Welcome to CCBIO's first Junior Scientist Symposium in 2026, on March 10th! Lunch is included, but remember to register first, also in Studentweb with the course code CCBIO901 if we want credits.
Registration and more information can be found here: https://www.uib.no/ccbio/181367/ccbio-junior-scientist-symposium-10-mars-2026
The Infection Control Act from 1994 is currently under revision. The Helse- og omsorgsdepartementet has conducted a broad and comprehensive review of the Act to ensure that the necessary legal authority is in place to handle potential crisis situations. Experiences from the COVID 19 pandemic have been central to this work, but the Defence Commission, the Civil Protection Act, and the Health Preparedness Report have also provided grounds for changes. Provisions used every day in the country’s municipalities and hospitals have been assessed.
In consultation with the Faculty of Medicine, K2 will coordinate a consultation response on behalf of the University of Bergen. Input is requested to be sent to kurt.hanevik@uib.no before 05.03.26.
The proposed legislation can be found here: https://www.regjeringen.no/no/dokumenter/horing-forslag-til-ny-lov-om-vern-mot-smittsomme-sykdommer-mv.-smittevernloven/id3122004
A new study shows that our blood contains far more information about heart disease than previously thought. Using advanced data analysis, researchers from Bergen and Reykjavík, among others, have mapped how hundreds of blood proteins interact – and how these patterns can warn of future heart problems.
The research team, led by bioinformatician Sean Bankier, analyzed 30 years of data from the Icelandic heart association Hjartavernd. Instead of studying individual proteins, they examined the entire network of proteins in the blood. This revealed clear links between protein patterns and the risk of common heart problems, such as heart attacks.
The method could eventually make it possible to extract more information from regular blood tests and reduce the need for invasive tests such as biopsies. The researchers also believe that the technique can be transferred to other diseases, including cancer.
The study shows how big data and bioinformatics are opening new doors in medical research – not as a replacement for laboratory work, but as a powerful supplement.
A new study shows that children born with only one artery in their umbilical cord have a slightly increased risk of certain developmental disorders later in life. However, for the vast majority of children, this does not appear to affect development.
The umbilical cord is the fetus's lifeline. It connects the placenta and the fetus, transporting all the gases and nutrients needed for the fetus to develop.
In most people, the umbilical cord consists of two arteries and one vein. A small number – around 0.4% of all newborns – are born with only one umbilical artery. This is called isolated single umbilical artery (iSUA). The condition is known to be associated with complications during pregnancy, but it has been unclear whether iSUA may also be associated with neurodevelopmental disorders later in childhood.
In this large Norwegian study, the largest of its kind, researchers followed over 850,000 children born between 1999 and 2013. Of these, just over 3,500 had iSUA but no other congenital malformations. The researchers investigated whether these children were more likely to develop neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorders, ADHD, epilepsy, hearing or vision difficulties, or intellectual disability.
The results showed that children with iSUA had a slightly increased risk of two diagnoses:
However, the increase in risk was modest, and no increased risk of autism spectrum disorders, epilepsy, or hearing or vision impairment was found. Interestingly, the association between iSUA and developmental disabilities was only seen in girls, not boys.
The researchers also examined whether premature birth or low birth weight could explain the association. These explained less than 10% of the increased risk – so only a small part.
The study suggests that iSUA itself is not a strong risk factor for neurodevelopmental disorders. Only a slight increase in risk for intellectual disability and ADHD was found, and no increase in risk for the other conditions examined.
This is good news for parents who learn during pregnancy that their fetus has iSUA: for most children, this condition does not appear to have consequences for neurological development.
Link to the study: https://obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/uog.70164
The Three Minute Thesis (3MT) is an international research communication competition that challenges PhD candidates to present their research in just three minutes, using a single static slide, to a general audience. The competition was originally developed at the University of Queensland in 2008 and has since grown into an international event, with competitions organised by networks such as the Coimbra Group and SANORD. UiB invites PhD candidates from all disciplines to participate in our internal 3MT competition. The winner will represent UiB in the international finals of the Coimbra Group and SANORD.
Applicable terms
When the UiB Rector visited K2 last week, she asked about our publication strategy. K2’s strategy is quite simple: We publish open access as much as possible, and when we have strong and very interesting data, we try to publish in so called Level 2 journals. These are the top 20% highest-ranked journals within their field, and the list is updated annually by the National Publication Committee (NPU) and HK-dir. In 2024, 18% of K2’s 422 publications were in Level 2 journals. This is also the average for the Faculty of Medicine. For K2, it should be an objective to exceed 20% in Level 2 publications in order to demonstrate the overall quality of our research. Unfortunately, many Level 2 journals are still not fully open access. We can help promote fully open access Level 2 journals by publishing in them and having publication fees covered by UiB’s Publication Fund for open publishing.
Based on the number of publications, levels, and international collaboration, publication points are calculated. Until 2024, these were used to adjust funding for research institutions in Norway. This is no longer done, but the metric may still be a useful indicator to monitor, considering how well we manage under increasingly tight budget constraints. In the health trusts, publication points will continue to influence funding.
For this statistic to be accurate, it is important that affiliations are written correctly in submitted manuscripts from K2. AI tools often mistranslate this. The correct affiliation, where K2 is the employer or has otherwise contributed to participation in a study, is: Department of Clinical Science,Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen
Finally, the K2 leadership congratulates Lars Herfindal, Professor of Pharmacology and the new Head of the Centre for Pharmacy, on receiving the prestigious Olav Thon Foundation Award for Outstanding Teaching.
The Education Committee announces funding each year for quality development in education. In 2025, NOK 2,100,000 was announced, which academic units could apply for (referred to as “Incentive Funds for the Development of Educational Quality”).
For 2026, the Education Committee has decided to make adjustments to the allocation process. The evaluation committee will have a majority of merited teachers, rather than members of the Education Committee, as has been the practice in recent years. The mandate for the evaluation committee will also be revised, including a requirement that all applicants receive feedback on their applications.
In addition, in November the University Board allocated funds to the First-Year Student Initiative, with the ambition of reducing drop-out early in studies. These funds will be incorporated into the call for proposals, in line with the guidelines set by the board.
At the time of writing, the call Funds for Quality Development in Education 2026 will amount to approximately NOK 3,800,000.
The call will be divided into three purposes:
Small projects / pilot studies related to the First-Year Student Initiative
Pilot projects related to the First-Year Student Initiative
Other projects related to quality work in education
We are currently preparing the call and aim to have it ready by the end of February, with an application deadline in early May.
Allocations will be made in the Education Committee’s meeting on 17 June.
In the meantime, we refer to the Education Committee’s case 5/26 Midlar til kvalitetsutvikling 2026 – 2029which sets the framework for the call text and the allocation process. Developing good projects takes time, and we therefore ask you to make academic units aware that the call is forthcoming and that it will include a new direction.
