Research at Oslo University Hospital

King Olav V's Cancer Research Prize has been awarded every year since 1992 by the Norwegian Cancer Socitey to a cancer researcher or a research group that has contributed to promoting the quality and scope of Norwegian cancer research. The prize, amounting to 1 million NOK, has high prestige in the Norwegian research community and goes to the very best researchers within the entire spectrum of Norwegian cancer research.
For 2026, the award went to Johanna Olweus, leader of the the Experimental Immunotherapy Group at the Institute for Cancer Research. H.M. King Harald presented the prize during a ceremony in The Aula of the University of Oslo on May 19th.

The UiO Growth House help researchers to mature early-stage ideas. The University of Oslo has in 2026 allocated NOK 5 million for early-stage innovation projects in two categories.
Lorena Arranz, Leader of the Stem Cells, Ageing and Cancer group and Deputy Director of SFF CRESCO, has received NOK 400 000 for the test and further development phase of a succinate analogue suitable for therapeutic applications in cancer.
Sonja Hjellegjerde Brunvoll, Researcher in the Genome and Epigenome Regulation in Embryo Development, Ageing and Disease group, has received NOK 50 000 for her project ONCOFAST; Intermittent fasting during chemotherapy – a randomized feasibility study.

Recommended sites for current OUS research news:

From Oslo University Hospital, in Norwegian:
OUS Innsikt – ny forskning, innovasjon og behandling - channel for science communication
More news from OUS (oslo-universitetssykehus.no)

From UiO and centres of excellence (UiO/OUS):
News from the Institute of Clinical Medicine, UiO
CanCell - Centre for Cancer Cell Reprogramming 
Cresco - Centre for Embryology and Healthy Development 
PRIMA - Precision Immunotherapy Alliance - Norwegian version
Hybrid Technology Hub - Centre for Organ on a Chip-Technology

A team of researchers led by Jorrit Enserink from Oslo University Hospital and Helene Knævelsrud from the University of Oslo has been awarded 40 million NOK from the Research Council of Norway to investigate a fundamental biological question: Can cells remember being starved, and does that memory change how they behave in the future?

The project, called Total Recall (Learn–Recall–Forget: Causal Circuits of Starvation Memory for Population Coherence in Homeostasis and Development), was funded through the prestigious "Toppforskere" programme, which supports research teams with the potential to become world-leading in their field.

Preparedness has become more relevant, along with solutions that can be used in health care as well as in defence – so called dual-use technologies. The European Defence Fund is one of the relevant funding sources for researchers and startups.
At this breakfast event, you will meet researchers and startups developing solutions ranging from protection against microbiological agents to smart textiles

Time and place: May 27, 2026 8:00 AM–10:00 AM, Faros, Toppsenteret, Oslo Science Park, Gaustadalléen 21, Oslo

Visit homepage for programme and registration (uio.no)

Professor Michael Bretthauer from the University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital presented new data from the world’s first randomized trial comparing colonoscopy screening and no-screening as Late Breaking News on May 5.
One of the world’s leading medical journals, The Lancet, published the study in full the same day was is presented at Digestive Disease Week (DDW), one of the world’s largest medical conferences focused on digestive diseases, that was held in Chicago. The paper is entitled "Long-term effects of colonoscopy screening on colorectal cancer incidence and mortality: a multicountry, population-based randomised controlled trial", and Michael Bretthauer is senior author.

Every day, thousands of people worldwide suffer a heart attack, often leading to lasting damage to the heart muscle. New research suggests that targeting inflammation in the body help protect the heart and improve recovery after a heart attack.
Researchers from the University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital have been studying a medicine that blocks the effect of IL-6 - a substance that stimulates inflammation. The research provides new insight into how inflammation affects the heart during a heart attack, and how this treatment can protect the heart from damage following STEMI, a type of heart attack where the risk of serious complications is high.

A collaborative clinical study (PI: Tormod K. Guren) at OUS reports a long-lasting response to immune check point inhibition in 1 of 8 patients with malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs). Multiplex fluorescent immunohistochemistry showed high tumor density of PD-1+CD8+ T cells in tumors with treatment response. In addition, mixed response in a 2^nd patient was associated with high PD-L1 expression.
This study was possible due to a dedicated multidisciplinary collaboration across divisions at OUS, and was recently published in npjPrecision Oncology by Sveen A, Bergsland CH, Niederdorfer B, Berstad AE, Bjerkehagen B, Boye K, Guren TK and Lothe RA.

The Innovation Award, organized annually by Inven2, seeks to showcase and reward the most innovative inventions from the brightest researchers. Inven2 aims to bridge the gap between research and the public, transforming cutting-edge ideas into products and services that benefit society.
If you are employed at the University of Oslo, Oslo University Hospital or a hospital in the South-Eastern Norway Regional Health Authority and have an invention, we invite you to participate in the Innovation Award. The winner receives 300 000 NOK, alongside expert guidance and support to help bring the invention to market.