Institute for Cancer Research has since its foundation in 1954 played a central role within the field of cancer research both in Norway and internationally. The Institute has seven research departments and more than 380 employees. About 70% of the employees and projects are externally funded. Read more
See introductory video with welcome to the ICR
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.
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
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 2nd 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.
Precision cancer medicine depends upon getting patients enrolled in the right clinical trials at the right time. A study led by Majd Abdallah and Macha Nikolski (CNRS, University of Bordeaux), in collaboration with Sigve Nakken and Eivind Hovig (Institute for Cancer Research), introduces TrialMatchAI — an AI-powered software system designed to automatically match cancer patients to relevant clinical trials.
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
