MED-nytt, no 1 ¨C 2025

Editorial: Happy New Year!

Dean Hanne Flinstad Harbo gives her New Year greetings. She talks about the welcome meeting with new students, new dialogue meetings at the units, and plans for a summary of the work the dean's office has accomplished halfway through the term.

Read the full editorial and see pictures from the start of the semester and more.

Management Column

Knowledge Preparedness ¨C A Concept with New Meaning

The Dean of Research, Jan Bj?lie, takes the security challenges related to dual-use very seriously. At the same time, he emphasises the importance of remaining calm. The goal is to find the right balance between our fundamental needs for collaboration, openness, and information sharing, and the legitimate needs to be cautious about our activities.

Read the full article in the leadership column.

Great interest in the PhD education and new regulations

We are pleased to see that there is a great interest in responding to our online survey about proposed new PhD regulations at MED. Many academic staff and PhD candidates have taken the opportunity during the Christmas break to provide us with feedback. The extended deadline for responding is 15th February. Additionally, all departments are now rolling out the process for internal consultation. We are eager to hear the feedback and look forward to creating a final proposal for the new supplementary rules for the PhD programme during the spring, says the Vice Dean for Research and Research Education, Grete Dyb.

News about MED

The Scientia Fellows Programme 2019 - 2024

The programme has been an adventure where the faculty has been fortunate to welcome a total of 86 highly qualified MSCA Fellows from all over the world. Watch the wonderful film where Vandana Ravindran and Johan Georg Kabous Visser share their experiences with us.

Pahnke and partners at SINTEF have been awarded over 33 million euros 

Professor Jens Pahnke leads UiO's participation in the EU-funded project OPTIPATH. The project's aim is to provide faster and more reliable diagnoses of brain cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.
Read more on Klinmed's website (in Norwegian).

16 million kroners for research on metastatic cancer and immunotherapy

The Norwegian Cancer Society¡¯s Pink Ribbon campaign is donating 8 million krones each to the research groups of Philippe Collas and Jason Matthews at the Institute of Basic Medical Sciences. Read more on the institute's website.

ERC Consolidator Grant to Johannes Hov

Professor Johannes Espolin Roksund Hov has received over 23 million kroner from the European Research Council to study the interaction between gut bacteria and the development of severe liver diseases.

Read more on the institute's website in Norwegian.

IMB researchers receive 2.55 million kroner

Is there a higher risk of heart disease among offshore night workers, and does the extent of their exposure to the chemical benzene matter? Researchers Jo Stenehjem and Niki Marjerrison have been awarded funds from the National Association to investigate this. Read more on the institute's website.

Several groups at Klinmed receive article awards from OUS

OUS awards prizes for outstanding research articles twice a year. The awards for articles published in spring 2024 were given to research on brain fluid, influenza vaccines, celiac disease, pancreatic cancer, bowel cancer, and dementia. Knut J?rgen Labori, Per Kristian Eide, and Ranveig Braathen are among the recipients from MED. Read more on the institute's website in Norwegian.

Studies

UiO Campus South is a success

Dean of Studies Magnus L?berg and Campus Leader Halvor ?ygarden praise everyone involved after three successful semesters. They are now looking forward to expanding the study offerings in S?rlandet. Read the full story on the study pages in Norwegian.

Briefings to our staff

• UiO: Rector election 2025: Attend the election meetings! Candidates for the upcoming spring rector election will be announced on 13th January. There will be thirteen election meetings where you can get to know the candidates and ask questions.

• UiO: Transfer of Holidays from last year: Employees who have unused holiday from 2024 can apply to transfer up to 14 days of holiday to 2025 through the self-service portal. Read more on our staff web pages. Deadline: 31st January.

• UiO: Do you know a person or group deserving of UiO¡¯s Health, Safety and Environment Award for 2024 (Article in Norwegian)? Nominate using the online form by 11th February 2025

• Anders Jahre's Awards for Medical Research: Submit your nomination for this year¡¯s Jahre Prizes, awarded in the Nordic countries for outstanding medical research. There are two prizes: the Anders Jahre Medical Prize and the Anders Jahre Prize for Young Medical Researchers under 40 years of age. All medical professors in the Nordic countries are invited to submit candidate proposals. Read more: Nomination deadline 1st February.

• Growth House for Value Creation: Updated Year Plan for Internal Innovation Funds at UiO 2025. UiO has several support schemes for innovative researchers: seed funds from the Growth House and innovation funds from UiO, as well as enrolment in the innovation programmes SPARK Norway and SPARK Social Innovation. In 2025, UiO plans to announce a total of 17 million kroner from internal funds. 

• IMB: Excavation work at Domus Medica: Blasting and demolition at Domus Medica from January. From Monday, 6th January, there will be noise from blasting near Domus Medica, and the patient hotel will be demolished. Bus replacements for trams are likely until March.

• UiO: Do You Enjoy Singing? Join Unikor! Unikor is the university's official choir for employees, and new singers from all voice groups are welcome to join!

• UiO: Offers for UiO Employees. See the National Theatre¡¯s classic "KARUSELL" with an exclusive UiO offer on performances in January and "The Nightingale" from H.C. Andersen¡¯s enchanting world. Wish to receive emails about new offers? Sign up here: kultur-tilbud@uio.no. The offers are for employees, emeriti, and others associated with UiO, such as guest researchers.

• Rectorate Blog: Knowledge Gives Hope, Strength, and Opportunities  by Svein St?len. We can hope for a calmer world in 2025. The past year has been significantly marked by war and conflict.

Management meetings

• Instituttlederm?tet: The next meeting is on 21 January. The meetings are held every other Tuesday from 13:30 to 15:30. Agenda papers should be sent by 12:00 on the preceding Thursday.
• The Faculty Director's seksjonslederm?te every Thursday at 12:00.
• Overview of Faculty Board meetings and IDF meetings in 2025 (pdf) with deadlines for submitting items. The next Faculty Board meeting is on 25 February 2025. The agenda and minutes for the Faculty Board are updated here..
• Meetings of the University Board in 2025, with agendas and minutes. The meetings are streamed and open for anyone who wishes to follow along. The next meeting is on 4 February.

Opportunities and deadlines

See all deadlines for applications for research funding under Funding opportunities. 

• Keep an eye on the annual calendar for award announcements (in norwegian).

  • Now all professors at MED can nominate their candidate for the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine by February 1st.

  • Open nomination for the Anders Jahres Medical Prizes by January 31st.

  • Open nomination for the Monrad-Khron Foundation to promote neurological research by January 15th.

  • Open nominations for the Monrad-Khron Foundation to promote neurological research by 15th January.

  • Olav Thon Foundation's Teaching Award. Deadline: 13th January

• Researchers in life sciences at UiO can apply for incentive funds for FRIPRO applications submitted from now until the end of 2025. 

• UiO:Life Science will fund seven to eight interdisciplinary research projects, some of which are reserved for researchers who will have the Life Science Building as their workplace. Researchers from all disciplines are encouraged to apply. UiO:Life Science will hold workshops for potential applicants in January and February. Se more info below.

Courses and events

See the University of Oslo¡¯s calendar for an overview of all available courses. See also updated overviews of courses from UiO IT (in Norwegian) and the Updated course overview from the University Library.

Overview: Upcoming public defence.

• In January and February, UiO:Life Science organizes workshops for potential applicants to interdisciplinary research projects in life sciences. Each workshop will have four different topics. Read more and sign up.

• The Postdoctoral Program¡¯s courses for the spring have now been updated - A golden opportunity for postdocs and other researchers at the beginning of their career. Sign up today! These three courses are first-come, first-served:

  • 24-25 February: Communicating Research: Give your career a boost and become better at communicating how your research leads to societal impact.

  • 25-26 March: Research Management. The course provides increased knowledge of research management and leadership.

  • 7-9 April: Writing Grant Applications. Get good advice and increased knowledge about how to write good applications for external funding.

• 3 February: HELP invites you to a seminar on the use of artificial intelligence in teaching in Norwegian. The purpose of the seminar is to enhance competence through experience sharing and to establish a meeting arena for discussion around AI specifically and education in general.

• 11-12. February: Norway Life Science 2025. Theme: Health Data ¨C from Access to Value Creation and Groundbreaking Research. Save the dates now!

• 12 February: Looking for new career opportunities? Join Young Talents on 12th February.. 

About our research

You can follow the faculty on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram

Klinmed: AI-driven collaboration aims to transform antibody-based medication. Victor Greiff and Fridtjof Lund-Johansen have established a pipeline where advanced biotechnology is combined with artificial intelligence to develop antibody-based therapeutics. Now they are collaborating with pioneering biotechnology company Genmab.

Medisinbloggen: What do we know about exercise-induced symptom exacerbation (PEM) by Nina K?pke V?llestad and Anne Marit Mengshoel in Norwegian. For some diseases, increased activity can lead to heightened symptoms. It is also beneficial for all patients to maintain a certain level of activity. We need more knowledge.

IMB: More organs can be used for transplants (in Norwegian).More people will be able to get a new liver. The main reasons for this are research on small carp fish from a pond in B?rum and an advanced machine at Norway¡¯s National Hospital. K?re-Olav Stensl?kken and S?ren Pischke are collaborating with several others in the interdisciplinary 3DR group.
 

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