Cardiovascular disease and related metabolic disorders such as diabetes, obesity and fatty liver disease are major causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. They have many common features, such as dyslipidemia and inflammation. In our research group we focus on immune-mediated mechanisms in these conditions.

By exploring these processes through translational research, connecting basic science and the clinic, we wish to build a foundation for the development of new diagnostic and treatment targets for cardiometabolic disease.

Our research group works in the cross-section between molecular biology and biochemistry, and cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and endocrine medicine. Our ambitious goal is to delineate novel therapeutic targets and biomarkers.

The group uses different research approaches, ranging from analyses of blood and tissue samples from patients to studies in genetically modified mice and cell culture systems, using advanced cellular and molecular biology. The group consists of people with different educational background and includes medical doctors, nutritionists, biochemists, and engineers. Such multidisciplinary competence is a great strength of our research group.

The research group is a part of the Research Institute of internal medicine at Rikshospitalet.

Group leader: Bente Halvorsen.

Link to University of Oslo home page

The group runs a large span of interconnected translational projects to study the immunological and molecular mechanisms in obesity, metabolic disorders, cardiovascular disease and Covid-19; which share many common features. We study the following processes in these conditions to improve our understanding of the underlying ethology and to identify new biomarkers and treatment targets.

• Regulation and role of innate and adaptive immune response
• DNA repair mechanisms and genome stability 
• Pain sensitivity and vascular inflammation
• Fish oil supplements and cardiometabolism