Monthly Archives: September 2021

Editorial

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OSCE and application deadline for status as Excellent Teacher

The White Paper «Quality Culture in Higher Education» emphasized that all Norwegian universities must establish a pedagogical qualification framework. The intention with a pedagogical qualification framework is to inspire and reward teachers and academic communities for systematic work in educational development. At MED, the status as Excellent Teacher leads to a permanent salary raise as well as membership in a “pedagogical academy” of excellent teachers at the faculty. Basic pedagogical qualification is required. There is now a new application deadline for status as Excellent Teacher. It is important to read and address the criteria on which the evaluation of the applications is based. Please do not hesitate to contact me at mette.vesterhus@uib.no if you consider submitting an application or have questions. We hope that some of our skilled and enthusiastic teachers will submit well-written applications which will win this award!

Application deadline: November 1st

OSCE 12 will be arranged on December 8th, and planning is well under way. The responsible persons for subjects that are part of the exam this year are alerted and will recruit sensors. The administration will reach out to administrative and technical staff and request their participation. OSCE is important and require teamwork and team spirit. We expect that everybody responds to requests with a positive attitude. We want to thank all of you who have contributed in previous years – and those of you who are contributing to OSCE 12 this December!

SAVE THE DATE October 20, 15.00: Celebration seminar for Bjørn Tore Gjertsen being awarded King Olav V’s Prize for Cancer Research 2021

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Dear all

We are happy to invite you to a celebration seminar October 20 at 15.00 to celebrate the awarding of King Olav V’s Prize for Cancer Research 2021 to CCBIO PI and Co-Director Bjørn Tore Gjertsen.

Place: Store Auditorium (the large auditorium), Sentralblokken (main building), Haukeland University Hospital.

Time: October 20, 2021 at 15:00

At the end of the seminar, a reception with tapas and refreshments will be held at the back of the auditorium.

Prior to the seminar on October 20, the award ceremony itself will take place in Oslo on October 18, 13-14.00.  H. M. King Harald will then present the prize to Professor Gjertsen and the whole ceremony will be streamed online as well as showed in real time on screen in the auditorium in Armauer Hansens Hus.

Link to award ceremony

More info about the prize here

Save the dates for now, and more info, including registration, will follow!

New editor of the K2 newsletter

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Hi.

I am the new editor of the K2 newsletter.

My name is Jens Vikse. I am a rheumatology resident, who just started a four year PhD program at UiB.  My PhD project focuses on the newly recognized rheumatic disease “IgG4-related disease”

Besides rheumatology, I also have an interest in immunology and medical education. I am the author of an immunology textbook with accompanying video lectures. More information can be found here.

I look forward to serving as the editor for this newsletter. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out.

 

This weeks edithorial

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Dear all of you!

In recent years, we have had great help from our research advisor Amra. Now she wants more challenges and has moved to the faculty, where for one year from 15/9 she will contribute even more to the research advisor team. Fortunately, this means that she can still be contacted! We thank Amra for her excellent contribution to K2, wish her the best of luck and welcome back!

And then we have been told by the HR section at the faculty that they have reduced staffing and that things will take some extra time in the future. At the same time, we can find some information ourselves on UiB’s website and may not always need to contact human resources:

And then it is often your immediate leader who can answer some of the questions. So feel free to ask your supervisor, research group leader or UGLE for advice.

Have a really good weekend!

(Norsk) Disputas David Erik Forsse

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David Forsse

Trial lectue:    Oktober 1st, at 11:15

Subject:                 “Medical treatment options for endometrial carcinomas”

Dissertation:                  Oktober 1st, at 13.15

Subject:      “Novel preoperative biomarkers and evaluation of altered treatment strategies to improve outcome for endometrial cancer patients”

 

 

  1. opponent: Førsteamanuensis Francesco Fanfani, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
  2. opponent: Professor II Annika Auranen, University of Turku, Finland
  3. medlem av komiteen: Professor Stian Knappskog, Universitetet i Bergen

Disputasen blir ledet av førsteamanuensis Elham Baghestan

Open for all.

Link to digital disputas/prøveforelsning

Pressemelding

Research Day at the Women’s Clinic, Bergen, October 20

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Dear Colleague!

The Women’s Clinic, the University of Bergen and the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences are inviting you to sign up for our ‘Research Day’ October 20th.

Obstetrics and gynecology are broadly engaging subjects, and we would like present our research projects, our results and how we can use new knowledge.

If you are doing research related to obstetrics or gynecology, you are invited to present your project!

The event takes place at Bikuben (Haukeland University Hospital Campus) and will continue with an award ceremony and debate at ‘Litteraturhuset’ downtown 6 to 8 pm.

Use the registration link to sign up, by Sept. 22, 2021 for speakers/posters and Oct. 13, 2021 for audience. Detailed program will be announced!

More info in English: https://www.uib.no/en/ccbio/147983/research-day-womenss-clinic

More info in Norwegian: https://www.uib.no/ccbio/147975/kvinneklinikkens-forskingsdag

Contact person for questions: Mari Kylleså Halle

Congratulations to Bjørn Tore Gjertsen with The King Olav Vs Cancer Research Prize

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Although this was already mentioned in last week’s K2nytt, it is worth repeating: We are very proud and congratulate Bjørn Tore Gjertsen on the King Olav Vs Cancer Research Prize. Well deserved!

Otherwise, many of you are probably busy teaching and writing applications – remember, among other things, the application deadline for Helse Vest research funding 15/9, promotion to professor 15/9 and deadline for applying for a research fellowship from MED 19/9. There have also been some changes to the guidelines: a person cannot be the main supervisor for more than four people in recruitment positions (PhD candidate and postdoc) funded from the faculty (https://www.uib.no/med/65433/ledige-stillinger)

Finally, a few words about the corona situation: many of us are now fully vaccinated, and we want to have as many people back on campus as possible. Employees who are dependent on public transport can work from home office where possible, but this must be agreed upon with your direct leader. We would rather not have more than 2 days of home office per week.

Have a really good weekend!

Go abroad, but come back

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It is now possible to apply for funding for stays abroad, both for senior and younger researchers. The professors have the possibility to go on a sabbatical every 7th year, which is a fantastic opportunity to establish new collaborations, build networks and have time to plan projects and write applications. New collaborations are not only useful for the professor him- or herself, it provides opportunities for others in the research group to go abroad. Several of the groups at the department have utilized this in an exemplary way, for example the endocrine, diabetes and lung research groups.

Now, professors, postdocs and PhD students can apply for such funding both from UiB (deadline 1 October,  and Helse-Vest (deadline 15 September.  Postdoctoral fellows are especially encouraged to apply (Helse-Vest) and UiB provides an extra year of salary if you use it for a stay abroad. Support can also be applied for from the Research Council and other funding bodies *. The application deadline for a sabbatical leave is 1 April to the department each year.

Many do not consider an extended stay abroad due to practical challenges with regard to work and studies for their partner, schooling for children and housing. An alternative could be a shorter stay, perhaps to a country in Europe that requires less practical preparation. Such stays can also be valuable in order to establish the networks that can lift your research.

Read the announcement and apply. Request to visit an institution abroad is rarely turned down when you come with your own salary.

Good weekend!

Eystein Husebye

*Other funding bodies

Dissertation – Yasaman – September 15th

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Yasaman Pakdaman

Trial lecture:     Wednsday September 15th at 10:15

Subject:        “Targeted molecular therapy in monogenic neurodegenerative diseases: Challenges and opportunities”

Link to digital dissertation

Dissertation:                  Wednsday September 15th at 12:15

Subject:       “Dysfunction of the protein quality control system in neurodegeneration: a study of the co-chaperone and ubiquitin ligase CHIP in vitro and in zebrafish”

 

  1. opponent: Professor Nico Dantuma, Karolinska Institute, Sverige
  2. opponent: Forsker Kaja Kristine Selmer, Oslo Universitets Sykehus
  3. medlem av komiteen: Professor Silje Skrede, Universitetet i Bergen

Disputasen blir ledet av professor Lars Herfindal.

Open for all.

Link to digital dissertation

Pressrelease.

King Olav V’s Prize for Cancer Research 2021 to Bjørn Tore Gjertsen

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The Norwegian Cancer Society announced September 2nd that this year’s King Olav V’s Prize for Cancer Research will go to Professor Bjørn Tore Gjertsen. The award amounts to 1 million NOK, is considered as a great honor in the Norwegian research communities and goes to the very best in the entire spectrum of Norwegian cancer research.

Congratulations!

Accounting department reduced staff

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Kjetil Dyrkolbotn og Mia Holmaas have now transferred to new positions at UiB. The process of finding new, talented colleagues is underway.

Until new staff is in place, it may take a little longer before we respond to your inquiry.

If you plan to send applications this autumn, we ask that you contact your controller as soon as possible so that we can plan a good process.

K2 Junior Retreat – November 22nd – 23rd

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Dear all PhDs and PostDocs at K2,

We are pleased to invite you to the next K2 Junior Retreat, which will be held at Scandic Hotel Voss on November 22-23 (lunch-to-lunch). We will take the train together from Bergen on the morning of November 22, and return in the afternoon on the 23rd.

The idea of the annual retreat is to have an educational, social and inspirational meeting place for you, the younger members of our department. There will be Flash Talks (short presentations of your projects), science group work and other scientific and practical input relevant to you as an early career scientist/employee.

We will soon share the program and open the registration. Until then, please save the dates. We strongly encourage you to not miss out – and all is paid for by K2!

Best wishes,

Foto: Sara Finne

The Organizing Committee (Simon Dankel, Elvira Viñegra, Ester Kringeland, André Sulen, Katrin Kleinsmann, Pernille Svalastoga)

Obituary: Gunnar Haukenes (1927 – 2021)

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A nestor of Norwegian virology, Professor Emeritus Gunnar Haukenes, has passed away.

Gunnar Haukenes died on 21 August 2021 after a short illness in his 95th year. He was born in Arendal in 1927 and proved to be gifted both intellectually and musically with perfect pitch. In his youth, he had to choose between professional careers as a pianist and medical education. It was the medicine that won, and he completed his medical education at the University of Oslo in 1951.

Gunnar Haukenes defended his doctoral degree “Immunochemical studies on Polysaccharide A from Staphylococcus aureus” in 1962. This was among the first doctoral degrees at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Bergen, and he followed up with several publications in this bacteriological course in the next few years. He also had a research stay abroad at the University of Rochester, New York, from 1963 to 1964.

Gunnar Haukenes’ professional identity is primarily related to the build-up of virological research and diagnostics in Bergen, first with studies of the immune response to influenza viruses, later with research on rubella virus, measles virus and HIV. In 1963, the microbiological and immunological research moved from Allégaten into the newly built MFH building, today Armauer Hansen’s house, on the medical campus in Bergen.

In 1966, a dedicated virus lab was stablished at the MFH building, with Gunnar Haukenes as the first leader, first as a lecturer at the Department of Microbiology and Immunology and at the same time a consultant in virology at Haukeland Hospital. In the next few years, Haukenes built up both virological research and diagnostics in Bergen. His position as lecturer was in 1972 changed into a personal professorship.

The medical students remember Haukenes as a highly skilled and thorough lecturer in virology, and as a committed and friendly person who would answer any question in the breaks.

Gunnar Haukenes had a colossal knowledge in medical microbiology and was consulted by colleagues both locally and nationally, and he always impressed with his precise and wise answers. In the Norwegian and Scandinavian virology environments, he was an authority and was described as one of Scandinavia’s foremost virologists of the era.

Throughout his life, he was a gifted piano player. For the past seven years, after his wife died, Haukenes lived at Fantoft Care Centre, where he daily played piano for the other residents.

 

Gunnar Haukenes will be remembered as a sympathetic and dedicated scientist and lecturer with great integrity and profound knowledge that many benefited from.

 

For colleagues at the University of Bergen and Haukeland University Hospital,

Lars Haarr, Birgitta Åsjö, Karl-Henning Kalland, Elling Ulvestad