Centre for Nutrition
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DEPARTMENT OF CLINICAL MEDICINE FACULTY OF MEDICINE AND DENTISTRY UNIVERSITY OF BERGEN Newsletter No. 7, Vol 3, 10. April 2015 Newsletter No. 7, Vol 3, 10. April 2015 Centre for nutrition During the year, we will establish a centre for nutrition at K1. This reflects the importance of the field, but also that networking and collaboration is necessary to promote good rese- arch. The centre will have a particular focus on the framework conditions for research, in- cluding external funding. Nutrition is an important field of clinical medicine, both in research, education and clinical prac- tice. The master and bachelor degrees in nutrition are central tasks for K1. Many of our research groups are concerned with nutritional questions, and for some, nutrition is the main issue. Seen from the outside, research on nutrition in Bergen and Western Norway appears as fragmented. In comparison to the educational programmes, research on this topic has no apparent structure. We will establish a centre for nutrition at K1 during the coming months. The work takes place in consultation with the faculty and relevant departments, and Helse Bergen is well informed. Rese- arch is the main focus. Education is already taken care of through the programme committees, but the centre will also support education and communication. The centre will be connected to a network of research groups and researchers with relevant acti- vities in Western Norway, both in and outside of K1 and UiB. Centre participation should not com- pete with or influence other and more formal cooperation. The idea is that we are stronger to- gether, and that a common centre will increase the opportunities for good research and external research funding. The director of the centre will play a central role. Western Norway and UiB have special responsibilities related to marine activities. More and bet- ter research at the interface between health/disease and marine issues are much in demand. A centre for nutrition is one way of facing the challenge. Collaborative research and research networks are needed to be able to contend in tough international, national and regional competition. All project mana- gers should seek to establish good structures for cooperation. External and competitive financing is necessary for project survival. The establishment of a centre for nutrition may stimulate others to consider how they best might promote research in their own fields. Nils Erik Gilhus Head of Department Illustration: colourbox.no 1 DEPARTMENT OF CLINICAL MEDICINE Newsletter No. 7, Vol 3, 10. April 2015 Get to know K1’s research groups: The Bergen Myasthenia Gravis Research Group (BMG group) Myasthenia gravis is a chronic autoimmune neuromuscular disease characterized by varying de- grees of weakness of the skeletal (voluntary) muscles of the body. The BMG group investigates possible causal factors for MG. They use population data and compare between regions in Norway and cohorts from different countries with varying genetic and environmental factors. The group was the first to prove that subgroups of MG patients have antibodies against the calcium channel ryanodine receptor and titin. The group is mapping these antibodies' significance as diagnostic and prognostic markers and as indicators of therapeutic response. They have investigated possible heart affections by MG as a result of cross-reacting antibodies. Antibodies in MG are particular important during pregnancy since they pass through the placenta. Neurological disease and consequences of pregnancy, childbirth and the newborn are central fields. The thymus gland is a key organ in MG, and the BMG group has been part of establishing the thymus as disease mediator by detecting muscle antigens in the thymus and thymoma, and antigen presenting capacity in thymoma. 10 PhD degrees has in been completed on MG in the BMG group. The group has been partner in several EU-projects and participates in a broad international collaboration. They have supervised four students in the Medical Student Re- search Programme, and cooperates closely with other re- search groups in neurology, both within laboratory medicine and register epidemiology. Group leader is Nils Erik Gilhus. Read more at the group’s web pages. Representatives of the BMG group. On the inside we are the same. Right? Risky stem cell treatment Forskning.no had a chat with K1’s Professor The media has lately been much concerned with Inge Morild about how alike we actually are in- stem cell treatment of MS patients. K1’s Profes- side, as the children’s song says. sor Lars Bø explains in Dagbladet why this treat- ment is not common practice in Norway so far. – There are as many differences on the inside as on the outside, both in shape and size. There are also The disease was one of the main topics of the Neu- different colours, Morild explains. Our equipment is roscience days organized in March by the Norwe- already different when we are born, and as we gian Neurological Association. Stem cell therapy grow, the difference grows as well. has been launched as the new answer, but the tre- Read the article here (Norw.). atment is not without risk, and does not always lead to the target. The treatment is risky and has side effects. Stem cell therapy is not a first choice, but an option when other treatments have failed. We must find the point when stem cell treatment is required and has the best effect, Bø says to Dagbladet. Read more here (Norw.). Illustration: Colourbox.no Illustration: colourbox.no 2 DEPARTMENT OF CLINICAL MEDICINE Newsletter No. 7, Vol 3, 10. April 2015 Psychiatry internship in Uganda We have been able to offer 4 weeks of work experience in Uganda from autumn 2014 to psychiatry students in their 4th term. 6 students get the opportunity to go. They stay in Kampala, Uganda's capital, a city with about 1.6 million inhabitants. The teaching takes place in hospitals Mulago and Butabika. Mulago is the largest somatic hospital in Uganda with a small psychiatric department, while Butabika es- sentially is a psychiatric hospital. Butabika has a capacity of approximately 900 patients and is the only mental hospital in the country with 36 million people. The students report that they were very happy with the stay, and encourage other students to apply to get the chance to experience this exciting country. However, no matter how much you are prepared, it is hard to face so much poverty and acute mental disease. The students were left with lots of impressions, both from patients and doctors, but also from the hectic everyday life in Kampala. Professor Gustav Wik, This is where the students live. Our administrative con- international coordina- Butabika hospital. tor, on his visit to Ugan- tact person Susan is of great help to our students. da in February this year. News from the new medicine study programme plan The latest newsletter says that work in the semester boards are well on the way, and we now know who the semester coordinators are. Semester board chairs and semester coordinators will be meeting in the first half of May for a status update. Semester boards for the 9.- 12. semester are also about to be organized. A range of subjects will be taught in several of the semesters. For many of these it will be natural and necessary that the academic communities at the the department where the discipline belongs will consider how the subject is best taken care of - to secure the best possible progression throughout the study. The semester board for the first year will soon submit their sketch for the second semes- ter. This will be treated in the program committees of dentistry and medicine, in addition to the involved departments. Read more here (Norw.). 3 DEPARTMENT OF CLINICAL MEDICINE Newsletter No. 7, Vol 3, 10. April 2015 To tread new tracks Election group B Rector Dag Rune Olsen encourages more Announcement of election for group B members groundbreaking research in his latest blog post. to the University Board 2015-2016. With reference to cross-country skiing at Easter in Member and deputy members are to be elected to conveniently prepared tracks, he points out that in the University Board for the period 1.8.2015 – research on the other hand, it is important to tread 31.7.2016; representatives for temporary academic new tracks. staff (group B). Rector continues to debate whether a publication Deadline to propose candidates is Tuesday pressure has lead to less quality for the benefit of 14. April at 15.45 (in writing). quantity, but is not convinced that this is the case. He concludes by urging us all Election period: to work for quality and excel- The election is held lence in research. by electronic poll from April 22 at 9 Read the blog here (Norw.). am through April 28 at 12 pm. It is also possible to post a response to the blog. Read more here. Rekcor Dag Rune Olsen. Photo: Leif Skaar Nominations to the faculty’s Reporting projects with sensitive educational awards personal data The nomination deadline for the faculty’s educa- The faculty has introduced reporting of research tional awards for 2015 is Wednesday 15. April. projects and data files that contain sensitive per- This applies to the Study Quality Prize, the Teaching sonal information. Award and the Prize for Internationalization of Stud- ies for 2015. The departments are to prepare a list of relevant projects and data files that belongs to the UiB. The Submitted proposals will be treated by an extended project overview will be checked against notofica- study management meeting in the beginning of tions from REK on approved projects. The same May, and the awards will be presented at the Facul- applies for projects reported to the NSD.