What do I work with:
I am working as a CCBIO postdoctoral fellow in the research group headed by Prof. Bjørn Tore Gjertsen where I started autumn 2019. The research focus of the group is cellular signaling in Hematological malignancies. In my project I will focus on investigating cell-to-cell communication and signaling in the bone marrow compartment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) before and during treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors. The main methods used are imaging mass cytometry (IMC) and 2-photon microscopy of living small research animals. Since I began my Post Doc period I have mainly spent time planning the project in detail and familiarized myself with new methods in addition to writing applications for ethical approval to REK and FOTS for animal research. I have also been part of the process in getting a multi-photon microscope for the animal facility at the institute in collaboration with Prof. Emmet McCormack. It is great to be employed as a Post Doc, as this employment represent the transitioning from PhD towards an academic career with more responsibilities. It’s a position where you still have the time and responsibility to execute experiments and research. In addition, you gain increased supervising responsibilities and learn more about the administrative duties following the job as a researcher.

What do you enjoy working at K2?
I just moved back to Norway in June 2019 after a 2-year position as a postdoctoral fellow at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the US. I chose to return to K2 and the research group I was affiliated to during my MSc and PhD degrees because I wanted to continue performing research in Hematology and I also knew that the working environment was great and the people working in the research group and the institute are kind and collaborative people. The close collaboration between Haukeland University Hospital and K2 is a great asset and allows exciting translational cancer research.