be sent to Kristin Andersen (kran@rcn.no), no later than Thursday 30 June. Suggestions and comments must be entered in the attached form.

Attachments:
AG advice report 2018-2020
Form

Service on the Systec autoclaves

Systec autoclaves in the Laboratory building are undergoing service in week 25 (20.-24.June, 2016). This means the machines will be out of order for a few days. Users are advised to check the logbook prior to starting the sterilization process in order to make sure the autoclave is back to being fully functional.

Information Meeting – Educational Programme for Postdocs

Postdoctoral Programme at the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry

This autumn the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry will initiate an educational programme for postdoctoral fellows. There is a need to provide the post-docs with expertise that will be important both for their future work in academia and in other jobs. An educational programme will increase the postdoctors’ expertise, help to create a community among post-docs and make the postdoctoral positions at the faculty more attractive. The programme will comprise different modules.

You are hereby invited to an information meeting about the programme, where there will be further information about the contents and scope. Note that this applies to all postdoctoral fellows, not only those who are funded by UoB.

Time: Thursday 23 June 2016 kl. 11-12
Venue: Birkhaugsalen (3. floor, Sentralblokken)

We encourage everyone to attend – this is exciting !!

Regards
Eyvind Rødahl
Vice Dean

New publications

Based on last week’s search for “Department of Clinical Science AND Bergen”. If you have publications which are not covered by this search, send the reference to irene.hjelmaas@uib.no.

Antipsychotic Drugs and Risk of Hip Fracture in People Aged 60 and Older in Norway.Bakken MS, Schjøtt J, Engeland A, Engesaeter LB, Ruths S.J Am Geriatr Soc. 2016 Jun;64(6):1203-9.

A new, simple and robust radioligand binding method used to determine kinetic off-rate constants for unlabeled ligands. Application at α<sub>2A</sub>- and α<sub>2C</sub>-adrenoceptors.
Uhlén S, Schiöth HB, Jahnsen JA.Eur J Pharmacol. 2016 Jun 15.

Giardia lamblia – pathogen or commensal?
Hanevik K.Clin Infect Dis. 2016 Jun 16.

Metagenomic Analysis of Cerebrospinal Fluid from Patients with Multiple Sclerosis.
Perlejewski K, Bukowska-Ośko I, Nakamura S, Motooka D, Stokowy T, Płoski R, Rydzanicz M, Zakrzewska-Pniewska B, Podlecka-Piętowska A, Nojszewska M, Gogol A, Caraballo Cortés K, Demkow U, Stępień A, Laskus T, Radkowski M.Adv Exp Med Biol. 2016 Jun 17.

Legemiddelbruk hos blodgivere.
Berg JA, Schjøtt J.
Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen. 2016 May 3;136(8):718-20.

Information meeting: FORNY2020 and BIOTEK2021

Have you considered to apply for funding from FORNY2020 or BIOTEK2021?

In 2015, the Norwegian Research Council allocated 300 million NOK through the funding programs FORNY2020 and BIOTEK2021. The programs target research projects with a commercial potential, and can be used to conduct testing, upscaling and continuation etc. The next deadline is 7th of September.

The Norwegian Research Council visits Bergen 21. of June to inform researchers about FORNY2020 and BIOTEK2021. This is an opportunity to get information and ask questions to advisers with first-hand information about the programs. Join our info meeting to get all the information you need. Continue reading

New Publications

Based on last week’s search for “Department of Clinical Science AND Bergen”. If you have publications which are not covered by this search, send the reference to irene.hjelmaas@uib.no.

In sepsis, 88% of bacteraemia patients are discriminated by unsupervised hierarchical cluster analysis of 5 inflammatory mediators.
Mosevoll KA, Reikvam H, Fanebust HR, Flaaten H, Skrede S, Bruserud Ø.
Intensive Care Med Exp. 2015 Dec;3(Suppl 1):A881.

RareVariantVis: new tool for visualization of causative variants in rare monogenic disorders using whole genome sequencing data.
Stokowy T, Garbulowski M, Fiskerstrand T, Holdhus R, Labun K, Sztromwasser P, Gilissen C, Hoischen A, Houge G, Petersen K, Jonassen I, Steen VM.
Bioinformatics. 2016 Jun 10.

Short Stature: Comparison of WHO and National Growth Standards/References for Height.
Christesen HT, Pedersen BT, Pournara E, Petit IO, Júlíusson PB.
PLoS One. 2016 Jun 9;11(6):e0157277. d

Need of education for dry powder inhaler storage and retention – a patient-reported survey.
Norderud Lærum B, Telg G, Stratelis G.
Multidiscip Respir Med. 2016 Jun 8;11:21

Prognostic significance of S100A4 expression in stage II and III colorectal cancer: results from a population-based series and a randomized phase III study on adjuvant chemotherapy.
Boye K, Jacob H, Frikstad KM, Nesland JM, Maelandsmo GM, Dahl O, Nesbakken A, Flatmark K.
Cancer Med. 2016 Jun 8.

Disease activity is associated with reduced left ventricular systolic myocardial function in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
Midtbø H, Semb AG, Matre K, Kvien TK, Gerdts E.
Ann Rheum Dis. 2016 Jun 7.

Regeneration of pancreatic insulin-producing cells by in situ adaptive cell conversion.
Chera S, Herrera PL.
Curr Opin Genet Dev. 2016 Jun 3;40:1-10.

Joint Teaching Day for Department of Clinical Science and Clinical Medicine (K1-K2)

Jone Trovik, portrett til disputasDo the name ” Enhet for læring” or ”Unit for learning” sound familiar to you? Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry has , in collaboration with Haukeland University Hospital, employed an educationalist to strengthen the medical teaching competence. How this can help us in our teaching, you will get to know at the Teaching Day 2016 on 12 October.

We will arrange the Teaching Day together with K1, and this time as a full day seminar rather than two half days, like we did last year. The new curriculum Medisin 2015 has now been in effect for one year. During the meeting we will have an actual demonstration of Team Based Learning as performed during autumn term. This as an inspiration of how we may incorporate this technique in our teaching (even without having to refurnish the auditoriums).

Digital presentation; making a presentation where you as a teacher may show pre-recorded combined pictures and sound is now a valid option. This may be short presentations for the students to go through before a ”regular” lecture in the auditorium or as a full recorded plenary lecture as an alternative for individual students to physical attend. The program used for this purpose is named TechSmith Relay (additional information available at relay.uninett.no). During the Teaching Day we will show examples and practical tips on how to use this system.

Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Bergen has entered a collaboration with NTNU and UiT with the aim of strengthening the examination process by developing a huge common database of MCQs (Multiple Choice Questions) for the Medical Curriculum. This to ensure examination uniformity throughout the different Faculties in Norway and give UiB the possibility to use MCQs developed in the other faculties. MCQ may well be used with a short clinical introduction (case description) followed by different questions regarding diagnose and treatment as well as basic knowledge (anatomy and physiology). To be able to develop GOOD MCQs we will build upon the experience from those in NTNU that have used this very structured during several years. We aim for all teachers being able to develop MCQs from their specific fields of expertise. This will ease the work of putting together an individual exam and the marking process will be automatic and less subjective!

Remember to set aside the 12th of October in your appointment schedule. Warmly welcome!

Jone

New Names

Marc VaudelIntroducing Marc Vaudel, researcher in bioinformatics. In May 2016 Marc began as a researcher at the KG Jebsen Center for Diabetes Research and the Center for Medical Genetics and Molecular Medicine.
If you want to say hello, you can find him at the 2. floor in the lab building.

RCN – announcement of postdoctoral funding for collaborative projects with IARC

RCNThe Research Council of Norway (RCN) has published a call for proposals for a post-doctoral position in cancer research with a deadline of 7 September, 2016. The postdoctoral period is for a total of 3 years, of which the first two years will be at the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in Lyon, France, and the last year at the Norwegian applicant institution. The project will be thematically within IARC’s strategy, and the application will be written in dialogue with a research group at IARC.

Read the call here.
You can fill out the application form from 6 weeks before the deadline. By that time, we encourage prospective applicants to consult with scientists at IARC and prepare the application.

Feel free to spread this information.

Regards
RCN