Author Archives: apoih

Why you should spend 15 minutes on ARK

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You may have noticed in passing in K2-news, or in the meeting notice I forwarded? This week marked the start of the work and climate survey (ARK) at UiB.

The last time we responded to ARK was in 2019. At that time, the survey was conducted for a few units only. This time, the entire UiB will implement ARK at the same time. There have also been digital kick-off meetings under the direction of MEDFAK this week, both in Norwegian and English. On Monday 08/03, all our employees in a 20% position or more received an e-mail with an individual link to the questionnaire. I hope you all will take the time to go through the form.

When the corona shutdown started exactly one year ago, K2 had two smaller, local surveys about how you all were coping with the restrictions. The surveys were anonymous, and I read through all the feedback we received. The feedback was direct and honest, positive as well as negative, and these are exactly the kind of feedback we need to be able to work with what works and does not work in our work environment. ARK is a new opportunity to give us input on what we can do better and what works well. The working environment at K2 is valuable for all of us, and it is well worth spending 15 minutes on.

The deadline for responses is March 29, but why wait? The results are ready in mid-April, and the first follow-up meeting is already scheduled for 21 April.

Thank you for caring about our work environment and for taking the time to respond to ARK.

Many greetings from Julie

Dissertation – Ninnie Helen Bakken Oehme, Friday March 19th

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Trial lecture:      Friday March 19th, 9:15

Subject:                “Definition and causes of delayed puberty in boys”

Disputas:                     Friday  March 19th, at 11:15

Title:      “Pubertal development in Norwegian boys. Ultrasound assessment of testicular volume, hormonal references, and association with anthropometric measurements”

 

1. opponent: Professor Ken Ong, University of Cambridge, Storbritannia
2. opponent: Forsker Lise Aksglaede, Copenhagen University Hospital, Danmark
3. medlem of the comitee: Førsteamanuensis Marianne Øksnes, Universitetet i Bergen

Custos: Professor Francisco Gomez Real.

Open for all ; Digitalt møterom 

Valg av rektor og prorektor og nye medlemmer til universitetsstyret

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In norwegian only.

 

Rektorvalget ved Universitetet i Bergen skal gjennomføres 22. – 25. mars 2021. Den neste rektorperioden starter 1. august 2021, og varer i fire år. Les mer om valget her: uib.no/valg

Tirsdag 9/3 kl 14-16 blir det digitalt allmøte på MED hvor de to rektorlagene med rektorkandidatene i spissen vil presentere seg og svare på spørsmål fra oss på MED.

Hold av tidspunktet 9/3 kl 14-16. Lenke til møtet kommer i egen mail.

Det blir anledning til å høre om hva de tenker om våre utfordringer på MED og få svar på spørsmål du lurer på. I tillegg vil aktiv deltakelse fra oss på dette møtet bidra til å sette MED på kartet og synliggjøre våre saker uansett hvem som vinner rektorvalget.

Du trenger ikke melde deg på, og tenk gjerne på spørsmål du ønsker svar på. Ikke minst benytt muligheten til å avklare hvem av de to rektorlagene du vil stemme på.

De to lagene er:

Rektorkandidat Oddrun Samdal med prorektorkandidat Nils Gunnar Kvamstø

https://www.uib.no/ledelsen/142572/team-hagen

Rektorkandidat Margareth Hagen med prorektorkandidat Pinar Heggernes

https://www.uib.no/ledelsen/142571/team-samdal

Mer informasjon finner du i videoen nedenfor der Margareth Hagen og Oddrun Samdal stilte med sine prorektorkandidater og svarte på spørsmål. https://www.uib.no/aktuelt/142569/kandidatpresentasjon-og-valgm%C3%B8te

Til slutt vil jeg oppfordre alle om å stemme ved valget.

God helg og godt valg!

Pål R. Njølstad

This weeks edithorial

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Dear everyone!

Now it has been one year since Covid-19 came to Norway. We have been through several lockdowns that have had a major effect on the research, teaching and not least the entire operation of K2. We have gotten used to talking to a screen and using the kitchen table as a desk. But all of this has not stopped our PhD fellows from finishing their projects. We have had a total of 42 disputations in 2020! I congratulate all the PhD candidates (and the supervisors) who have managed to finalize their thesis despite difficult conditions. The day was probably not quite as one had imagined without the opponents present and with only a few people physically gathered, and some may have had extra technical challenges, but all in all it has gone very well. The fact that trial lectures and disputations are conducted as zoom webinar actually allows more people to follow along online. There is a lot of exciting research going on! Check https://www.uib.no/nye-doktorgrader

In that context, I would also like to say a big thank you to all of you who have been custos! For 2021, we expect similar numbers (between 35 and 40 disputations), and I hope that all our professors and associate professors are willing to take on the role of custos.

Have a good winter holiday!

OSKE juni 2021

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Nå har arbeidet med OSKE i juni startet. I juni trenger vi hjelp fra administrative ansatte både til OSKE i MED12 9. juni og OSKE i MED6 16. juni. I MED6 er det et større antall studenter som skal ha eksamen enn i MED12, så her er det behov for flere ansatte. I påmeldingsskjemaet velger du hvilken eksamen og hvilke dager du kan delta. Vi ønsker at de som er på sløyfer kan være med å rigge (og rydde) den sløyfen de skal være på.

Påmeldingsskjema: https://skjemaker.app.uib.no/view.php?id=9904453

Vi ønsker å få på plass sløyfene i god tid før OSKE, og det er derfor ønskelig med tilbakemelding seinest 22. mars 2021.

Spørsmål?

Ta kontakt med

Lise S. Amble for OSKE i MED6 og/eller Dina-Kristin Midtflø for OSKE i MED12

Ps. Har dere fått med dere denne: https://www.uib.no/med/142448/160-medisinstudenter-gikk-opp-til-praktisk-eksamen 🙂

Hilsen

Lise og Dina

Time for ARK again!

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ARK is an working environment survey that is conducted for all employees at UiB every 3 years. This is the second time, and a questionnaire will be sent out in March.

ARK is an management tool, a participation arena, and a research database.

The purpose of the survey is to gain insight into what the working environment is about for us, and how we can facilitate and further develop a good working environment. To get the most out of the survey, it is important that everyone:

-Responds to the survey

-Reads through and reflects on the report when it arrives

-Actively participates in discussions and forums where ARK is a topic.

-Contribute to measures for a better working environment

We plan to go through the main points in the ARK survey at the K2 Retreat 2021, which we hope to be able to arrange this autumn. There will also be a review for the various subgroups of employees.

Enjoy your weekend!

Do you have a good idea? Seek support!

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Are you a student? And you have an idea of how your municipality could serve its citizens in a better way, but you don’t know how to proceed? Or are you a researcher? And you believe that your research results could really make a difference to peoples’ lives, or be valuable to an industry, but you do not know how to turn it into an actual product? With UiB idé, UiB has a program that can support your idea with both advice and funding, to help you to reach your goal.

Deadline: April 6th.

For more information look here.

This weeks Editorial

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The rearrangement of the NFR deadlines in combination with a new lockdown in Bergen and one of the coldest, but most beautiful winters I have experienced, certainly has brought a novel twist to 2021 thus far. While most of us come up for air after the NFR deadline, there are many more deadlines for funds, positions and positioning right around the corner, it’s a case of hold on to something tight and here we go! Firstly, I would like to highlight the possibility to apply for small research funds, which has a deadline of 14.02.21 and here are the application criteria:

  • Funding for researchers who do not have large funding.
  • You can apply for 15 000-150 000 NOK.
  • The funds have to be used within 2021 and cannot be transferred to 2021.
  • Recipient has to be an active researcher with a permanent position, prof II or 1.am. II
  • The recipient must have applied for external funding during the past years

Do not forget the application deadline for PhDs (9 positions) and Postdocs (2 positions) at the Medical faculty also with a deadline of 14.02.21.

Finally, 2 exciting application possibilities in conjunction with the Trond Mohn Foundation have been published. In collaboration with Haukeland hospital, the medical faculty will fund a new center of regenerative medicine. This center will build on the existing efforts of the Bergen Stem Cell Consortium (BSCC) and the new ex vivo clean room facility at the laboratory building of the culture of cells to be utilized for clinical trial. The center will be supported by the Trond Mohn Foundation over a 5-year period and the foundation has set off 20 MNOK to support 3-4 research project within the field of regenerative medicine. Additionally, the foundation has also put aside 5 MNOK funding for collaborative projects between a Bergen – and Oslo environment in core facilities for genetically modified cell therapies in Oslo. Application details can be found here:       https://www.uib.no/sites/w3.uib.no/files/attachments/crm_prequa.pdf

 

In another initiative, the Trond Mohn Foundation has in collaboration with the University of Bergen, Haukeland University Hospital and Stavanger University Hospital established the West Norwegian Center for Antimicrobial Resistance (CAMRIA). The center is led by Professor Nina Langeland at K2, University of Bergen. The centre aims to shed light on the spread of resistant bacteria in hospitals, by combining new and predictive mathematical approaches with advanced molecular biology. This intersection of disciplines will allow the unprecedented characterisation and prediction of AMR spread and outbreak dynamics and the identification of optimal control strategies using the paradigm of “precision medicine”. In parallel, new logistic, and policy research will provide a change in our ability to intervene in outbreaks. The center is now announcing funding for 3-4 projects that can help achieve the center’s objectives. For more details on this call and application templates please contact MEDforsk@uib.no. The deadline for this call is March 15th, 2021.

 

INVITATION: CCBIO Junior Scientist Symposium February 25, in Zoom

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We have the pleasure of inviting you to our CCBIO Junior Scientist Symposium (JUSS) February 25, 2021! This is an online event in Zoom.

Keynote speaker Hrvoje Miletic will introduce us to the exciting world of translational research in brain cancer: “Glioblastoma treatment resistance – is there a way out?”. Local junior researchers will present their intriguing findings in endometrial carcinoma, breast cancer and ovarian cancer. Additionally, we will hear reflections how cancer research is presented in the media.

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

When: Thursday February 25, 2021 at 09:00 – 12:00 (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!

Any questions can be addressed to chairs Cornelia and Maria.

Feel free to forward this invitation as all are welcome! (Not restricted to junior scientists.)

Poster

With best regards
Eli Synnøve Vidhammer
Communications
Centre for Cancer Biomarkers CCBIO
University of Bergen
Norway

OSCE6: THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FOR THE EFFORT

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The practical station exam OSCE8 for medical students should actually have been completed in June 2020, but this was postponed until February 2nd due to the corona pandemic. Although there was sufficient time to plan the exam, for many it was still a hectic rush last week.

There are several reasons for this. The ROSA analysis was delayed, there were new challenges in the infection situation, and there were personnel challenges partly due to many sick leaves at the study section K1 / K2 in the most critical phase, but also due to the need for extra reserve personnel if someone urgently had to be quarantined. Nevertheless, OSKE8 was carried out, and my impression is that it happened in a very good way, professionally, administratively, and in terms of infection control. It was just extremely impressive! And the students were very happy that the exam could be completed!

Many of you in a very short time lined up as extra markers, examiners, examiners and administrative people, and many worked day – and in fact night – to facilitate the exam. There is certainly a lot we can learn from this round and which we should probably address in the next round this spring when OSKE8 and OSKE12 will be held again, but I want to praise all of you who lined up, both electively and ad hoc, so that this became possible. THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH!!

Have a great weekend. Hope you have a surplus in your mental account for a ski trip or two J

Disputas Dag Heiro Yi – 17. februar

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Foto: Jørgen Barth

Prøveforelesning:      Onsdag 17. februar 2021 kl. 10.15
For tilgang til digitalt møterom: se pressemelding

Oppgitt emne:                “The role of B-Cells in anti-tumor immune responses. Current results and future treatment options”

Disputas:                     Onsdag 17. februar 2021 kl. 12.15
For tilgang til digitalt møterom: se pressemelding

Avhandlingens tittel:      “Monocyte-derived dendritic cells in cancer immunotherapy. Considerations on their applicability”

  1. opponent: Dr.med. Susanne Rittig, Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin
  2. opponent: PhD Else Marit Inderberg, Oslo Universitets sykehus
  3. medlem av komiteen: Professor Oddbjørn Straume, Universitetet i Bergen

Disputasen blir ledet av professor Ola Myklebost

Åpent for alle interesserte

Dissertation Lydia Johnsen – February 18th

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Lydia Johnsen

Prøveforelesning:      18. februar 2020 kl. 9.15
For tilgang til digitalt møterom: se pressemelding 

Oppgitt emne:    “Erfaringer med bruk av ultralyd i karkirurgi, og hva karkirurgiske poliklinikker bør tilby av ultralyddiagnostikk”

Disputas:         18 .februar 2020 kl. 11.15
For tilgang til digitalt møterom:  Se pressemelding

Avhandlingens tittel:      “Ultrasound in follow-up after endovascular aneurysm repair”

  1. opponent: Førsteamanuensis Jarlis Wesche, Universitetet i Oslo
  2. opponent: Avdelingssjef Torbjørn Dahl, St. Olavs hospital
  3. medlem av komiteen: Professor Mai Tone Lønnebakken, Universitetet i Bergen

Dissertation – Anders Krogh Aarebrot, February 19th.

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Anders Krogh Aarebrot. Foto: Jørgen Barth

Prøveforelesning:      19. februar 2020 kl.  9.15
For tilgang til digitalt møterom: Se pressemelding

Oppgitt emne:                “Biomarkers and personalized medicine in autoimmunity”

Disputas:                     19. februar 2020 kl. 11.15
For tilgang til digitalt møterom: Se pressemelding

Avhandlingens tittel:      “Single cell signalling and immune cell profiling in psoriasis”

 

  1. opponent:               Førsteamanuensis Liv Eidsmo, Karolinska Institute, Sverige
  2. opponent:       Professor Björn Runar Ludviksson, The University Hospital of Iceland
  3. medlem av komiteen: Professor Anne Christine Johannessen, Universitetet i Bergen

Disputasen blir ledet av professor Harald Wiker.

Åpent for alle interesserte

 

Congratulations!

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Dear Researchers of the Department of Clinical Medicine (K1), Department of Clinical Science (K2), and Helse-Vest,

The week of the 15th Annual Research Presentations by the Research School in Clinical Medicine has finished with great success.

Despite the limitations coming with a pandemic, we had a satisfactory number of participants in Research School Presentations 2021.

On the first day of the event, 23 projects were presented as a Poster Presentation in three sessions: Diabetes/Obesity/Nutrition, Cardiovascular/Pulmonology/GE, and QoL/Neurologic/Genetic/Basic Science.

The second day of the event was held with 13 projects presented as an Oral Presentation in three sessions:  Basic Science/Cellular, Epidemiology/Clinical Trials, and Cancer/Autoimmunity.

All projects were awarded a Certificate for Successful Participation.

Three projects presented by PhD candidates were awarded “The Best Poster Presentation Award”

  • First place winner:  10 000 NOK

Philipp Strauss: “Transcriptomic Characterization of Renal Cell Carcinoma Patients with Progressive Disease Despite Low Initial Risk of Progression”

  • Second place winner: 5000 NOK

Martha Haugstøyl: “Pro-inflammatory adipose tissue macrophages are associated with insulin resistance in morbidly obese subjects”

  • Third place winner: 3000 NOK

Tonje Bårdsen: “Lung function in extremely preterm born adults over three decades”

Three projects presented by PhD candidates were awarded “The Best Oral Presentation Award”

  • First place winner:  10 000 NOK

Karine Eid: “Perinatal Depression and Anxiety in Women with MS: A Population-Based Cohort Study”

  • Second place winner: 5000 NOK

Elvira García de Jalón: “Repurposing 18F-FMISO for clinical PET/CT imaging of nitroreductase gene-directed enzyme prodrug therapy”

  • Third place winner: 3000 NOK

Vibeke Fosse: “CD24-targeted intraoperative fluorescence image-guided surgery leads to improved cytoreduction of ovarian cancer in a preclinical orthotopic surgical model”

Projects presented by Postdoctoral Researchers/Scientists were nominated for the “Open Class Award”

  • Open Class Award: 10 000 NOK

Helga Midtbø: “Fitness is associated with lower inflammatory markers in obesity: The FATCOR study”

Project received the most votes from the audience was awarded “The People’s Choice Award”

  • “The People’s Choice Award”:

Aishwarya Pavithram: “Functional characterization of HNF1B variants enhance precision medicine in diabetes”

For more details about presented Projects and Award Ceremony, please,  see the files attached to this email.

On behalf of the organizing committee, we extend our congratulations to all participants and winners.

We are looking forward to seeing all of you and your projects in the 16th Annual Research Presentations by the Research School in Clinical Medicine in January 2022.

Sincerely,

Mona, Nils, and Nigar

 

HSE

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The HSE handbook has now been updated with instructions for importing and working with infectious material. Look here.

A committee for biosafety was established in December 2020. The committee shall be an advisory and approving body at UoB for the import and use of biological risk factors, including genetically modified organisms. More information about this will come later.

Have a great HSE weekend 😊 regards to Siv Lise

 

Who deserves K2’s Teaching Award?

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Teaching is one of our core activites and we want to stimulate GOOD teaching at K2!

This year, we focus on raising awareness about the requirement for teaching education, which now applies to all scientific staff both for novel employees and for applications for the renewal of temporary positions (20% positions). The decree demands 200 hours of courses (about 8 study points). We are working on sharing information regarding courses in teaching and learning, and on finding god solutions for how to facilitate the acquisition of the required education for those in need. “Enhet for læring” (the learning center) at the Faculty of Medicine offers a selection of courses that may be recommended.

Our institute wishes to honour a teacher or teaching environment who has demonstrated an extraordinary effort within the field of teaching or development of innovative teaching and learning programs, by forwarding the K2 Teaching Award (NOK 50’000). Think of a nominee an e-mail the name of your candidate and a brief explanation to mette.vesterhus@uib.no by March 15th.

RETHOS is active from 2022. All UGLE must revise descriptions within their fields accordingly, securing that they comply with the requirements in RETHOS as regards form and content. Contact Harald Wiker for help.

The K2 Teaching Award is awarded at the TEACHING DAY May 19th – save the date!

New round of KG Jebsen centers for medical research

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A new round of KG Jebsen Centers for Medical Research(https://stiftkgj.no/hvem-vi-er/utlysninger/) is now being announced.  The foundation says it will create two new centers from 2022.

Together with Helse Bergen, the Faculty of Medicine can submit 4 applications to the foundation with an application deadline of May 6. We must therefore have an internal process with fairly short deadlines to select the 4 initiatives invited to the full application (see below). In cooperation with Renate Grüner (research director at Haukeland), Marit Bakke has created a template that is mandatory in the prequalification round  and an evaluation form to be used by the external committee for the sketches in the prequalification round (LINK). The application template and evaluation form are based on what is used by the foundation, but it is still encouraged to read the application form/evaluation criteria to be used for the applications in the second round also now in the first place so that you know what the foundation emphasizes. An application to KGJ must be more focused than an SFF, and the translational aspect must be clear.  Prequalification applications that do not use the specified template or that are missing attachments, or that come in after the deadline will not be considered.

Here’s the plan for this year’s announcement:

  1. January 2021: Announcement published
  2. March 1, 2021 (12:00): Deadline for prequalification application
  3. March 1, 2021: Prequalification applications are submitted to external committee (3 international evaluators)
  4. March 23: Feedback from the committee
  5. No later than March 26: Invitation to 4 academic environment for full application
  6. May 6: Final application deadline for full application
  7. You will find the KGJ Foundation’s further schedule in the announcement text.

Attatched:

  1. KGJ-MED_to-be-announced-3

2. Evaluation criteria and template for the prequalification round at The faculty of Medicine

3. Final template for prequalification

4. SKGJ_Research_plan_template_v0-1-2

 

The 15th Annual Research Presentations by the Research School in Clinical Medicine

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Dear Researchers of the Department of Clinical Medicine (K1), Department of Clinical Science (K2), and Helse-Vest,

We are happy to announce that, the week of the 15th Annual Research Presentations by the Research School in Clinical Medicine has arrived.

As it was previously announced, due to the COVID19 restrictions, all sessions will be held online. Please, click here to join the meeting.

The conference program will be as follows:

  • Wednesday 27th of January 2021, 08:30 – 13:00 – Poster Presentations
  • Thursday 28th of January 2021, 08:30 – 12:30 – Oral Presentations
  • Friday 29th of January 2021, 12:00 – Award Ceremony

You can find more details about the presentations from the InfoPoster.

We are looking forward to seeing you at the Annual Research Presentations 2021.

Yours Sincerely,

Mona, Nils, and Nigar

People’s Choice Award: The 15th Annual Research Presentations by the Research School in Clinical Medicine

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Dear Researchers of the Department of Clinical Medicine (K1), Department of Clinical Science (K2), and Helse-Vest,

As in previous years, one project selected based on the votes from the audience will be awarded the “People’s Choice Award”.

Everyone is welcome to participate in voting during the event.

Due to the online fashion of the event, this year votes from the audience will be accepted via online poll.

To support your favorite project, please follow the poll link:

https://doodle.com/poll/ti9pbx2yu6p2i2m8?utm_source=poll&utm_medium=link

Yours Sincerely,

Mona, Nils, and Nigar

Research School Presentation_ InfoPoster 2021