Research Interests
The goal of the studies in our laboratory is to understand how androgens, male sex hormones, exert their effects on the normal physiology, as well as their role in disease states. Androgens bind to an intracellular receptor, called the androgen receptor (AR), that belongs to a superfamily of ligand-activated transcription factors, called nuclear receptors, which bring about changes in the phenotype of the cell through modulation of gene expression. To understand this process, we are using molecular, biochemical, cell biological and genetic approaches. Since androgens and AR have a significant role in prostate cancer (PCa), this work is also relevant for identification and validation of biomarkers or therapeutic targets for prostate cancer. In this context, our recent work led us to discover the key role of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress pathways in PCa. Termed the unfolded protein response (UPR), we have shown that two of the three canonical UPR pathways have key roles in PCa progression. A major focus in our laboratory has thus become stress signaling in cancer cells.
Teaching
BIOS1110 Cell and Molecular Biology
BIOS3601 Genetics and Developmental Biology
BIOS 3920 Research Literature in Cancer Biology
Academic appointments
1/2013-Present Professor, Dept. of Biosciences, University of Oslo
1/2002-12/2012 Professor, Dept. of Molecular Biosciences, University of Oslo
10/2000-2015 Visiting Scientist, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, USA
02/2011-Present Researcher (20%), Institute for Cancer Genetics and Informatics, Division of Cancer Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
7/1996-12/2001 Group Leader, Biotechnology Centre of Oslo, University of Oslo
10/1993-4/1996 Assistant Research Molecular Biologist, Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
9/1990-9/1993 Post-doctoral fellow, Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
3/1990-7/1990 Visiting scientist, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
Mobility
01/2018-12/2018 Sabbatical, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, USA
11/2009-08/2010 Sabbatical, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, USA
10/2000-11/2001 Sabbatical, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, USA
Honors and distinctions
2009-2012 Special Cancer Program Award, Norwegian Research Council
2004-2007 Top Researcher Award, Norwegian Research Council
2004-2007 Special Cancer Program Award, Norwegian Research Council
2001-2003 Top Researcher Award, Norwegian Research Council
2000-2003 Special Cancer Program Award, Norwegian Research Council
1995-1996 ACS Institutional Fellowship, University of California, San Diego
1994-1995 Research Committee Award, University of California, San Diego
1993-1995 New Investigator Award, AIDS Related Disease Research Program, University of California
1992-1993 Post-doctoral fellowship, American Heart Association
1990-1992 Post-doctoral fellowship, Tobacco Related Disease Research Program, University of California
1987, 89, 90 Visiting Scientist Fellowship, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (3-12 weeks at a time)
1987, 7-11 Visiting Researcher, Laboratory of Experimental Carcinogenesis, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
1985 Salutatorian of the graduating class
Committees
Ad hoc grant review committees: Cancer Research UK; Prostate Cancer Charity UK; Australia Research Council; European Research Council. Member, Senior Editorial Board, American J. of Cancer Research, 2010-Present. Ad hoc reviewer for several international refereed journals, including Nature Communications, Nature Reviews Cancer, Nature Urology, Cancer Research, Clinical Cancer Research, ELife, Oncogene, etc. Director, PhD Program, IMBV, University of Oslo, 2006-present. Advisor to 11 PhD and 24 MSc students who have successfully completed their degrees, trained 11 postdoctoral fellows. Currently advisor for 3 PhD students, 4 MSc students, and 2 researchers.
Current collaborations
University of Oslo
Oslo University Hospital
Cancer Registry of Norway
Umeå University, Sweden
Gothenborg University, Sweden
Lund University, Sweden
University of Porto, Portugal
Harvard University, USA
National Institutes of Health, USA
MD Anderson Cancer Center, USA
Georgetown University, USA
University of Washington, USA
Vancouver Prostate Cancer, Canada