Researchers
Welcome to Helse Fonna’s research community. Meet our researchers are and learn about the projects they are working on.
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Arvid Rongve
Consultant Physician / Clinical Researcher / Research Group Leader, Professor, PhD
Research group: Research Group for Age Related Medicine
Research interests: Dementia, with particular focus on dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), including biomarkers, genetics and clinical drug trials.
Key projects: ANeED Joint Effort21, DLB in woman, Dementia Disease Initiation Study, Dementia Genetics Network Norway, E-DLB, Nor-DLB, NorCog, Kvalap, GP2.
External funding: Research Council of Norway.
Awards: ICGP Junior Investigator Award (2012).
Publications: Arvid Rongve - Norwegian Research Information Repository
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Benedicte Skjold-Ødegaard
Consultant Surgeon (General and Gastrointestinal Surgery) / PhD Fellow
Research interests: Surgical education and training.
Key project: A structured training programme for surgical residents in laparoscopic appendectomy.
Awards: Best Gastrointestinal Surgery Presentation (2021); Best Presentation, Society for Surgical Simulation (2022).
Publications: Benedicte Skjold-Ødegaard - Norwegian Research Information Repository
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Bjørn Gunnar Nedrebø
Consultant Physician (part‑time), MD
Research interests: Hyperthyroidism (Graves’ disease) and obesity.
Key projects: Personalised treatment of Graves’ disease; bariatric surgery outcomes; Bariatric surgery in Western Norway / FettCor (patient recruitment has been completed).
Publications: Bjørn Gunnar Nedrebø - Norwegian Research Information Repository
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Bjørn Steinar Demma Lillås
Consultant Physician / Research Group Leader, PhD
Research group: Internal Medicine Research Group
Research interests: Long‑term effects of low birth weight on kidney disease in adulthood.
Key project: Haugesund Low Birth Weight Study.
Publications: Bjørn Steinar Demma Lillås - Norwegian Research Information Repository
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Christer Reigstad Aase
Consultant Cardiologist / PhD Fellow
Research group: Internal Medicine Research Group
Research interests: How conditions in fetal life influence the risk of cardiovascular disease in adulthood.
Key project: Risk of hypertension determined at birth.
Publications: Christer Reigstad Aase - Norwegian Research Information Repository
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Eva Biringer
Senior Researcher / Medical Doctor, PhD
Research interests: Mental health services, service evaluation, physical environments in health institutions, registry studies in nutrition and diabetes.
Key projects: PhD supervision (psychosis treatment; nutrition and health service use); Co‑supervision (priority setting in mental health care; type 1 diabetes in children and adolescents); ServiScape sub‑study; Evaluation of Recovery College courses.
Publications: Eva Aaker Biringer - Norwegian Research Information Repository
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Gunnar Helge Sjøen
Consultant Anaesthetist / PhD Fellow
Research interests: Haemodynamic changes during general anaesthesia.
Key projects: Haemodynamic effects of low vs high dose propofol during induction of anaesthesia; Haemodynamic effects of remifentanil during induction of general anaesthesia with propofol; Haemodynamic stability during induction of anaesthesia with propofol and remifentanil.
External funding: Helse Vest (PhD fellowship).
Publications: Gunnar Helge Sjøen - Norwegian Research Information Repository
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Heidi B. Bringsvor
Postdoctoral Researcher / Associate Professor II (part‑time), PhD
Research interests: Health services research and organisational change, including hospital buildings and restructuring.
Key project: “More than just a new building?”.
Publications: Heidi Breistrand Bringsvor - Norwegian Research Information Repository
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Heidi Isaksen
PhD Fellow
Research group: Geriatric Medicine Research Group
Research interests: Dementia with Lewy bodies, with focus on sex‑specific genetic differences.
PhD project: Dementia with Lewy Bodies in Women.
Publications: Heidi Isaksen - Norwegian Research Information Repository
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Heiko Bratke
Consultant Paediatrician / Lecturer / PhD Fellow
Research interests: Paediatric diabetes and endocrinology.
Key projects: Type 1 diabetes treatment outcomes; SWEET international registry studies; user‑driven e‑consultations.
Publications: Heiko Holger Karl-Ernst Bratke - Norwegian Research Information Repository
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Ida Hausken Haugann
Consultant Paediatrician / PhD Fellow
Research group: Bergen Pediatric Growth Research Group (BERG)
Research interests: Mapping the timing and developmental aspects of puberty using genomic analyses and phenotypic methods. Examines whether genetic factors interact with endocrine‑disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and influence pubertal development.
Key project: Investigating genetic factors that affect the timing and progression of puberty.
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Klara Skaare-Fatland
Pharmacist / PhD Fellow
Research group: Patient Safety and Collaboration (HVL)
Research interests: Whether clinical guidelines for the treatment of psychosis are followed in specialist health services, and how this influences patients’ attitudes towards the use of antipsychotic medication.
Key project: Patient and therapist experiences and current implementation of antipsychotic medication in Norwegian health trusts.
Publications: Klara Skaare-Fatland - Norwegian Research Information Repository
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Kristin Ingvaldsen Folven
PhD Fellow
Research interests: Nutrition among older adults using municipal health services.
Key project: Nutritional risk and use of health care services.
Publications: Kristin Ingvaldsen Folven - Norwegian Research Information Repository
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Luisa Chwiszczuk
Consultant Physician / Clinical Researcher, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow
Research interests: Dementia with Lewy bodies and Alzheimer’s disease, including biomarkers and treatment studies.
Key projects: ANeED; PULS.DEM.
Publications: Luiza Chwiszczuk - Norwegian Research Information Repository
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Marit Nymoen
Specialist Psychologist / PhD Fellow
Research interests: Health services research in mental health care, with focus on referral processes and priority setting.
Key project: The right care to the right patient at the right time.
Publications: Marit Nymoen - Norwegian Research Information Repository
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Mathilde Suhr Hemminghyth
Specialist Psychologist / PhD Fellow
Research interests: Normal ageing and early dementia, cognition and biomarkers.
PhD project: Biomarkers and cognition in normal and pathological ageing.
Publications: Mathilde Suhr Hemminghyth - Norwegian Research Information Repository
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Miriam Hartveit
Senior Researcher / Associate Professor
Research interests: Quality improvement, patient safety and implementation research.
Key projects: Implement‑it; Our Common Responsibility; Better Psychosis Care.
Publications: Miriam Hartveit - Norwegian Research Information Repository
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Monica H. Breitve
Specialist Psychologist / Head of Neuropsychology Outpatient Clinic, PhD
Research interests: Dementia.
Key projects: Dementia Disease Initiation (DDI); TRAP.DEM.
Publications: Monica Haraldseid Breitve - Norwegian Research Information Repository
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Monica Hellesøy
Senior Researcher, PhD
Research interests: Adult haematological malignancies, especially acute myeloid leukaemia.
Key projects: Early molecular changes in blood and bone marrow cancer.
Publications: Monica Hellesøy - Norwegian Research Information Repository
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Oddbjørn Hove
Specialist Psychologist / Postdoctoral Researcher / Research Group Leader, PhD
Research group: Clinical Research Group for Mental Health, Addiction and Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KLIMAN)
Research interests: Mental health in people with neurodevelopmental disorders, inclusive and user‑centred services, and use of digital and AI‑based tools.
Publications: Oddbjørn Hove - Norwegian Research Information Repository
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Sigbjørn Berentsen
Senior Researcher, retired Consultant and Associate Professor, MD
Research interests: Autoimmune haemolytic anaemia, especially cold agglutinin disease.
Role: International collaboration, advisory and authorship work.
Publications: Sigbjørn Berentsen - Norwegian Research Information Repository
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Svenja Skadsem
Consultant Radiologist / PhD Fellow
Research interests: Acute stroke imaging.
PhD project: Radiological imaging in acute stroke, including ParaNASPP and VALIDATE.
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Tone Elise Gjøtterud Henriksen
Consultant Psychiatrist / Postdoctoral Researcher, PhD
Research interests: Clinical light research, circadian rhythms, sleep and severe mental illness.
Key projects: Blue‑blocking glasses and light‑based interventions in psychiatry.
Publications: Tone Elise Gjøtterud Henriksen - Norwegian Research Information Repository
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Wenche Andersen Helland
Senior Researcher / Professor, PhD (Speech and Language Therapy)
Research interests: Developmental and acquired language and communication disorders in children and adults, with emphasis on pragmatic language and mental health.
Key projects: Pragmatic language development; assessment tools for communication disorders.
Publications: Wenche Andersen Helland - Norwegian Research Information Repository