MED-nytt, no 1 – 2023

Editorial: Happy New Year 2023

The new Dean Hanne Flinstad Harbo welcomes you to a new year with new challenges and opportunities. You can read a little about her background and how she will approach her new role as Dean.
The new Dean invites us all to attend the semester kick-off on Wednesday 18 January in the large auditorium at Oslo University Hospital.
Read the full Editorial.

The new Deans of Research 

Vice-Dean of Research and Innovation Jan Bjålie and Vice-Dean of Research and Organised Research Training Grete Dyb share their thoughts on the start to their four-year term in the Office of the Dean.

Read the full story in the management column
 

The new Deans of Studies

Pro-Dean Magnus Løberg and Vice-Dean Eli Fering present some of their thoughts on the work ahead.

Read the full story in the management column

Semester kick-off for the Faculty of Medicine

The new Dean welcomes all Faculty staff and students to the kick-off for the spring semester 2023: Wednesday 18 January Semester kick-off for the Faculty of Medicine. 
14:30–16:00 in the Store Auditorium RH and from kl 16:00–18:00 at the student canteen, Domus Medica. 

There are two parts to this event: Talks will take place in the large auditorium at Oslo University Hospital first, followed by mingling, food and entertainment by the Oslo Medical Girls’ Choir in Domus Medica afterwards. 

Call for applications, K.G. Jebsen Medical Centres 2023

The K.G. Jebsen Foundation has published a call for applications for new centres, which will be awarded for a period of five years from 2024. The centres will be allocated NOK 4.5 million per year for a period of five years. The Faculty collaborates with Oslo University Hospital on the prequalification of research communities. The centres will consist of research groups with complementary expertise and major potential for development in translational medical research. At least one of the research groups at each centre must have a clinical focus. Applications for K.G. Jebsen centres include significant requirements for self-funding. Read more about applying for prequalification and the application criteria for departments.
Contacts at the Faculty of Medicine: Rune Larsen.
Deadline: The draft application deadline for prequalification is 24 February at 12:00.

International praise for endocrinological research

A study on phaeochromocytomas, led by Ivar Følling, has been named the best article in 2022 by the research community. Vice-Dean of Research Jan G. Bjålie congratulates Ivar Følling and his colleagues. “This is well deserved recognition for Følling, who has been an instrumental researcher in his field at Ahus.”
Read the full story on the institute webside (in Norwegian).

Studies

Local authorities invest in public health to create a sustainable society

With a master’s degree in public health science and epidemiology, you will work to balance social inequalities and promote social well-being. Read the interview with Mayor Lene Conradi on how she believes our master’s degree programme can provide key expertise that is sorely needed by the local authority.
Read the full story on the study programme website (in Norwegian).

School of Health Innovation promotes a culture of innovation

In Professor Alessandro Cataliotti’s (ClinMed) research group, the School of Health Innovation plays a key role in the organised training of young researchers. Both the Professor and his doctoral student Reza Parvan consider the innovation course to be highly relevant when it comes to expanding the career opportunities for young researchers.

Read the full story on the UiO: Growth House webside.

The School of Health Innovation – sign up!

The School of Health Innovation offers courses to PhD students, postdoctoral fellows, group leaders and professors. The school is a collaboration between the University of Oslo, NTNU, the Karolinska Institute and the University of Copenhagen. The courses are free to attend thanks to funding from the Novo Nordisk Foundation.

Course 1: Health innovation and entrepeneurship is now accepting applications. Deadline 3 February.

Information for employees

• Dagens medisin: It would be wise to strengthen educational capacity at the University of Oslo – and quickly  (in Norwegian)
  Post by Dekan Hanne Flinstad Harbo and Rector Svein stølen. Based on population data, the educational capacity in medicine is lowest in the area covered by the University of Oslo and the South-Eastern Norway Regional Health Authority. Educational capacity should therefore be increased at the University of Oslo and we are taking steps to train more doctors in South-Eastern Norway. This is a wise move.

• The Rectorate’s Blog: Norway should train more doctors in Norwegian by Svein Stølen, Cathrine M. Lofthus and Nina Mevold. The University of Oslo and the South-Eastern Norway Regional Health Authority will support the government if it adopts the Grimstad Committee’s proposal to create 440 new places to study medicine – and we will facilitate new places in South-Eastern Norway.

• New name for innovation unit: UiO: Growth House. 
  The Growth House for Life Sciences launched in 2022 as the University of Oslo’s innovation unit for life sciences, health and technology. In 2023, we will change our name to the Growth House for Value Creation to highlight the fact that we cover all departments and centres at the Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Maths and Natural Sciences.
  Read the full story on the UiO: Growth House website.

• Exercise during working hours: the spring course schedule is ready! All employees can work out for up to 1.5 hours a week. Take advantage of this spring's training offer: floorball, yoga, strength training and neck/shoulder exercises are some of the activities you can choose from.

• Transferring holiday entitlement carried over from last year: 
  Employees who have unused holiday days from 2022 can apply to transfer up to 14 days of their holiday entitlement to 2023 via the self-service portal. Read more on the employee website. Deadline: 31 January

• UiO: Energy saving at the University of Oslo. Updated information on initiatives.

• Krigen i Ukraina: Ukraine - University of Oslo

• UiO: UiO gathers strategic spearheads. 
  The Growth House for Value Creation, dScience – the Centre for Data and Computational Science, UiO:Life Science and UiO:Energy and Environment are now co-located in the Oslo Science Park. “This will give the University of Oslo the opportunity to develop strategic initiatives and strengthen innovation,” says Per Morten Sandset, Vice-Rector at the University of Oslo.

• Khrono: His articles were read 2.7 million times last year (link in Norwegian). Per Holck is by far the most widely read author in Store norske leksikon (SNL). In last year’s summary, the editorial team was able to boast 108 million articles read. During the record month of January, the encyclopedia had 3.5 million unique users. SNL is also one of the largest dissemination channels for academics. It now has 1100 academics and more than 5000 article authors. Most hail from universities and university colleges. There are 172 academics from the University of Oslo alone. The encyclopedia is calling for more contributors and trawled educational institutions last year in a search for authors. Are you interested? Please get in touch with Håvard Ringsevjen(SNL)

• DIASA 2-studien led by professor Kåre Birkeland, is looking for better ways to prevent and treat diabetes in people of South Asian origin in particular and in women who have previously had gestational diabetes in general. They are now looking for healthy control subjects for their diabetes study (link in Norwegian). 

• Podcast on modern reproductive technology with Professor Bjørn Hofmann (Helsam). The episode addresses the possibilities Hofmann believes we all should consider and prepare for: Bjørn Hofmann on the Designer Children of the Future, Genetic Modification of Children, Synthetic Foetus, Artificial Uterus. Listen (in Norwegian) via Spotify. 

Management meetings

Minutes from the Management forum 20 December. Equipment, class II - Host Agreement - Template for Expert Assessments - Quality System for Organised Research Training - Studies-related Matters - Research Matters - Department News

Minutes from the latest Faculty Board Meeting on 13 January. 

University Board meetings in 2023. Latest meeting, 6 December. The meetings are live-streamed and open to anyone who would like to attend.

Deadlines

• See all the important deadlines for applications for research funding in the weekly  newsletter Funding opportunities.

• Award annoumcements: Keep up-to-date with the annual cycle for award announcements wich is updated on an ongoing basis

• Apply for prequalification for K.G. Jebsen centres 2023: The centres will consist of research groups with complementary expertise and major potential for development in translational medical research. At least one of the research groups at each centre must have a clinical focus. The internal deadline is 24 February at 12:00.

• The Innovative Health Initiative (IHI) has published call 3. Call 4 is pre-published. Deadline: 15 March 2023. 

• ERC Consolidator Grant: The European Research Council (ERC) has announced the deadline for the 2023 Consolidator Grant. Deadline 2 February 2023.

Courses and events

See the UiO's calender for an overview of all available courses. See also courses from USIT.
Updated overview: Upcoming Disputations.

• 16 January Guest lecture with Franz Theuring: Tau-Aggregation-Inhibitors (HMTM) for the treatment of Alzheimer's Disease: Being a Tauist in the land of Amyloid. Welcome to a lecture organized by SPARK Norway and Nansen Neuroscience Network. At Forskningsparken/ Zoom, 1:00 PM–2:30 PM.

• 18 January Semester kick-off for the Fakulty of Medicine. 14.30-16:00 Store Auditorium RH, kl 16:00-18:00 at the  student canteen, Domus Medica. The New Dean welcomes all Faculty staff and students to the kick-off for the spring semester 2023. There are two parts to this event: Talks will take place in the Store auditorium at Rikshospitalet and then, mingling, finger food and entertainment by the Oslo Medical Girls’ Choir in Domus Medica afterwards. 

• EU Horizon Europe is arranging: Infodays 2023
  The Faculty management encourages students to participate in these international events, which can, among other things, help you develop your consortium for 2023 calls and gain an insight into the subjects that will be published in this year’s calls for proposals. Register now:

  • 17 – 18 January EU Missions info days – The event aims to inform potential applicants about the new topics included in the EU Missions work programme 2023.

  • 19 January  Horizon Europe info day - Cluster 1 – This info day aims to inform (potential) applicants about topics included in the Cluster 1 'Health' work programme of 2023

  • 20 January CLUSTER Health - Horizon Europe Brokerage Event 2023. Don't miss the opportunity to get involved in the next Horizon Europe 2023 Health proposals!

• 

  22 January The 2023 Aarebrot Lecture with Anne Spurkland at 18:00 Physical and digital participation. You can also read the Institute’s interview with Anne about the lecture. The streaming link will be published this webpage.

• This year, NOKUT is celebrating its 20th anniversary and you are invited to attend the anniversary party on wednesday  25 January and conference on Thursdag 26 January. See the programme and sign up here. 

• 27 January Webinar series:
  One health – Reconnecting for the future: 
  Integrity and International Collaborations in an Open Science Environment Join our Ethics in Global Health Crosscutting Theme leader, Rosemarie Bernabe, as she convenes experts to discuss integrity challenges in international collaborations.

• 2 and 3 February 2023: Management Conference 2023  Management Conference 2023 - the most important meeting place for managers in the health service. How to lead in the face of change and how to face the future? The battle for staff. New requirements. Poor finances. Priorities and sharing tasks. Digitalisation and home hospitals.

• Health innovation and entrepreneurship: Apply for admission to the School of Health Innovation’s course 1, spring 2023. How to commercialise research and ideas? How can innovation be utilised for benefit in clinical contexts? The course is for PhD students and Postdoctoral Fellows, as well as young Associate Professors, Assistant Professors, Clinicians and Researchers. The School of Health Innovation covers all costs. Read more about the course and admission criteria and search for entrance and admission information.
  The application deadline is 3 February 2023.

• 13 - 15 February: 
  Life Science Conference 2023. Welcome to the biggest meeting place for the life sciences in Norway! 
  The Life Science Conference 2023 will explore the interaction between health, technology and society. Catch keynotes by the Chair of the Board of Novo Nordisk, Helge Lund, and Minister of Trade and Industry, Jan Christian Vestre, debates, lectures, major networking opportunities, receptions at Oslo City Hall, public events and so much more. 
  Registration has opened, register yourself today.

• 16 February Labour and Welfare Conference 2023: “The hunt for a workforce”

Research news

You can also check out what is happening at the Faculty of Medicine on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and Instagram.

IMB: Spurkland delivers 200 minutes on the body’s eternal struggle for survival in Norwegian by Cecilie Bakken Høstmark. Genetic material is the meaning of life. And what can you do to help your immune system stay healthy? You will have the opportunity to learn about this from Anne Spurkland on 22 January.

Medisinbloggen: : Why are some types of fat healthier than others? in Norwegian by Karoline Henriksen

There is not just one type of fat. But how do they differ? And why is it a good idea to make the right choices?

IMB: Higher risk of Klebsiella in hospitals than from farm animals or water by Cecilie Bakken Høstmark. Each year, many people get sick from the Klebsiella pneumoniae bacterium and some variants resist nearly all antibiotics. Researchers have found out more about how these variants are transmitted. 

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