MedTech: Annual report, highlights 2012

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Transcript of MedTech: Annual report, highlights 2012

Page 1: MedTech: Annual report, highlights 2012

www.ntnu.no/medtek (Norwegian) • www.ntnu.edu/medtech (English)

Education

Master’s and PhD education offered in medical technologyOur web page www.ntnu.edu/medtech/masters presenting possible master’s degree projects to facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration and research has been a success. An international master’s degree in medical technology is also offered: www.ntnu.no/studies/msmedtek.

There is a PhD programme in medical technology: www.ntnu.edu/studies/phmedt. The strategic area is working together with the Norwegian Research School in Medical Imaging to organize new courses and seminars for PhD students on a national basis: www.ntnu.edu/medicalimaging.

Awards

The international ASSIS Prize 2012 was awarded to Professor Gunnar Klein at NSEP for his contribution to substantial progress in the development of secure health information systems in Europe. The ceremony took place on behalf of ASSIS (Association pour la sécurité des systèmes d’information de santé) at the Royal Academy of Medicine in Brussels, Belgium, in September 2012.

The Ole Storstein Award from the Norwegian Society of Cardiology was awarded to Professor Asbjørn Støylen for his many years of commitment to ultrasound in heart research. http://folk.ntnu.no/stoylen/

The Research Prize in Medical Technology 2012 was awarded to Reinold Ellingsen, Sven Tierney, Dag Roar Hjelme, Ming Gao, Kamila Gawel and Bjørn Torger Stokke for the develop ment of a new technique for measuring swelling of hydrogen gels. Various hydro gel materials designed to adopt an equilibrium swelling state selectively depending on a biological relevant molecule can be used as signal transducers in biosensors. http://www.universitetsavisa.no/notiser/article15113.ece and http://www.forskning.no/ artikler/2012/desember/341724 (both in Norwegian). The award was funded by Vangslund AS. Network web page: http://home.phys.ntnu.no/brukdef/prosjekter/biopolymerphysics/bioresponsive_gels.html

The CarciNor prize for research on neuroendocrine cancer – was awarded to Reidar Fossmark, dr.med., for his research on the use of gastrin blockers to treat gastric carcinoids. Tumours were reduced in both number and size after treatment. http://www.carcinor.no/

The 2012 Research Award from the Norwegian Society of Anaesthesiology – was awarded to Professor Eirik Skogvoll for his outstanding research. http://www.ntnu.edu/isb

Major funding in 2012

K.G. Jebsen Centre for Myeloma Research - aims to identify biological subgroups of the disease, thereby facilitating more individual treatments of patients. http://www.ntnu.edu/myelomaThe Centre of Molecular Inflammation Research (CEMIR) – will identify new diagnostic tools and therapeutic targets for inflammatory diseases. http://www.ntnu.edu/cemirCentre for Neural Computation (CNC) – aims to pioneer the extraction of computational algorithms from the mammalian cortex. http://www.ntnu.no/aktuelt/sff/cnc (In Norwegian).

For more information about the new Centres of Excellence: http://www.ntnu.edu/news/2012-news/new-centres-of-excellence

Seminars

The First Joint World Congress of the International Society of Posture & Gait Research and Gait & Mental Function was arranged in Trondheim by NTNU from 24 to 27 June, with about 600 participants from all over the world. There were 167 oral presentations and 367 poster presentations. The topics ranged from modelling and robotics to sensory aspects and coordination of movements and clinical trials. The participants evaluated the congress very positively.

Researchers’ Night 2012: “Ut med bingo – Inn med app!” [“Out with bingo – in with apps!”]. The use of body-worn sensors to detect falls in older people was demonstrated to the public at this NTNU event in Trondheim. The same sensors are embedded in most smart phones. In the EU project FARSEEING (FAll

Repository for the design of Smart and sElf-adaptive Environments prolonging Independent liviNG), body-worn sensors and smart phones will be used to monitor physical behaviour and falls in older people. The aim is to develop telemedicine service models for older people to manage and prevent falls. http://tv.nrk.no/serie/kunnskapskanalen/mdfp17003312/17-11-2012

“Make an impact – Be innovative!”- a seminar organized by the Strategic Area of Medical Technology, focusing on research dissemination and innovation. NTNU innovations by APIM Therapeutics, Avexxin, Sonowand, SURF Technology, CIMA and Eir were presented.

Health Informatics - In August, NTNU hosted the Fifth International Symposium on Human Factors Engineering in Health Informatics, where one session was dedicated to patient-centred information systems.

HelsIT “HelseInformatikkuka i Trondheim” (Health Informatics Week in Trondheim) 2012 – the annual one-week conference was arranged in September by KITH, the Norwegian Centre for Informatics in Health and Social Care (www.kith.no), in collaboration with the Norwegian Research Centre for Electronic Patient Records (NSEP, www.ntnu.edu/nsep) and the programme for health informatics at NTNU. www.helsit.no

The Bioinformatics annual network meeting – was co-organized with the biennial Norwegian Bioinformatics Forum. The two-day meeting titled “From genes to images – bioinformatics in a complex world”, featured keynotes on transcriptional regulation and quantitative image analyses, and highlighted the breadth of bioinformatics research in Norway.

The 8th annual NanoLab meeting was organized in close proximity to research groups in medicine to stimulate the participation of these research groups. A large part of the presentation focused on research activity or cleanroom opportunities related to bionanotechnology.

MedIm – the Norwegian Research School in Medical Imaging organized the 4th annual National PhD Conference in Medical Imaging in collaboration with MILab. The event focused on innovation, and demonstrated how researchers at NTNU develop commercially viable solutions to medical challenges.

Regenerative Medicine was the subject of a seminar on a field of medicine combining ‘traditional’ medical research with advanced imaging technology, nanotechnology and biomaterials science. The aim is to regenerate or replace tissue, organs or cell populations in the body if they have been damaged due to accidents or disease. The seminar attracted 11 international speakers.

Velferdsteknologikonferansen 2012/Velkon 2012 – NTNU participated in the organization of this welfare technology conference in Trondheim, attended by more than 300 people. www.velkon.no

The 8th Norwegian conference on Health Sociology 2012 – NTNU arranged a two-day conference on Health Sociology.

Advanced biological materials, KIFEE meeting was organized in Trondheim in September 2012 and attracted Japanese and Norwegian scientists for mutual exchange and development for further collaboration http://www.ntnu.edu/web/kifee/kifee2012.

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MR-based metabolomics – a future diagnostic tool within cancer?

Strategic Area of Medical Technology, NTNU, Medisinsk teknisk forskningssenter, Olav Kyrres gt 9, N-7491 Trondheim, Norway. Phone: +47 73 59 88 35. www.ntnu.edu/medtech • www.ntnu.no/medtek

- Medical Biotechnology, Professor Berit Johansen ([email protected])

- Medical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Post-doc Siver Moestue ([email protected])

- Bioinformatics, Professor Pål Sætrom ([email protected])

- Biomechanics, Professor Bjørn Skallerud ([email protected])

- Biomedical Optics, Associate Professor Magnus Lilledahl, ([email protected])

- Bionanotechnology, Professor Bjørn Torger Stokke ([email protected])

- Health Informatics, Associate Professor Arild Faxvaag ([email protected])

- Human Motor Control, Associate Professor Jorunn Helbostad ([email protected])

- National Centre of Advanced Laparoscopic Surgery, Associate Professor Ronald Mårvik ([email protected])

- National Centre of Clinical MR Spectroscopy, Professor Ingrid Gribbestad ([email protected])

- National Centre of Expertise in 3D Ultrasound, Professor Toril N. Hernes ([email protected])

- Societal Aspects, Researcher Lars Ursin ([email protected])

- The Operating Room of the Future, Professor Torbjørn Dahl ([email protected])

Research Management Team:- Host Dean, Professor Stig Slørdahl ([email protected]) - Director, Professor Catharina de Lange Davies

([email protected]), Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology

- Co-Director, Professor Olav Haraldseth ([email protected]), Faculty of Medicine

- Professor Kjell Bratbergsengen ([email protected]), Faculty of Information Technology, Mathematics, and Electrical Engineering

- Professor Toril N. Hernes ([email protected]), SINTEF Health Research

- Associate Professor Bjørn Myskja ([email protected]), Faculty of Humanities

- Professor Siv Mørkved ([email protected]), Head of Research, St. Olavs Hospital

- Professor Bjørn Skallerud ([email protected]), Faculty of Engineering, Science and Technology

Coordinator Medical Biotechnology, Tonje Strømmen Steigedal, PhD ([email protected])Coordinator Medical Imaging, Siver Moestue, PhD ([email protected])

Adviser & Coordinator for the Strategic Area of Medical Technology Karin Tømmerås, PhD ([email protected])

PhDs in Medical Technology 2012

Sigrun Saur Almberg, PhD. Monte Carlo and film dosimetry with applications in breast cancer radiotherapy.

Reidar Brekken, PhD. Ultrasound-based estimation of strain in abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Maria Dung Cao, PhD. MR metabolic characterization of locally advanced breast cancer - treatment effects and prognosis.

Sigrid Kaarstad Dahl, PhD. Numerical simulations of blood flow in the left side of the heart.

Mirta Mittelstedt Leal de Sousa, PhD. Proteomics analysis of proteins involved in DNA base repair and cancer therapy.

Sjur Urdson Gjerald, PhD. A FAST ultrasound simulator.

Øystein Grimstad, PhD. Toll-like receptor-mediated inflammatory responses in keratinocytes.

Maria Tunset Grinde, PhD. Characterization of breast cancer using MR metabolomics and gene expression analysis.

Sasha Gulati, PhD. Surgical resection of high-grade gliomas.

Halvard Edvard Mølmen Hansen, PhD. Cardiovascular effects of high intensity aerobic interval training in hypertensive patients, healthy aged and young persons.

Audun Hanssen-Bauer, PhD. X-ray repair cross-complementing protein 1 associated multiprotein complexes in base excision repair.

Vigdis Heimly, PhD. Electronic collaboration across organizational borders in the health care sector. Design and deployment from a national perspective.

Toril Holien, PhD. Bone morphogenetic proteins and MYC in multiple myeloma.

Marit Kleven, PhD. Numerical simulations and experimental studies for nasal delivery of vaccines and drugs.

Valentina La Russa, PhD. Biomechanical aspects of distraction osteogenesis. Experimental evaluation of three wire fixator designs and assessment of callus stiffness using finite element modeling.

Paul Roger Leinan, PhD. Biomechanical modeling of fetal veins. The umbilical vein and ductus venosus bifurcation.

Håkon Olav Leira, PhD. Development of an image guidance research system for bronchoscopy.

Ingrid Alsos Lian, PhD. Mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of pre-eclampsia and fetal growth restriction. Transcriptional analyses of placental and decidual tissue.

Jostein Malmo, PhD. Chitosan-based nanocarriers for gene and siRNA delivery.

Saeed Mehdizadeh, PhD. Adaptive beamformers for ultrasound imaging of acoustically hard tissues.

Siver Andreas Moestue, PhD. Molecular and functional characterization of breast cancer through a combination of MR imaging, transcriptomics and metabolomics.

Caroline Hild Hakvåg Pettersen, PhD. The effect of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on human cancer cells - molecular mechanisms involved.

Jan Rødal, PhD. On functional imaging and treatment planning for biologically adapted radiotherapy.

Øystein Sandanger, PhD. The innate immune system: a paradoxical mediator of host defence, tissue repair and collateral damage.

Kirsten Margrete Selnæs, MR imaging and spectroscopy in prostate and colon cancer diagnostics.

Nils Kristian Skjærvold, PhD. Automated blood glucose control. Development and testing of an artificial endocrine pancreas using a novel intravascular glucose monitor and a new approach to insulin pharmacology.

Karin Solvang-Garten, PhD. X-ray repair cross-complementing protein 1 - the role as a scaffold protein in base excision repair and single strand break repair.

Laurent Francois Thomas, PhD. Effect of single-nucleotide polymorphisms on microRNA-based gene regulation and their association with disease.

Anders Thorstensen, PhD. 2D and 3D echocardiography during inotropic alterations and after recent myocardial infarction.

Monica Unsgaard-Tøndel, PhD. Motor control exercises for patients with low back pain.

Marius Widerøe, PhD. Magnetic resonance imaging of hypoxic-ischemic brain injury development in the newborn rat - manganese and diffusion contrasts.

Inger Økland, PhD. Biases in second-trimester ultrasound dating related to prediction models and fetal measurements.

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Page 2: MedTech: Annual report, highlights 2012

www.ntnu.no/medtek (Norwegian) • www.ntnu.edu/medtech (English)

EDITORIAL

Strategic Area of Medical Technology 2012

The Strategic Area of Medical Technology was founded by the Board of NTNU in 1999. The aim is to develop unique interdisciplinary collaboration between research groups in medical technology, to contribute to excellent research and innovation in health care, and to improve patient outcomes. NTNU is now in the process of creating new strategic areas, and in 2012 the current strategic area has played an important part in this process. The focus areas in medical technology are still medical imaging, medical biotechnology and bionanotechnology. In 2012, welfare technology played a larger role. Two PhD projects in welfare technology were funded, and the Strategic Area played an important role in establishing a Centre for Welfare Technology.Dissemination received attention last year. Videos providing information about medical technology in Trondheim were produced, and our work received substantial coverage in the news. To improve awareness of innovation, a one-day seminar and a one-week course on innovation, patenting and

commercialization were arranged. The high quality of research in medical technology conducted in the various research groups was reflected in the establishment of Centres of Excellence and funding of new larger research projects.

Catharina de Lange DaviesDirector of NTNU’s Strategic Area – Medical Technology

Dissemination

The strategic area has achieved extensive media coverage in 2012. Examples include:

The Strategic Area of Medical Technology produced a video about its activity:https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=1HISoKOY3C0&list=PLyczo9mHqK7Ef2pWZ04MNuqUwOqyB1cqy&index=1 (In English)

https://www.youtube.com/watch ?v=v6eDY54R8jY&list=PLyczo9mHqK7Ef2pWZ04MNuqUwOqyB1cqy&index=2 (In Norwegian)

Bruskens vakre reisverk «Cartilage – a Beautiful Building Framework», NRK Vitenskap og teknologi (Science and Technology broadcast, 2 September 2012) http://www.nrk.no/vitenskap-og-teknologi/1.8224024.

Nanogull mot kreft “Nanogold for cancer treatment”, Schrödingers katt 6 September 2012 (Televi sion broadcast in Norwegian): http://tv.nrk.no/serie/schrodingers-katt1/dmpv73002212/06-09-2012#t=22m32s

Hjertekirurgi “Heart Surgery”, Schrödingers katt 11 October 2012 (Television broadcast in Norwegian): http://tv.nrk.no/serie/schrodingers-katt1/dmpv73002712/11-10-2012#t=15m37s

Tjora A: Helsesosiologi. Analyser av helse, sykdom og behandling [Health Sociology. Analyses of health, illness and treatment] (In Norwegian). http://www.gyldendal.no/Faglitteratur/Helse-og-sosialfag/Tverrfaglige-emner/Helsesosiologi

Tidlig kirurgi med bruk av intraoperativ 3D-ultralydteknologi øker overlevelsen til pasienter med hjernetumor av typen lavgradig gliom. “Early surgery guided with intraoperative 3D ultrasound was shown to increase survival in patients with brain tumours (low-grade glioma)”. Dagsrevyen 11 December 2012 (in Norwegian):http://tv.nrk.no/serie/dagsrevyen/nnfa19121112/11-12-2012#t=15m45s

Medical Biotechnology

- aims to develop technology to diagnose, treat or prevent human diseases by applying basic science, medical expertise and advanced methods to living cells or part of cells. Researchers working on gastro intestinal cancer have described a new role of the secretory protein clusterin. They have shown that the gastric hormone gastrin induces expression and secretion of clusterin and that this causes a prosurvival response. This finding describes a mechanism for gastrin in gastrointestinal cancer biology and a potential target for therapy (Fjeldbo CS et al., Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol, 2012).

Medical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy

- a network, predominantly working within MR and ultrasound imaging, received favourable scores in the Research Council’s evaluation of Norwegian medical research: “Good to very good with respect to scientific output; excellent in innovation and entrepreneurship”. In 2012, the network published more than 70 papers in international peer-reviewed scientific journals. To create a dynamic and productive environment for researchers, the non-clinical MR infrastructure (a preclinical 7T scanner and two 14T spectrometers) has now been organized as a core facility. The MR Core Facility employs a daily leader and offers services to internal research groups as well as to external academic and industrial users. A major event in 2012 was the decision to establish a PET centre at St. Olavs Hospital. Funds to purchase a PET/MR scanner and a PET/CT scanner were raised in private initiatives. In addition to immediate clinical use, this will allow cutting-edge research, particularly in the field of PET/MR.

Bioinformatics

- was established as a core facility at NTNU’s Faculty of Medicine in 2012. The Bioinformatics Core Facility (BioCore) provides expertise and research support in areas that include next generation sequencing, transcription factor and microRNA regulation, genome variation, metagenomics, epigenetics, and phylogenetic analyses of genomes. BioCore is a continuation of the FUGE Bioinformatics technology platform and part of the Norwegian bioinformatics infrastructure ELIXIR. Recent research from the NTNU network node includes an improved method for analysing data from ChIP-seq experiments on transcription factor binding sites (Kornacker et al., BMC Bioinformatics 2012;13:176).

Biomechanics

- focuses on the mechanics of the circulatory system of blood and the mechanical properties of living tissues. The approach involves a combination of mathematical modelling and experimental investigation/validation. A high-priority activity is the modelling of the fetal circulatory system. A clinically important example is the non-invasive quantification of the volumetric blood rate in the ductus venosus, an important vein in the fetal venous system. In a recent paper, a method for ductus venosus flow rate estimation based on numerical simulations was proposed (figure) (Leinan et al. Biomech Model Mechanobiol, DOI 10.1007/s10237-012-0460-1).

Biomedical optics

- a connected network of research groups across fields ranging from hyperspectral imaging, photodynamic therapy, and development of novel optical imaging techniques and fluorescent probes. An intensive effort to characterize cartilage with non-linear microscopy has been done in collaboration with clinicians, veterinarians and stem cell researchers. See also disseminations.

Health Informatics

The Norwegian Centre for Electronic Health Records Research (NSEP) is a multidisciplinary research centre that operates at the intersection of healthcare, technology, humanities and social science. NSEP is responsible for the educational programme in health informatics at NTNU, and contributed to the birth of SeVel, a centre for welfare technology, and to the development of new eHealth strategies within the healthcare sector.

Bionanotechnology

– is a growing field at NTNU, and the appointment of a Professor in Nanomedicine at the Faculty of Medicine starting from January 2013 is expected to further enhance the activities. Examples of research activities include perturbation of protein conformation by including gold nano-particles, multitool labels for amyloid strain identification suitable for characterization at different length scales, use of nanoparticles for drug delivery including ultrasound-induced localized release, and minerali-zation of poly saccharide hydrogels to control mechanical cues to affect cell growth. Cleanroom-based research activities include nanofabrication, nanowires for cell impalement, characteri zation exploring the focused ion beam (figure), and determination of nanoscale interacti ons.

Human Motor Control

- focuses on the development and application of methods to assess and treat movement impairments. Members of the network are partners in an EU research project focused on ICT welfare technology to improve fall management and prevention in older people (http://farseeingresearch.eu/). Telemedicine service models for fall management, fall risk assessment and exercise guidance are under development. The project is in close collaboration with the municipality of Trondheim. Members of Human Motor Control are also partners in a national study aimed at improving physiotherapy in the primary health care system. The Trondheim group has a focus on the effects of pain on motor control. See also seminars.

Operating Room of the Future (FOR)

- a research platform in minimally invasive image-guided therapy has been extended to projects in diseases of the ear, nose and throat, pulmonary medicine, and gynaecology. Navigation technology can guide thermal ablation of nerve tissue in headache and optimize biopsy sampling during bronchoscopy for peripheral lung tumours. Endovascular heart valve replacements have been successful (see dissemi nation). Animal experi ments in the treatment of vascular disease have been supported by the staff of FOR.

Societal aspects

- a network concerning the impact of cultural values on science and technology , and vice versa. The projects explore the interaction between politics and ethics in the field of medical technology, and discuss the ethics and aesthetics of medical technology, or examine health communication and literacy. Research projects include: Inside Out, Picturing the Brain, Crossover Research, Reproductive Relations, and Parental Decisions regarding Medical Treatment of Extremely Premature Babies. The course Biotechnology and Ethics is offered for master’s students at NTNU and in the Erasmus Mundus programme.

Internationalization

To improve international collaboration, funding totalling half a million Norwegian kroner was provided for 12 research visits for PhD students, postdocs, and researchers in 2012. Two examples of projects supported:• PhD Student Tuva Hope visited the University of California, San Diego, to learn a new and

promising technique in MRI called Restriction Spectrum Imaging (RSI), which is used for improved diagnostics of brain tumours.

• Associate Professor Aud Sissel Hoel visited the Department of the History of Science, Harvard University, to further develop the project “Picturing the Brain: Perspectives on Neuroimaging”, aimed at deepening our understanding of the epistemological roles neuroimaging technologies play in the conduct and communication of medicine and science. http://www.ntnu.edu/performativity/research-activities

Innovation

The annual course BI3018 Patenting and Commercialization in Biotech/Medtech for masters/PhD students - was organized in April 2012. The course covers all the important steps of commerciali zation and the lectures are held by several internationally highly recognized experts from international patenting offices, pharmaceutical industry and entrepreneurial assistance organizations.

Medical Biotechnology

Avexxin AS, a company focusing on the development of novel small molecule therapeutics for patients suffering from chronic inflammatory conditions, announces the closure of a Series B round of financing with new and existing shareholders. Avexxin’s lead project targeting psoriasis is expected to enter clinical trial phase I/IIa early in 2013.

APIM Therapeutics is a biotechnology company dedicated to the development of novel anti-cancer agents targeting DNA repair and cell cycle control. APIM Therapeutics obtained new financial support from Norsk Innovasjonskapital III AS, in syndication with existing APIM investors, to continue preclinical develop ment. Article in the daily newspaper: http://www.adressa.no/nyheter/sortrondelag/article6636537.ece (In Norwegian).

Ultrasound Technology

Improved ultrasound methods for blood flow quantification and visualization: Ultrasound technology research at MI Lab once again resulted in successful innovation that ended up with a patent filing. It is now possible to use all the 2D ultrasound information for automatic calibration and display in 3D of flow directions and velocities in all parts of the imaged blood vessels. One important clinical appli cation is improved diagnosis of congenital heart failure in newborns.

Changing clinical practice in neurosurgery: National Competence Services for Ultrasound and Image-guided Therapy initiated a clinical study on survival in patients with brain tumours (low-grade glioma), published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). The study compared early surgical tumour removal to watchful surveillance based on MR imaging until signs of tumour progression. Early surgery guided with intraoperative 3D ultrasound was shown to increase survival significantly without compromising morbidity when compared to watchful waiting. This will change clinical practice to favour early surgery over watchful waiting. http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?article id=1386639 and http://www.forskning.no/artikler/2012/desember/342268 (In Norwegian).

For more information about innovations at NTNU, contact NTNU Technology Transfer AS: www.tto.ntnu.no

Page 3: MedTech: Annual report, highlights 2012

www.ntnu.no/medtek (Norwegian) • www.ntnu.edu/medtech (English)

EDITORIAL

Strategic Area of Medical Technology 2012

The Strategic Area of Medical Technology was founded by the Board of NTNU in 1999. The aim is to develop unique interdisciplinary collaboration between research groups in medical technology, to contribute to excellent research and innovation in health care, and to improve patient outcomes. NTNU is now in the process of creating new strategic areas, and in 2012 the current strategic area has played an important part in this process. The focus areas in medical technology are still medical imaging, medical biotechnology and bionanotechnology. In 2012, welfare technology played a larger role. Two PhD projects in welfare technology were funded, and the Strategic Area played an important role in establishing a Centre for Welfare Technology.Dissemination received attention last year. Videos providing information about medical technology in Trondheim were produced, and our work received substantial coverage in the news. To improve awareness of innovation, a one-day seminar and a one-week course on innovation, patenting and

commercialization were arranged. The high quality of research in medical technology conducted in the various research groups was reflected in the establishment of Centres of Excellence and funding of new larger research projects.

Catharina de Lange DaviesDirector of NTNU’s Strategic Area – Medical Technology

Dissemination

The strategic area has achieved extensive media coverage in 2012. Examples include:

The Strategic Area of Medical Technology produced a video about its activity:https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=1HISoKOY3C0&list=PLyczo9mHqK7Ef2pWZ04MNuqUwOqyB1cqy&index=1 (In English)

https://www.youtube.com/watch ?v=v6eDY54R8jY&list=PLyczo9mHqK7Ef2pWZ04MNuqUwOqyB1cqy&index=2 (In Norwegian)

Bruskens vakre reisverk «Cartilage – a Beautiful Building Framework», NRK Vitenskap og teknologi (Science and Technology broadcast, 2 September 2012) http://www.nrk.no/vitenskap-og-teknologi/1.8224024.

Nanogull mot kreft “Nanogold for cancer treatment”, Schrödingers katt 6 September 2012 (Televi sion broadcast in Norwegian): http://tv.nrk.no/serie/schrodingers-katt1/dmpv73002212/06-09-2012#t=22m32s

Hjertekirurgi “Heart Surgery”, Schrödingers katt 11 October 2012 (Television broadcast in Norwegian): http://tv.nrk.no/serie/schrodingers-katt1/dmpv73002712/11-10-2012#t=15m37s

Tjora A: Helsesosiologi. Analyser av helse, sykdom og behandling [Health Sociology. Analyses of health, illness and treatment] (In Norwegian). http://www.gyldendal.no/Faglitteratur/Helse-og-sosialfag/Tverrfaglige-emner/Helsesosiologi

Tidlig kirurgi med bruk av intraoperativ 3D-ultralydteknologi øker overlevelsen til pasienter med hjernetumor av typen lavgradig gliom. “Early surgery guided with intraoperative 3D ultrasound was shown to increase survival in patients with brain tumours (low-grade glioma)”. Dagsrevyen 11 December 2012 (in Norwegian):http://tv.nrk.no/serie/dagsrevyen/nnfa19121112/11-12-2012#t=15m45s

Medical Biotechnology

- aims to develop technology to diagnose, treat or prevent human diseases by applying basic science, medical expertise and advanced methods to living cells or part of cells. Researchers working on gastro intestinal cancer have described a new role of the secretory protein clusterin. They have shown that the gastric hormone gastrin induces expression and secretion of clusterin and that this causes a prosurvival response. This finding describes a mechanism for gastrin in gastrointestinal cancer biology and a potential target for therapy (Fjeldbo CS et al., Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol, 2012).

Medical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy

- a network, predominantly working within MR and ultrasound imaging, received favourable scores in the Research Council’s evaluation of Norwegian medical research: “Good to very good with respect to scientific output; excellent in innovation and entrepreneurship”. In 2012, the network published more than 70 papers in international peer-reviewed scientific journals. To create a dynamic and productive environment for researchers, the non-clinical MR infrastructure (a preclinical 7T scanner and two 14T spectrometers) has now been organized as a core facility. The MR Core Facility employs a daily leader and offers services to internal research groups as well as to external academic and industrial users. A major event in 2012 was the decision to establish a PET centre at St. Olavs Hospital. Funds to purchase a PET/MR scanner and a PET/CT scanner were raised in private initiatives. In addition to immediate clinical use, this will allow cutting-edge research, particularly in the field of PET/MR.

Bioinformatics

- was established as a core facility at NTNU’s Faculty of Medicine in 2012. The Bioinformatics Core Facility (BioCore) provides expertise and research support in areas that include next generation sequencing, transcription factor and microRNA regulation, genome variation, metagenomics, epigenetics, and phylogenetic analyses of genomes. BioCore is a continuation of the FUGE Bioinformatics technology platform and part of the Norwegian bioinformatics infrastructure ELIXIR. Recent research from the NTNU network node includes an improved method for analysing data from ChIP-seq experiments on transcription factor binding sites (Kornacker et al., BMC Bioinformatics 2012;13:176).

Biomechanics

- focuses on the mechanics of the circulatory system of blood and the mechanical properties of living tissues. The approach involves a combination of mathematical modelling and experimental investigation/validation. A high-priority activity is the modelling of the fetal circulatory system. A clinically important example is the non-invasive quantification of the volumetric blood rate in the ductus venosus, an important vein in the fetal venous system. In a recent paper, a method for ductus venosus flow rate estimation based on numerical simulations was proposed (figure) (Leinan et al. Biomech Model Mechanobiol, DOI 10.1007/s10237-012-0460-1).

Biomedical optics

- a connected network of research groups across fields ranging from hyperspectral imaging, photodynamic therapy, and development of novel optical imaging techniques and fluorescent probes. An intensive effort to characterize cartilage with non-linear microscopy has been done in collaboration with clinicians, veterinarians and stem cell researchers. See also disseminations.

Health Informatics

The Norwegian Centre for Electronic Health Records Research (NSEP) is a multidisciplinary research centre that operates at the intersection of healthcare, technology, humanities and social science. NSEP is responsible for the educational programme in health informatics at NTNU, and contributed to the birth of SeVel, a centre for welfare technology, and to the development of new eHealth strategies within the healthcare sector.

Bionanotechnology

– is a growing field at NTNU, and the appointment of a Professor in Nanomedicine at the Faculty of Medicine starting from January 2013 is expected to further enhance the activities. Examples of research activities include perturbation of protein conformation by including gold nano-particles, multitool labels for amyloid strain identification suitable for characterization at different length scales, use of nanoparticles for drug delivery including ultrasound-induced localized release, and minerali-zation of poly saccharide hydrogels to control mechanical cues to affect cell growth. Cleanroom-based research activities include nanofabrication, nanowires for cell impalement, characteri zation exploring the focused ion beam (figure), and determination of nanoscale interacti ons.

Human Motor Control

- focuses on the development and application of methods to assess and treat movement impairments. Members of the network are partners in an EU research project focused on ICT welfare technology to improve fall management and prevention in older people (http://farseeingresearch.eu/). Telemedicine service models for fall management, fall risk assessment and exercise guidance are under development. The project is in close collaboration with the municipality of Trondheim. Members of Human Motor Control are also partners in a national study aimed at improving physiotherapy in the primary health care system. The Trondheim group has a focus on the effects of pain on motor control. See also seminars.

Operating Room of the Future (FOR)

- a research platform in minimally invasive image-guided therapy has been extended to projects in diseases of the ear, nose and throat, pulmonary medicine, and gynaecology. Navigation technology can guide thermal ablation of nerve tissue in headache and optimize biopsy sampling during bronchoscopy for peripheral lung tumours. Endovascular heart valve replacements have been successful (see dissemi nation). Animal experi ments in the treatment of vascular disease have been supported by the staff of FOR.

Societal aspects

- a network concerning the impact of cultural values on science and technology , and vice versa. The projects explore the interaction between politics and ethics in the field of medical technology, and discuss the ethics and aesthetics of medical technology, or examine health communication and literacy. Research projects include: Inside Out, Picturing the Brain, Crossover Research, Reproductive Relations, and Parental Decisions regarding Medical Treatment of Extremely Premature Babies. The course Biotechnology and Ethics is offered for master’s students at NTNU and in the Erasmus Mundus programme.

Internationalization

To improve international collaboration, funding totalling half a million Norwegian kroner was provided for 12 research visits for PhD students, postdocs, and researchers in 2012. Two examples of projects supported:• PhD Student Tuva Hope visited the University of California, San Diego, to learn a new and

promising technique in MRI called Restriction Spectrum Imaging (RSI), which is used for improved diagnostics of brain tumours.

• Associate Professor Aud Sissel Hoel visited the Department of the History of Science, Harvard University, to further develop the project “Picturing the Brain: Perspectives on Neuroimaging”, aimed at deepening our understanding of the epistemological roles neuroimaging technologies play in the conduct and communication of medicine and science. http://www.ntnu.edu/performativity/research-activities

Innovation

The annual course BI3018 Patenting and Commercialization in Biotech/Medtech for masters/PhD students - was organized in April 2012. The course covers all the important steps of commerciali zation and the lectures are held by several internationally highly recognized experts from international patenting offices, pharmaceutical industry and entrepreneurial assistance organizations.

Medical Biotechnology

Avexxin AS, a company focusing on the development of novel small molecule therapeutics for patients suffering from chronic inflammatory conditions, announces the closure of a Series B round of financing with new and existing shareholders. Avexxin’s lead project targeting psoriasis is expected to enter clinical trial phase I/IIa early in 2013.

APIM Therapeutics is a biotechnology company dedicated to the development of novel anti-cancer agents targeting DNA repair and cell cycle control. APIM Therapeutics obtained new financial support from Norsk Innovasjonskapital III AS, in syndication with existing APIM investors, to continue preclinical develop ment. Article in the daily newspaper: http://www.adressa.no/nyheter/sortrondelag/article6636537.ece (In Norwegian).

Ultrasound Technology

Improved ultrasound methods for blood flow quantification and visualization: Ultrasound technology research at MI Lab once again resulted in successful innovation that ended up with a patent filing. It is now possible to use all the 2D ultrasound information for automatic calibration and display in 3D of flow directions and velocities in all parts of the imaged blood vessels. One important clinical appli cation is improved diagnosis of congenital heart failure in newborns.

Changing clinical practice in neurosurgery: National Competence Services for Ultrasound and Image-guided Therapy initiated a clinical study on survival in patients with brain tumours (low-grade glioma), published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). The study compared early surgical tumour removal to watchful surveillance based on MR imaging until signs of tumour progression. Early surgery guided with intraoperative 3D ultrasound was shown to increase survival significantly without compromising morbidity when compared to watchful waiting. This will change clinical practice to favour early surgery over watchful waiting. http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?article id=1386639 and http://www.forskning.no/artikler/2012/desember/342268 (In Norwegian).

For more information about innovations at NTNU, contact NTNU Technology Transfer AS: www.tto.ntnu.no

Page 4: MedTech: Annual report, highlights 2012

www.ntnu.no/medtek (Norwegian) • www.ntnu.edu/medtech (English)

EDITORIAL

Strategic Area of Medical Technology 2012

The Strategic Area of Medical Technology was founded by the Board of NTNU in 1999. The aim is to develop unique interdisciplinary collaboration between research groups in medical technology, to contribute to excellent research and innovation in health care, and to improve patient outcomes. NTNU is now in the process of creating new strategic areas, and in 2012 the current strategic area has played an important part in this process. The focus areas in medical technology are still medical imaging, medical biotechnology and bionanotechnology. In 2012, welfare technology played a larger role. Two PhD projects in welfare technology were funded, and the Strategic Area played an important role in establishing a Centre for Welfare Technology.Dissemination received attention last year. Videos providing information about medical technology in Trondheim were produced, and our work received substantial coverage in the news. To improve awareness of innovation, a one-day seminar and a one-week course on innovation, patenting and

commercialization were arranged. The high quality of research in medical technology conducted in the various research groups was reflected in the establishment of Centres of Excellence and funding of new larger research projects.

Catharina de Lange DaviesDirector of NTNU’s Strategic Area – Medical Technology

Dissemination

The strategic area has achieved extensive media coverage in 2012. Examples include:

The Strategic Area of Medical Technology produced a video about its activity:https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=1HISoKOY3C0&list=PLyczo9mHqK7Ef2pWZ04MNuqUwOqyB1cqy&index=1 (In English)

https://www.youtube.com/watch ?v=v6eDY54R8jY&list=PLyczo9mHqK7Ef2pWZ04MNuqUwOqyB1cqy&index=2 (In Norwegian)

Bruskens vakre reisverk «Cartilage – a Beautiful Building Framework», NRK Vitenskap og teknologi (Science and Technology broadcast, 2 September 2012) http://www.nrk.no/vitenskap-og-teknologi/1.8224024.

Nanogull mot kreft “Nanogold for cancer treatment”, Schrödingers katt 6 September 2012 (Televi sion broadcast in Norwegian): http://tv.nrk.no/serie/schrodingers-katt1/dmpv73002212/06-09-2012#t=22m32s

Hjertekirurgi “Heart Surgery”, Schrödingers katt 11 October 2012 (Television broadcast in Norwegian): http://tv.nrk.no/serie/schrodingers-katt1/dmpv73002712/11-10-2012#t=15m37s

Tjora A: Helsesosiologi. Analyser av helse, sykdom og behandling [Health Sociology. Analyses of health, illness and treatment] (In Norwegian). http://www.gyldendal.no/Faglitteratur/Helse-og-sosialfag/Tverrfaglige-emner/Helsesosiologi

Tidlig kirurgi med bruk av intraoperativ 3D-ultralydteknologi øker overlevelsen til pasienter med hjernetumor av typen lavgradig gliom. “Early surgery guided with intraoperative 3D ultrasound was shown to increase survival in patients with brain tumours (low-grade glioma)”. Dagsrevyen 11 December 2012 (in Norwegian):http://tv.nrk.no/serie/dagsrevyen/nnfa19121112/11-12-2012#t=15m45s

Medical Biotechnology

- aims to develop technology to diagnose, treat or prevent human diseases by applying basic science, medical expertise and advanced methods to living cells or part of cells. Researchers working on gastro intestinal cancer have described a new role of the secretory protein clusterin. They have shown that the gastric hormone gastrin induces expression and secretion of clusterin and that this causes a prosurvival response. This finding describes a mechanism for gastrin in gastrointestinal cancer biology and a potential target for therapy (Fjeldbo CS et al., Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol, 2012).

Medical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy

- a network, predominantly working within MR and ultrasound imaging, received favourable scores in the Research Council’s evaluation of Norwegian medical research: “Good to very good with respect to scientific output; excellent in innovation and entrepreneurship”. In 2012, the network published more than 70 papers in international peer-reviewed scientific journals. To create a dynamic and productive environment for researchers, the non-clinical MR infrastructure (a preclinical 7T scanner and two 14T spectrometers) has now been organized as a core facility. The MR Core Facility employs a daily leader and offers services to internal research groups as well as to external academic and industrial users. A major event in 2012 was the decision to establish a PET centre at St. Olavs Hospital. Funds to purchase a PET/MR scanner and a PET/CT scanner were raised in private initiatives. In addition to immediate clinical use, this will allow cutting-edge research, particularly in the field of PET/MR.

Bioinformatics

- was established as a core facility at NTNU’s Faculty of Medicine in 2012. The Bioinformatics Core Facility (BioCore) provides expertise and research support in areas that include next generation sequencing, transcription factor and microRNA regulation, genome variation, metagenomics, epigenetics, and phylogenetic analyses of genomes. BioCore is a continuation of the FUGE Bioinformatics technology platform and part of the Norwegian bioinformatics infrastructure ELIXIR. Recent research from the NTNU network node includes an improved method for analysing data from ChIP-seq experiments on transcription factor binding sites (Kornacker et al., BMC Bioinformatics 2012;13:176).

Biomechanics

- focuses on the mechanics of the circulatory system of blood and the mechanical properties of living tissues. The approach involves a combination of mathematical modelling and experimental investigation/validation. A high-priority activity is the modelling of the fetal circulatory system. A clinically important example is the non-invasive quantification of the volumetric blood rate in the ductus venosus, an important vein in the fetal venous system. In a recent paper, a method for ductus venosus flow rate estimation based on numerical simulations was proposed (figure) (Leinan et al. Biomech Model Mechanobiol, DOI 10.1007/s10237-012-0460-1).

Biomedical optics

- a connected network of research groups across fields ranging from hyperspectral imaging, photodynamic therapy, and development of novel optical imaging techniques and fluorescent probes. An intensive effort to characterize cartilage with non-linear microscopy has been done in collaboration with clinicians, veterinarians and stem cell researchers. See also disseminations.

Health Informatics

The Norwegian Centre for Electronic Health Records Research (NSEP) is a multidisciplinary research centre that operates at the intersection of healthcare, technology, humanities and social science. NSEP is responsible for the educational programme in health informatics at NTNU, and contributed to the birth of SeVel, a centre for welfare technology, and to the development of new eHealth strategies within the healthcare sector.

Bionanotechnology

– is a growing field at NTNU, and the appointment of a Professor in Nanomedicine at the Faculty of Medicine starting from January 2013 is expected to further enhance the activities. Examples of research activities include perturbation of protein conformation by including gold nano-particles, multitool labels for amyloid strain identification suitable for characterization at different length scales, use of nanoparticles for drug delivery including ultrasound-induced localized release, and minerali-zation of poly saccharide hydrogels to control mechanical cues to affect cell growth. Cleanroom-based research activities include nanofabrication, nanowires for cell impalement, characteri zation exploring the focused ion beam (figure), and determination of nanoscale interacti ons.

Human Motor Control

- focuses on the development and application of methods to assess and treat movement impairments. Members of the network are partners in an EU research project focused on ICT welfare technology to improve fall management and prevention in older people (http://farseeingresearch.eu/). Telemedicine service models for fall management, fall risk assessment and exercise guidance are under development. The project is in close collaboration with the municipality of Trondheim. Members of Human Motor Control are also partners in a national study aimed at improving physiotherapy in the primary health care system. The Trondheim group has a focus on the effects of pain on motor control. See also seminars.

Operating Room of the Future (FOR)

- a research platform in minimally invasive image-guided therapy has been extended to projects in diseases of the ear, nose and throat, pulmonary medicine, and gynaecology. Navigation technology can guide thermal ablation of nerve tissue in headache and optimize biopsy sampling during bronchoscopy for peripheral lung tumours. Endovascular heart valve replacements have been successful (see dissemi nation). Animal experi ments in the treatment of vascular disease have been supported by the staff of FOR.

Societal aspects

- a network concerning the impact of cultural values on science and technology , and vice versa. The projects explore the interaction between politics and ethics in the field of medical technology, and discuss the ethics and aesthetics of medical technology, or examine health communication and literacy. Research projects include: Inside Out, Picturing the Brain, Crossover Research, Reproductive Relations, and Parental Decisions regarding Medical Treatment of Extremely Premature Babies. The course Biotechnology and Ethics is offered for master’s students at NTNU and in the Erasmus Mundus programme.

Internationalization

To improve international collaboration, funding totalling half a million Norwegian kroner was provided for 12 research visits for PhD students, postdocs, and researchers in 2012. Two examples of projects supported:• PhD Student Tuva Hope visited the University of California, San Diego, to learn a new and

promising technique in MRI called Restriction Spectrum Imaging (RSI), which is used for improved diagnostics of brain tumours.

• Associate Professor Aud Sissel Hoel visited the Department of the History of Science, Harvard University, to further develop the project “Picturing the Brain: Perspectives on Neuroimaging”, aimed at deepening our understanding of the epistemological roles neuroimaging technologies play in the conduct and communication of medicine and science. http://www.ntnu.edu/performativity/research-activities

Innovation

The annual course BI3018 Patenting and Commercialization in Biotech/Medtech for masters/PhD students - was organized in April 2012. The course covers all the important steps of commerciali zation and the lectures are held by several internationally highly recognized experts from international patenting offices, pharmaceutical industry and entrepreneurial assistance organizations.

Medical Biotechnology

Avexxin AS, a company focusing on the development of novel small molecule therapeutics for patients suffering from chronic inflammatory conditions, announces the closure of a Series B round of financing with new and existing shareholders. Avexxin’s lead project targeting psoriasis is expected to enter clinical trial phase I/IIa early in 2013.

APIM Therapeutics is a biotechnology company dedicated to the development of novel anti-cancer agents targeting DNA repair and cell cycle control. APIM Therapeutics obtained new financial support from Norsk Innovasjonskapital III AS, in syndication with existing APIM investors, to continue preclinical develop ment. Article in the daily newspaper: http://www.adressa.no/nyheter/sortrondelag/article6636537.ece (In Norwegian).

Ultrasound Technology

Improved ultrasound methods for blood flow quantification and visualization: Ultrasound technology research at MI Lab once again resulted in successful innovation that ended up with a patent filing. It is now possible to use all the 2D ultrasound information for automatic calibration and display in 3D of flow directions and velocities in all parts of the imaged blood vessels. One important clinical appli cation is improved diagnosis of congenital heart failure in newborns.

Changing clinical practice in neurosurgery: National Competence Services for Ultrasound and Image-guided Therapy initiated a clinical study on survival in patients with brain tumours (low-grade glioma), published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). The study compared early surgical tumour removal to watchful surveillance based on MR imaging until signs of tumour progression. Early surgery guided with intraoperative 3D ultrasound was shown to increase survival significantly without compromising morbidity when compared to watchful waiting. This will change clinical practice to favour early surgery over watchful waiting. http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?article id=1386639 and http://www.forskning.no/artikler/2012/desember/342268 (In Norwegian).

For more information about innovations at NTNU, contact NTNU Technology Transfer AS: www.tto.ntnu.no

Page 5: MedTech: Annual report, highlights 2012

www.ntnu.no/medtek (Norwegian) • www.ntnu.edu/medtech (English)

EDITORIAL

Strategic Area of Medical Technology 2012

The Strategic Area of Medical Technology was founded by the Board of NTNU in 1999. The aim is to develop unique interdisciplinary collaboration between research groups in medical technology, to contribute to excellent research and innovation in health care, and to improve patient outcomes. NTNU is now in the process of creating new strategic areas, and in 2012 the current strategic area has played an important part in this process. The focus areas in medical technology are still medical imaging, medical biotechnology and bionanotechnology. In 2012, welfare technology played a larger role. Two PhD projects in welfare technology were funded, and the Strategic Area played an important role in establishing a Centre for Welfare Technology.Dissemination received attention last year. Videos providing information about medical technology in Trondheim were produced, and our work received substantial coverage in the news. To improve awareness of innovation, a one-day seminar and a one-week course on innovation, patenting and

commercialization were arranged. The high quality of research in medical technology conducted in the various research groups was reflected in the establishment of Centres of Excellence and funding of new larger research projects.

Catharina de Lange DaviesDirector of NTNU’s Strategic Area – Medical Technology

Dissemination

The strategic area has achieved extensive media coverage in 2012. Examples include:

The Strategic Area of Medical Technology produced a video about its activity:https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=1HISoKOY3C0&list=PLyczo9mHqK7Ef2pWZ04MNuqUwOqyB1cqy&index=1 (In English)

https://www.youtube.com/watch ?v=v6eDY54R8jY&list=PLyczo9mHqK7Ef2pWZ04MNuqUwOqyB1cqy&index=2 (In Norwegian)

Bruskens vakre reisverk «Cartilage – a Beautiful Building Framework», NRK Vitenskap og teknologi (Science and Technology broadcast, 2 September 2012) http://www.nrk.no/vitenskap-og-teknologi/1.8224024.

Nanogull mot kreft “Nanogold for cancer treatment”, Schrödingers katt 6 September 2012 (Televi sion broadcast in Norwegian): http://tv.nrk.no/serie/schrodingers-katt1/dmpv73002212/06-09-2012#t=22m32s

Hjertekirurgi “Heart Surgery”, Schrödingers katt 11 October 2012 (Television broadcast in Norwegian): http://tv.nrk.no/serie/schrodingers-katt1/dmpv73002712/11-10-2012#t=15m37s

Tjora A: Helsesosiologi. Analyser av helse, sykdom og behandling [Health Sociology. Analyses of health, illness and treatment] (In Norwegian). http://www.gyldendal.no/Faglitteratur/Helse-og-sosialfag/Tverrfaglige-emner/Helsesosiologi

Tidlig kirurgi med bruk av intraoperativ 3D-ultralydteknologi øker overlevelsen til pasienter med hjernetumor av typen lavgradig gliom. “Early surgery guided with intraoperative 3D ultrasound was shown to increase survival in patients with brain tumours (low-grade glioma)”. Dagsrevyen 11 December 2012 (in Norwegian):http://tv.nrk.no/serie/dagsrevyen/nnfa19121112/11-12-2012#t=15m45s

Medical Biotechnology

- aims to develop technology to diagnose, treat or prevent human diseases by applying basic science, medical expertise and advanced methods to living cells or part of cells. Researchers working on gastro intestinal cancer have described a new role of the secretory protein clusterin. They have shown that the gastric hormone gastrin induces expression and secretion of clusterin and that this causes a prosurvival response. This finding describes a mechanism for gastrin in gastrointestinal cancer biology and a potential target for therapy (Fjeldbo CS et al., Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol, 2012).

Medical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy

- a network, predominantly working within MR and ultrasound imaging, received favourable scores in the Research Council’s evaluation of Norwegian medical research: “Good to very good with respect to scientific output; excellent in innovation and entrepreneurship”. In 2012, the network published more than 70 papers in international peer-reviewed scientific journals. To create a dynamic and productive environment for researchers, the non-clinical MR infrastructure (a preclinical 7T scanner and two 14T spectrometers) has now been organized as a core facility. The MR Core Facility employs a daily leader and offers services to internal research groups as well as to external academic and industrial users. A major event in 2012 was the decision to establish a PET centre at St. Olavs Hospital. Funds to purchase a PET/MR scanner and a PET/CT scanner were raised in private initiatives. In addition to immediate clinical use, this will allow cutting-edge research, particularly in the field of PET/MR.

Bioinformatics

- was established as a core facility at NTNU’s Faculty of Medicine in 2012. The Bioinformatics Core Facility (BioCore) provides expertise and research support in areas that include next generation sequencing, transcription factor and microRNA regulation, genome variation, metagenomics, epigenetics, and phylogenetic analyses of genomes. BioCore is a continuation of the FUGE Bioinformatics technology platform and part of the Norwegian bioinformatics infrastructure ELIXIR. Recent research from the NTNU network node includes an improved method for analysing data from ChIP-seq experiments on transcription factor binding sites (Kornacker et al., BMC Bioinformatics 2012;13:176).

Biomechanics

- focuses on the mechanics of the circulatory system of blood and the mechanical properties of living tissues. The approach involves a combination of mathematical modelling and experimental investigation/validation. A high-priority activity is the modelling of the fetal circulatory system. A clinically important example is the non-invasive quantification of the volumetric blood rate in the ductus venosus, an important vein in the fetal venous system. In a recent paper, a method for ductus venosus flow rate estimation based on numerical simulations was proposed (figure) (Leinan et al. Biomech Model Mechanobiol, DOI 10.1007/s10237-012-0460-1).

Biomedical optics

- a connected network of research groups across fields ranging from hyperspectral imaging, photodynamic therapy, and development of novel optical imaging techniques and fluorescent probes. An intensive effort to characterize cartilage with non-linear microscopy has been done in collaboration with clinicians, veterinarians and stem cell researchers. See also disseminations.

Health Informatics

The Norwegian Centre for Electronic Health Records Research (NSEP) is a multidisciplinary research centre that operates at the intersection of healthcare, technology, humanities and social science. NSEP is responsible for the educational programme in health informatics at NTNU, and contributed to the birth of SeVel, a centre for welfare technology, and to the development of new eHealth strategies within the healthcare sector.

Bionanotechnology

– is a growing field at NTNU, and the appointment of a Professor in Nanomedicine at the Faculty of Medicine starting from January 2013 is expected to further enhance the activities. Examples of research activities include perturbation of protein conformation by including gold nano-particles, multitool labels for amyloid strain identification suitable for characterization at different length scales, use of nanoparticles for drug delivery including ultrasound-induced localized release, and minerali-zation of poly saccharide hydrogels to control mechanical cues to affect cell growth. Cleanroom-based research activities include nanofabrication, nanowires for cell impalement, characteri zation exploring the focused ion beam (figure), and determination of nanoscale interacti ons.

Human Motor Control

- focuses on the development and application of methods to assess and treat movement impairments. Members of the network are partners in an EU research project focused on ICT welfare technology to improve fall management and prevention in older people (http://farseeingresearch.eu/). Telemedicine service models for fall management, fall risk assessment and exercise guidance are under development. The project is in close collaboration with the municipality of Trondheim. Members of Human Motor Control are also partners in a national study aimed at improving physiotherapy in the primary health care system. The Trondheim group has a focus on the effects of pain on motor control. See also seminars.

Operating Room of the Future (FOR)

- a research platform in minimally invasive image-guided therapy has been extended to projects in diseases of the ear, nose and throat, pulmonary medicine, and gynaecology. Navigation technology can guide thermal ablation of nerve tissue in headache and optimize biopsy sampling during bronchoscopy for peripheral lung tumours. Endovascular heart valve replacements have been successful (see dissemi nation). Animal experi ments in the treatment of vascular disease have been supported by the staff of FOR.

Societal aspects

- a network concerning the impact of cultural values on science and technology , and vice versa. The projects explore the interaction between politics and ethics in the field of medical technology, and discuss the ethics and aesthetics of medical technology, or examine health communication and literacy. Research projects include: Inside Out, Picturing the Brain, Crossover Research, Reproductive Relations, and Parental Decisions regarding Medical Treatment of Extremely Premature Babies. The course Biotechnology and Ethics is offered for master’s students at NTNU and in the Erasmus Mundus programme.

Internationalization

To improve international collaboration, funding totalling half a million Norwegian kroner was provided for 12 research visits for PhD students, postdocs, and researchers in 2012. Two examples of projects supported:• PhD Student Tuva Hope visited the University of California, San Diego, to learn a new and

promising technique in MRI called Restriction Spectrum Imaging (RSI), which is used for improved diagnostics of brain tumours.

• Associate Professor Aud Sissel Hoel visited the Department of the History of Science, Harvard University, to further develop the project “Picturing the Brain: Perspectives on Neuroimaging”, aimed at deepening our understanding of the epistemological roles neuroimaging technologies play in the conduct and communication of medicine and science. http://www.ntnu.edu/performativity/research-activities

Innovation

The annual course BI3018 Patenting and Commercialization in Biotech/Medtech for masters/PhD students - was organized in April 2012. The course covers all the important steps of commerciali zation and the lectures are held by several internationally highly recognized experts from international patenting offices, pharmaceutical industry and entrepreneurial assistance organizations.

Medical Biotechnology

Avexxin AS, a company focusing on the development of novel small molecule therapeutics for patients suffering from chronic inflammatory conditions, announces the closure of a Series B round of financing with new and existing shareholders. Avexxin’s lead project targeting psoriasis is expected to enter clinical trial phase I/IIa early in 2013.

APIM Therapeutics is a biotechnology company dedicated to the development of novel anti-cancer agents targeting DNA repair and cell cycle control. APIM Therapeutics obtained new financial support from Norsk Innovasjonskapital III AS, in syndication with existing APIM investors, to continue preclinical develop ment. Article in the daily newspaper: http://www.adressa.no/nyheter/sortrondelag/article6636537.ece (In Norwegian).

Ultrasound Technology

Improved ultrasound methods for blood flow quantification and visualization: Ultrasound technology research at MI Lab once again resulted in successful innovation that ended up with a patent filing. It is now possible to use all the 2D ultrasound information for automatic calibration and display in 3D of flow directions and velocities in all parts of the imaged blood vessels. One important clinical appli cation is improved diagnosis of congenital heart failure in newborns.

Changing clinical practice in neurosurgery: National Competence Services for Ultrasound and Image-guided Therapy initiated a clinical study on survival in patients with brain tumours (low-grade glioma), published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). The study compared early surgical tumour removal to watchful surveillance based on MR imaging until signs of tumour progression. Early surgery guided with intraoperative 3D ultrasound was shown to increase survival significantly without compromising morbidity when compared to watchful waiting. This will change clinical practice to favour early surgery over watchful waiting. http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?article id=1386639 and http://www.forskning.no/artikler/2012/desember/342268 (In Norwegian).

For more information about innovations at NTNU, contact NTNU Technology Transfer AS: www.tto.ntnu.no

Page 6: MedTech: Annual report, highlights 2012

www.ntnu.no/medtek (Norwegian) • www.ntnu.edu/medtech (English)

Education

Master’s and PhD education offered in medical technologyOur web page www.ntnu.edu/medtech/masters presenting possible master’s degree projects to facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration and research has been a success. An international master’s degree in medical technology is also offered: www.ntnu.no/studies/msmedtek.

There is a PhD programme in medical technology: www.ntnu.edu/studies/phmedt. The strategic area is working together with the Norwegian Research School in Medical Imaging to organize new courses and seminars for PhD students on a national basis: www.ntnu.edu/medicalimaging.

Awards

The international ASSIS Prize 2012 was awarded to Professor Gunnar Klein at NSEP for his contribution to substantial progress in the development of secure health information systems in Europe. The ceremony took place on behalf of ASSIS (Association pour la sécurité des systèmes d’information de santé) at the Royal Academy of Medicine in Brussels, Belgium, in September 2012.

The Ole Storstein Award from the Norwegian Society of Cardiology was awarded to Professor Asbjørn Støylen for his many years of commitment to ultrasound in heart research. http://folk.ntnu.no/stoylen/

The Research Prize in Medical Technology 2012 was awarded to Reinold Ellingsen, Sven Tierney, Dag Roar Hjelme, Ming Gao, Kamila Gawel and Bjørn Torger Stokke for the develop ment of a new technique for measuring swelling of hydrogen gels. Various hydro gel materials designed to adopt an equilibrium swelling state selectively depending on a biological relevant molecule can be used as signal transducers in biosensors. http://www.universitetsavisa.no/notiser/article15113.ece and http://www.forskning.no/ artikler/2012/desember/341724 (both in Norwegian). The award was funded by Vangslund AS. Network web page: http://home.phys.ntnu.no/brukdef/prosjekter/biopolymerphysics/bioresponsive_gels.html

The CarciNor prize for research on neuroendocrine cancer – was awarded to Reidar Fossmark, dr.med., for his research on the use of gastrin blockers to treat gastric carcinoids. Tumours were reduced in both number and size after treatment. http://www.carcinor.no/

The 2012 Research Award from the Norwegian Society of Anaesthesiology – was awarded to Professor Eirik Skogvoll for his outstanding research. http://www.ntnu.edu/isb

Major funding in 2012

K.G. Jebsen Centre for Myeloma Research - aims to identify biological subgroups of the disease, thereby facilitating more individual treatments of patients. http://www.ntnu.edu/myelomaThe Centre of Molecular Inflammation Research (CEMIR) – will identify new diagnostic tools and therapeutic targets for inflammatory diseases. http://www.ntnu.edu/cemirCentre for Neural Computation (CNC) – aims to pioneer the extraction of computational algorithms from the mammalian cortex. http://www.ntnu.no/aktuelt/sff/cnc (In Norwegian).

For more information about the new Centres of Excellence: http://www.ntnu.edu/news/2012-news/new-centres-of-excellence

Seminars

The First Joint World Congress of the International Society of Posture & Gait Research and Gait & Mental Function was arranged in Trondheim by NTNU from 24 to 27 June, with about 600 participants from all over the world. There were 167 oral presentations and 367 poster presentations. The topics ranged from modelling and robotics to sensory aspects and coordination of movements and clinical trials. The participants evaluated the congress very positively.

Researchers’ Night 2012: “Ut med bingo – Inn med app!” [“Out with bingo – in with apps!”]. The use of body-worn sensors to detect falls in older people was demonstrated to the public at this NTNU event in Trondheim. The same sensors are embedded in most smart phones. In the EU project FARSEEING (FAll

Repository for the design of Smart and sElf-adaptive Environments prolonging Independent liviNG), body-worn sensors and smart phones will be used to monitor physical behaviour and falls in older people. The aim is to develop telemedicine service models for older people to manage and prevent falls. http://tv.nrk.no/serie/kunnskapskanalen/mdfp17003312/17-11-2012

“Make an impact – Be innovative!”- a seminar organized by the Strategic Area of Medical Technology, focusing on research dissemination and innovation. NTNU innovations by APIM Therapeutics, Avexxin, Sonowand, SURF Technology, CIMA and Eir were presented.

Health Informatics - In August, NTNU hosted the Fifth International Symposium on Human Factors Engineering in Health Informatics, where one session was dedicated to patient-centred information systems.

HelsIT “HelseInformatikkuka i Trondheim” (Health Informatics Week in Trondheim) 2012 – the annual one-week conference was arranged in September by KITH, the Norwegian Centre for Informatics in Health and Social Care (www.kith.no), in collaboration with the Norwegian Research Centre for Electronic Patient Records (NSEP, www.ntnu.edu/nsep) and the programme for health informatics at NTNU. www.helsit.no

The Bioinformatics annual network meeting – was co-organized with the biennial Norwegian Bioinformatics Forum. The two-day meeting titled “From genes to images – bioinformatics in a complex world”, featured keynotes on transcriptional regulation and quantitative image analyses, and highlighted the breadth of bioinformatics research in Norway.

The 8th annual NanoLab meeting was organized in close proximity to research groups in medicine to stimulate the participation of these research groups. A large part of the presentation focused on research activity or cleanroom opportunities related to bionanotechnology.

MedIm – the Norwegian Research School in Medical Imaging organized the 4th annual National PhD Conference in Medical Imaging in collaboration with MILab. The event focused on innovation, and demonstrated how researchers at NTNU develop commercially viable solutions to medical challenges.

Regenerative Medicine was the subject of a seminar on a field of medicine combining ‘traditional’ medical research with advanced imaging technology, nanotechnology and biomaterials science. The aim is to regenerate or replace tissue, organs or cell populations in the body if they have been damaged due to accidents or disease. The seminar attracted 11 international speakers.

Velferdsteknologikonferansen 2012/Velkon 2012 – NTNU participated in the organization of this welfare technology conference in Trondheim, attended by more than 300 people. www.velkon.no

The 8th Norwegian conference on Health Sociology 2012 – NTNU arranged a two-day conference on Health Sociology.

Advanced biological materials, KIFEE meeting was organized in Trondheim in September 2012 and attracted Japanese and Norwegian scientists for mutual exchange and development for further collaboration http://www.ntnu.edu/web/kifee/kifee2012.

GlycineChoCC

Lactate

Lactate

Glucose Glucose

Taurine

3,03,54,04,5 3,03,54,04,5

Breast tissue

Glycine

GlycineChoCC

Lactate

Lactate

Glucose Glucose

Taurine

ChoCC

Non cancer Cancer

Annu

al Re

port,

High

light

s 201

2 – S

trateg

ic Are

a of M

edica

l Tec

hnolo

gy

Chall

engin

g the

limi

ts of

Medic

al Te

chno

logy f

or be

tter h

ealth

care

The Strategic Area of Medical Technology at NTNU includes:

MR-based metabolomics – a future diagnostic tool within cancer?

Strategic Area of Medical Technology, NTNU, Medisinsk teknisk forskningssenter, Olav Kyrres gt 9, N-7491 Trondheim, Norway. Phone: +47 73 59 88 35. www.ntnu.edu/medtech • www.ntnu.no/medtek

- Medical Biotechnology, Professor Berit Johansen ([email protected])

- Medical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Post-doc Siver Moestue ([email protected])

- Bioinformatics, Professor Pål Sætrom ([email protected])

- Biomechanics, Professor Bjørn Skallerud ([email protected])

- Biomedical Optics, Associate Professor Magnus Lilledahl, ([email protected])

- Bionanotechnology, Professor Bjørn Torger Stokke ([email protected])

- Health Informatics, Associate Professor Arild Faxvaag ([email protected])

- Human Motor Control, Associate Professor Jorunn Helbostad ([email protected])

- National Centre of Advanced Laparoscopic Surgery, Associate Professor Ronald Mårvik ([email protected])

- National Centre of Clinical MR Spectroscopy, Professor Ingrid Gribbestad ([email protected])

- National Centre of Expertise in 3D Ultrasound, Professor Toril N. Hernes ([email protected])

- Societal Aspects, Researcher Lars Ursin ([email protected])

- The Operating Room of the Future, Professor Torbjørn Dahl ([email protected])

Research Management Team:- Host Dean, Professor Stig Slørdahl ([email protected]) - Director, Professor Catharina de Lange Davies

([email protected]), Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology

- Co-Director, Professor Olav Haraldseth ([email protected]), Faculty of Medicine

- Professor Kjell Bratbergsengen ([email protected]), Faculty of Information Technology, Mathematics, and Electrical Engineering

- Professor Toril N. Hernes ([email protected]), SINTEF Health Research

- Associate Professor Bjørn Myskja ([email protected]), Faculty of Humanities

- Professor Siv Mørkved ([email protected]), Head of Research, St. Olavs Hospital

- Professor Bjørn Skallerud ([email protected]), Faculty of Engineering, Science and Technology

Coordinator Medical Biotechnology, Tonje Strømmen Steigedal, PhD ([email protected])Coordinator Medical Imaging, Siver Moestue, PhD ([email protected])

Adviser & Coordinator for the Strategic Area of Medical Technology Karin Tømmerås, PhD ([email protected])

PhDs in Medical Technology 2012

Sigrun Saur Almberg, PhD. Monte Carlo and film dosimetry with applications in breast cancer radiotherapy.

Reidar Brekken, PhD. Ultrasound-based estimation of strain in abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Maria Dung Cao, PhD. MR metabolic characterization of locally advanced breast cancer - treatment effects and prognosis.

Sigrid Kaarstad Dahl, PhD. Numerical simulations of blood flow in the left side of the heart.

Mirta Mittelstedt Leal de Sousa, PhD. Proteomics analysis of proteins involved in DNA base repair and cancer therapy.

Sjur Urdson Gjerald, PhD. A FAST ultrasound simulator.

Øystein Grimstad, PhD. Toll-like receptor-mediated inflammatory responses in keratinocytes.

Maria Tunset Grinde, PhD. Characterization of breast cancer using MR metabolomics and gene expression analysis.

Sasha Gulati, PhD. Surgical resection of high-grade gliomas.

Halvard Edvard Mølmen Hansen, PhD. Cardiovascular effects of high intensity aerobic interval training in hypertensive patients, healthy aged and young persons.

Audun Hanssen-Bauer, PhD. X-ray repair cross-complementing protein 1 associated multiprotein complexes in base excision repair.

Vigdis Heimly, PhD. Electronic collaboration across organizational borders in the health care sector. Design and deployment from a national perspective.

Toril Holien, PhD. Bone morphogenetic proteins and MYC in multiple myeloma.

Marit Kleven, PhD. Numerical simulations and experimental studies for nasal delivery of vaccines and drugs.

Valentina La Russa, PhD. Biomechanical aspects of distraction osteogenesis. Experimental evaluation of three wire fixator designs and assessment of callus stiffness using finite element modeling.

Paul Roger Leinan, PhD. Biomechanical modeling of fetal veins. The umbilical vein and ductus venosus bifurcation.

Håkon Olav Leira, PhD. Development of an image guidance research system for bronchoscopy.

Ingrid Alsos Lian, PhD. Mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of pre-eclampsia and fetal growth restriction. Transcriptional analyses of placental and decidual tissue.

Jostein Malmo, PhD. Chitosan-based nanocarriers for gene and siRNA delivery.

Saeed Mehdizadeh, PhD. Adaptive beamformers for ultrasound imaging of acoustically hard tissues.

Siver Andreas Moestue, PhD. Molecular and functional characterization of breast cancer through a combination of MR imaging, transcriptomics and metabolomics.

Caroline Hild Hakvåg Pettersen, PhD. The effect of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on human cancer cells - molecular mechanisms involved.

Jan Rødal, PhD. On functional imaging and treatment planning for biologically adapted radiotherapy.

Øystein Sandanger, PhD. The innate immune system: a paradoxical mediator of host defence, tissue repair and collateral damage.

Kirsten Margrete Selnæs, MR imaging and spectroscopy in prostate and colon cancer diagnostics.

Nils Kristian Skjærvold, PhD. Automated blood glucose control. Development and testing of an artificial endocrine pancreas using a novel intravascular glucose monitor and a new approach to insulin pharmacology.

Karin Solvang-Garten, PhD. X-ray repair cross-complementing protein 1 - the role as a scaffold protein in base excision repair and single strand break repair.

Laurent Francois Thomas, PhD. Effect of single-nucleotide polymorphisms on microRNA-based gene regulation and their association with disease.

Anders Thorstensen, PhD. 2D and 3D echocardiography during inotropic alterations and after recent myocardial infarction.

Monica Unsgaard-Tøndel, PhD. Motor control exercises for patients with low back pain.

Marius Widerøe, PhD. Magnetic resonance imaging of hypoxic-ischemic brain injury development in the newborn rat - manganese and diffusion contrasts.

Inger Økland, PhD. Biases in second-trimester ultrasound dating related to prediction models and fetal measurements.

Imag

es: G

eir

Mog

en/N

TNU

, Gei

r O

tto

Joha

nsen

, pri

vate

Page 7: MedTech: Annual report, highlights 2012

www.ntnu.no/medtek (Norwegian) • www.ntnu.edu/medtech (English)

Education

Master’s and PhD education offered in medical technologyOur web page www.ntnu.edu/medtech/masters presenting possible master’s degree projects to facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration and research has been a success. An international master’s degree in medical technology is also offered: www.ntnu.no/studies/msmedtek.

There is a PhD programme in medical technology: www.ntnu.edu/studies/phmedt. The strategic area is working together with the Norwegian Research School in Medical Imaging to organize new courses and seminars for PhD students on a national basis: www.ntnu.edu/medicalimaging.

Awards

The international ASSIS Prize 2012 was awarded to Professor Gunnar Klein at NSEP for his contribution to substantial progress in the development of secure health information systems in Europe. The ceremony took place on behalf of ASSIS (Association pour la sécurité des systèmes d’information de santé) at the Royal Academy of Medicine in Brussels, Belgium, in September 2012.

The Ole Storstein Award from the Norwegian Society of Cardiology was awarded to Professor Asbjørn Støylen for his many years of commitment to ultrasound in heart research. http://folk.ntnu.no/stoylen/

The Research Prize in Medical Technology 2012 was awarded to Reinold Ellingsen, Sven Tierney, Dag Roar Hjelme, Ming Gao, Kamila Gawel and Bjørn Torger Stokke for the develop ment of a new technique for measuring swelling of hydrogen gels. Various hydro gel materials designed to adopt an equilibrium swelling state selectively depending on a biological relevant molecule can be used as signal transducers in biosensors. http://www.universitetsavisa.no/notiser/article15113.ece and http://www.forskning.no/ artikler/2012/desember/341724 (both in Norwegian). The award was funded by Vangslund AS. Network web page: http://home.phys.ntnu.no/brukdef/prosjekter/biopolymerphysics/bioresponsive_gels.html

The CarciNor prize for research on neuroendocrine cancer – was awarded to Reidar Fossmark, dr.med., for his research on the use of gastrin blockers to treat gastric carcinoids. Tumours were reduced in both number and size after treatment. http://www.carcinor.no/

The 2012 Research Award from the Norwegian Society of Anaesthesiology – was awarded to Professor Eirik Skogvoll for his outstanding research. http://www.ntnu.edu/isb

Major funding in 2012

K.G. Jebsen Centre for Myeloma Research - aims to identify biological subgroups of the disease, thereby facilitating more individual treatments of patients. http://www.ntnu.edu/myelomaThe Centre of Molecular Inflammation Research (CEMIR) – will identify new diagnostic tools and therapeutic targets for inflammatory diseases. http://www.ntnu.edu/cemirCentre for Neural Computation (CNC) – aims to pioneer the extraction of computational algorithms from the mammalian cortex. http://www.ntnu.no/aktuelt/sff/cnc (In Norwegian).

For more information about the new Centres of Excellence: http://www.ntnu.edu/news/2012-news/new-centres-of-excellence

Seminars

The First Joint World Congress of the International Society of Posture & Gait Research and Gait & Mental Function was arranged in Trondheim by NTNU from 24 to 27 June, with about 600 participants from all over the world. There were 167 oral presentations and 367 poster presentations. The topics ranged from modelling and robotics to sensory aspects and coordination of movements and clinical trials. The participants evaluated the congress very positively.

Researchers’ Night 2012: “Ut med bingo – Inn med app!” [“Out with bingo – in with apps!”]. The use of body-worn sensors to detect falls in older people was demonstrated to the public at this NTNU event in Trondheim. The same sensors are embedded in most smart phones. In the EU project FARSEEING (FAll

Repository for the design of Smart and sElf-adaptive Environments prolonging Independent liviNG), body-worn sensors and smart phones will be used to monitor physical behaviour and falls in older people. The aim is to develop telemedicine service models for older people to manage and prevent falls. http://tv.nrk.no/serie/kunnskapskanalen/mdfp17003312/17-11-2012

“Make an impact – Be innovative!”- a seminar organized by the Strategic Area of Medical Technology, focusing on research dissemination and innovation. NTNU innovations by APIM Therapeutics, Avexxin, Sonowand, SURF Technology, CIMA and Eir were presented.

Health Informatics - In August, NTNU hosted the Fifth International Symposium on Human Factors Engineering in Health Informatics, where one session was dedicated to patient-centred information systems.

HelsIT “HelseInformatikkuka i Trondheim” (Health Informatics Week in Trondheim) 2012 – the annual one-week conference was arranged in September by KITH, the Norwegian Centre for Informatics in Health and Social Care (www.kith.no), in collaboration with the Norwegian Research Centre for Electronic Patient Records (NSEP, www.ntnu.edu/nsep) and the programme for health informatics at NTNU. www.helsit.no

The Bioinformatics annual network meeting – was co-organized with the biennial Norwegian Bioinformatics Forum. The two-day meeting titled “From genes to images – bioinformatics in a complex world”, featured keynotes on transcriptional regulation and quantitative image analyses, and highlighted the breadth of bioinformatics research in Norway.

The 8th annual NanoLab meeting was organized in close proximity to research groups in medicine to stimulate the participation of these research groups. A large part of the presentation focused on research activity or cleanroom opportunities related to bionanotechnology.

MedIm – the Norwegian Research School in Medical Imaging organized the 4th annual National PhD Conference in Medical Imaging in collaboration with MILab. The event focused on innovation, and demonstrated how researchers at NTNU develop commercially viable solutions to medical challenges.

Regenerative Medicine was the subject of a seminar on a field of medicine combining ‘traditional’ medical research with advanced imaging technology, nanotechnology and biomaterials science. The aim is to regenerate or replace tissue, organs or cell populations in the body if they have been damaged due to accidents or disease. The seminar attracted 11 international speakers.

Velferdsteknologikonferansen 2012/Velkon 2012 – NTNU participated in the organization of this welfare technology conference in Trondheim, attended by more than 300 people. www.velkon.no

The 8th Norwegian conference on Health Sociology 2012 – NTNU arranged a two-day conference on Health Sociology.

Advanced biological materials, KIFEE meeting was organized in Trondheim in September 2012 and attracted Japanese and Norwegian scientists for mutual exchange and development for further collaboration http://www.ntnu.edu/web/kifee/kifee2012.

GlycineChoCC

Lactate

Lactate

Glucose Glucose

Taurine

3,03,54,04,5 3,03,54,04,5

Breast tissue

Glycine

GlycineChoCC

Lactate

Lactate

Glucose Glucose

Taurine

ChoCC

Non cancer Cancer

Annu

al Re

port,

High

light

s 201

2 – S

trateg

ic Are

a of M

edica

l Tec

hnolo

gy

Chall

engin

g the

limi

ts of

Medic

al Te

chno

logy f

or be

tter h

ealth

care

The Strategic Area of Medical Technology at NTNU includes:

MR-based metabolomics – a future diagnostic tool within cancer?

Strategic Area of Medical Technology, NTNU, Medisinsk teknisk forskningssenter, Olav Kyrres gt 9, N-7491 Trondheim, Norway. Phone: +47 73 59 88 35. www.ntnu.edu/medtech • www.ntnu.no/medtek

- Medical Biotechnology, Professor Berit Johansen ([email protected])

- Medical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Post-doc Siver Moestue ([email protected])

- Bioinformatics, Professor Pål Sætrom ([email protected])

- Biomechanics, Professor Bjørn Skallerud ([email protected])

- Biomedical Optics, Associate Professor Magnus Lilledahl, ([email protected])

- Bionanotechnology, Professor Bjørn Torger Stokke ([email protected])

- Health Informatics, Associate Professor Arild Faxvaag ([email protected])

- Human Motor Control, Associate Professor Jorunn Helbostad ([email protected])

- National Centre of Advanced Laparoscopic Surgery, Associate Professor Ronald Mårvik ([email protected])

- National Centre of Clinical MR Spectroscopy, Professor Ingrid Gribbestad ([email protected])

- National Centre of Expertise in 3D Ultrasound, Professor Toril N. Hernes ([email protected])

- Societal Aspects, Researcher Lars Ursin ([email protected])

- The Operating Room of the Future, Professor Torbjørn Dahl ([email protected])

Research Management Team:- Host Dean, Professor Stig Slørdahl ([email protected]) - Director, Professor Catharina de Lange Davies

([email protected]), Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology

- Co-Director, Professor Olav Haraldseth ([email protected]), Faculty of Medicine

- Professor Kjell Bratbergsengen ([email protected]), Faculty of Information Technology, Mathematics, and Electrical Engineering

- Professor Toril N. Hernes ([email protected]), SINTEF Health Research

- Associate Professor Bjørn Myskja ([email protected]), Faculty of Humanities

- Professor Siv Mørkved ([email protected]), Head of Research, St. Olavs Hospital

- Professor Bjørn Skallerud ([email protected]), Faculty of Engineering, Science and Technology

Coordinator Medical Biotechnology, Tonje Strømmen Steigedal, PhD ([email protected])Coordinator Medical Imaging, Siver Moestue, PhD ([email protected])

Adviser & Coordinator for the Strategic Area of Medical Technology Karin Tømmerås, PhD ([email protected])

PhDs in Medical Technology 2012

Sigrun Saur Almberg, PhD. Monte Carlo and film dosimetry with applications in breast cancer radiotherapy.

Reidar Brekken, PhD. Ultrasound-based estimation of strain in abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Maria Dung Cao, PhD. MR metabolic characterization of locally advanced breast cancer - treatment effects and prognosis.

Sigrid Kaarstad Dahl, PhD. Numerical simulations of blood flow in the left side of the heart.

Mirta Mittelstedt Leal de Sousa, PhD. Proteomics analysis of proteins involved in DNA base repair and cancer therapy.

Sjur Urdson Gjerald, PhD. A FAST ultrasound simulator.

Øystein Grimstad, PhD. Toll-like receptor-mediated inflammatory responses in keratinocytes.

Maria Tunset Grinde, PhD. Characterization of breast cancer using MR metabolomics and gene expression analysis.

Sasha Gulati, PhD. Surgical resection of high-grade gliomas.

Halvard Edvard Mølmen Hansen, PhD. Cardiovascular effects of high intensity aerobic interval training in hypertensive patients, healthy aged and young persons.

Audun Hanssen-Bauer, PhD. X-ray repair cross-complementing protein 1 associated multiprotein complexes in base excision repair.

Vigdis Heimly, PhD. Electronic collaboration across organizational borders in the health care sector. Design and deployment from a national perspective.

Toril Holien, PhD. Bone morphogenetic proteins and MYC in multiple myeloma.

Marit Kleven, PhD. Numerical simulations and experimental studies for nasal delivery of vaccines and drugs.

Valentina La Russa, PhD. Biomechanical aspects of distraction osteogenesis. Experimental evaluation of three wire fixator designs and assessment of callus stiffness using finite element modeling.

Paul Roger Leinan, PhD. Biomechanical modeling of fetal veins. The umbilical vein and ductus venosus bifurcation.

Håkon Olav Leira, PhD. Development of an image guidance research system for bronchoscopy.

Ingrid Alsos Lian, PhD. Mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of pre-eclampsia and fetal growth restriction. Transcriptional analyses of placental and decidual tissue.

Jostein Malmo, PhD. Chitosan-based nanocarriers for gene and siRNA delivery.

Saeed Mehdizadeh, PhD. Adaptive beamformers for ultrasound imaging of acoustically hard tissues.

Siver Andreas Moestue, PhD. Molecular and functional characterization of breast cancer through a combination of MR imaging, transcriptomics and metabolomics.

Caroline Hild Hakvåg Pettersen, PhD. The effect of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on human cancer cells - molecular mechanisms involved.

Jan Rødal, PhD. On functional imaging and treatment planning for biologically adapted radiotherapy.

Øystein Sandanger, PhD. The innate immune system: a paradoxical mediator of host defence, tissue repair and collateral damage.

Kirsten Margrete Selnæs, MR imaging and spectroscopy in prostate and colon cancer diagnostics.

Nils Kristian Skjærvold, PhD. Automated blood glucose control. Development and testing of an artificial endocrine pancreas using a novel intravascular glucose monitor and a new approach to insulin pharmacology.

Karin Solvang-Garten, PhD. X-ray repair cross-complementing protein 1 - the role as a scaffold protein in base excision repair and single strand break repair.

Laurent Francois Thomas, PhD. Effect of single-nucleotide polymorphisms on microRNA-based gene regulation and their association with disease.

Anders Thorstensen, PhD. 2D and 3D echocardiography during inotropic alterations and after recent myocardial infarction.

Monica Unsgaard-Tøndel, PhD. Motor control exercises for patients with low back pain.

Marius Widerøe, PhD. Magnetic resonance imaging of hypoxic-ischemic brain injury development in the newborn rat - manganese and diffusion contrasts.

Inger Økland, PhD. Biases in second-trimester ultrasound dating related to prediction models and fetal measurements.

Imag

es: G

eir

Mog

en/N

TNU

, Gei

r O

tto

Joha

nsen

, pri

vate

Page 8: MedTech: Annual report, highlights 2012

www.ntnu.no/medtek (Norwegian) • www.ntnu.edu/medtech (English)

Education

Master’s and PhD education offered in medical technologyOur web page www.ntnu.edu/medtech/masters presenting possible master’s degree projects to facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration and research has been a success. An international master’s degree in medical technology is also offered: www.ntnu.no/studies/msmedtek.

There is a PhD programme in medical technology: www.ntnu.edu/studies/phmedt. The strategic area is working together with the Norwegian Research School in Medical Imaging to organize new courses and seminars for PhD students on a national basis: www.ntnu.edu/medicalimaging.

Awards

The international ASSIS Prize 2012 was awarded to Professor Gunnar Klein at NSEP for his contribution to substantial progress in the development of secure health information systems in Europe. The ceremony took place on behalf of ASSIS (Association pour la sécurité des systèmes d’information de santé) at the Royal Academy of Medicine in Brussels, Belgium, in September 2012.

The Ole Storstein Award from the Norwegian Society of Cardiology was awarded to Professor Asbjørn Støylen for his many years of commitment to ultrasound in heart research. http://folk.ntnu.no/stoylen/

The Research Prize in Medical Technology 2012 was awarded to Reinold Ellingsen, Sven Tierney, Dag Roar Hjelme, Ming Gao, Kamila Gawel and Bjørn Torger Stokke for the develop ment of a new technique for measuring swelling of hydrogen gels. Various hydro gel materials designed to adopt an equilibrium swelling state selectively depending on a biological relevant molecule can be used as signal transducers in biosensors. http://www.universitetsavisa.no/notiser/article15113.ece and http://www.forskning.no/ artikler/2012/desember/341724 (both in Norwegian). The award was funded by Vangslund AS. Network web page: http://home.phys.ntnu.no/brukdef/prosjekter/biopolymerphysics/bioresponsive_gels.html

The CarciNor prize for research on neuroendocrine cancer – was awarded to Reidar Fossmark, dr.med., for his research on the use of gastrin blockers to treat gastric carcinoids. Tumours were reduced in both number and size after treatment. http://www.carcinor.no/

The 2012 Research Award from the Norwegian Society of Anaesthesiology – was awarded to Professor Eirik Skogvoll for his outstanding research. http://www.ntnu.edu/isb

Major funding in 2012

K.G. Jebsen Centre for Myeloma Research - aims to identify biological subgroups of the disease, thereby facilitating more individual treatments of patients. http://www.ntnu.edu/myelomaThe Centre of Molecular Inflammation Research (CEMIR) – will identify new diagnostic tools and therapeutic targets for inflammatory diseases. http://www.ntnu.edu/cemirCentre for Neural Computation (CNC) – aims to pioneer the extraction of computational algorithms from the mammalian cortex. http://www.ntnu.no/aktuelt/sff/cnc (In Norwegian).

For more information about the new Centres of Excellence: http://www.ntnu.edu/news/2012-news/new-centres-of-excellence

Seminars

The First Joint World Congress of the International Society of Posture & Gait Research and Gait & Mental Function was arranged in Trondheim by NTNU from 24 to 27 June, with about 600 participants from all over the world. There were 167 oral presentations and 367 poster presentations. The topics ranged from modelling and robotics to sensory aspects and coordination of movements and clinical trials. The participants evaluated the congress very positively.

Researchers’ Night 2012: “Ut med bingo – Inn med app!” [“Out with bingo – in with apps!”]. The use of body-worn sensors to detect falls in older people was demonstrated to the public at this NTNU event in Trondheim. The same sensors are embedded in most smart phones. In the EU project FARSEEING (FAll

Repository for the design of Smart and sElf-adaptive Environments prolonging Independent liviNG), body-worn sensors and smart phones will be used to monitor physical behaviour and falls in older people. The aim is to develop telemedicine service models for older people to manage and prevent falls. http://tv.nrk.no/serie/kunnskapskanalen/mdfp17003312/17-11-2012

“Make an impact – Be innovative!”- a seminar organized by the Strategic Area of Medical Technology, focusing on research dissemination and innovation. NTNU innovations by APIM Therapeutics, Avexxin, Sonowand, SURF Technology, CIMA and Eir were presented.

Health Informatics - In August, NTNU hosted the Fifth International Symposium on Human Factors Engineering in Health Informatics, where one session was dedicated to patient-centred information systems.

HelsIT “HelseInformatikkuka i Trondheim” (Health Informatics Week in Trondheim) 2012 – the annual one-week conference was arranged in September by KITH, the Norwegian Centre for Informatics in Health and Social Care (www.kith.no), in collaboration with the Norwegian Research Centre for Electronic Patient Records (NSEP, www.ntnu.edu/nsep) and the programme for health informatics at NTNU. www.helsit.no

The Bioinformatics annual network meeting – was co-organized with the biennial Norwegian Bioinformatics Forum. The two-day meeting titled “From genes to images – bioinformatics in a complex world”, featured keynotes on transcriptional regulation and quantitative image analyses, and highlighted the breadth of bioinformatics research in Norway.

The 8th annual NanoLab meeting was organized in close proximity to research groups in medicine to stimulate the participation of these research groups. A large part of the presentation focused on research activity or cleanroom opportunities related to bionanotechnology.

MedIm – the Norwegian Research School in Medical Imaging organized the 4th annual National PhD Conference in Medical Imaging in collaboration with MILab. The event focused on innovation, and demonstrated how researchers at NTNU develop commercially viable solutions to medical challenges.

Regenerative Medicine was the subject of a seminar on a field of medicine combining ‘traditional’ medical research with advanced imaging technology, nanotechnology and biomaterials science. The aim is to regenerate or replace tissue, organs or cell populations in the body if they have been damaged due to accidents or disease. The seminar attracted 11 international speakers.

Velferdsteknologikonferansen 2012/Velkon 2012 – NTNU participated in the organization of this welfare technology conference in Trondheim, attended by more than 300 people. www.velkon.no

The 8th Norwegian conference on Health Sociology 2012 – NTNU arranged a two-day conference on Health Sociology.

Advanced biological materials, KIFEE meeting was organized in Trondheim in September 2012 and attracted Japanese and Norwegian scientists for mutual exchange and development for further collaboration http://www.ntnu.edu/web/kifee/kifee2012.

GlycineChoCC

Lactate

Lactate

Glucose Glucose

Taurine

3,03,54,04,5 3,03,54,04,5

Breast tissue

Glycine

GlycineChoCC

Lactate

Lactate

Glucose Glucose

Taurine

ChoCC

Non cancer Cancer

Annu

al Re

port,

High

light

s 201

2 – S

trateg

ic Are

a of M

edica

l Tec

hnolo

gy

Chall

engin

g the

limi

ts of

Medic

al Te

chno

logy f

or be

tter h

ealth

care

The Strategic Area of Medical Technology at NTNU includes:

MR-based metabolomics – a future diagnostic tool within cancer?

Strategic Area of Medical Technology, NTNU, Medisinsk teknisk forskningssenter, Olav Kyrres gt 9, N-7491 Trondheim, Norway. Phone: +47 73 59 88 35. www.ntnu.edu/medtech • www.ntnu.no/medtek

- Medical Biotechnology, Professor Berit Johansen ([email protected])

- Medical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Post-doc Siver Moestue ([email protected])

- Bioinformatics, Professor Pål Sætrom ([email protected])

- Biomechanics, Professor Bjørn Skallerud ([email protected])

- Biomedical Optics, Associate Professor Magnus Lilledahl, ([email protected])

- Bionanotechnology, Professor Bjørn Torger Stokke ([email protected])

- Health Informatics, Associate Professor Arild Faxvaag ([email protected])

- Human Motor Control, Associate Professor Jorunn Helbostad ([email protected])

- National Centre of Advanced Laparoscopic Surgery, Associate Professor Ronald Mårvik ([email protected])

- National Centre of Clinical MR Spectroscopy, Professor Ingrid Gribbestad ([email protected])

- National Centre of Expertise in 3D Ultrasound, Professor Toril N. Hernes ([email protected])

- Societal Aspects, Researcher Lars Ursin ([email protected])

- The Operating Room of the Future, Professor Torbjørn Dahl ([email protected])

Research Management Team:- Host Dean, Professor Stig Slørdahl ([email protected]) - Director, Professor Catharina de Lange Davies

([email protected]), Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology

- Co-Director, Professor Olav Haraldseth ([email protected]), Faculty of Medicine

- Professor Kjell Bratbergsengen ([email protected]), Faculty of Information Technology, Mathematics, and Electrical Engineering

- Professor Toril N. Hernes ([email protected]), SINTEF Health Research

- Associate Professor Bjørn Myskja ([email protected]), Faculty of Humanities

- Professor Siv Mørkved ([email protected]), Head of Research, St. Olavs Hospital

- Professor Bjørn Skallerud ([email protected]), Faculty of Engineering, Science and Technology

Coordinator Medical Biotechnology, Tonje Strømmen Steigedal, PhD ([email protected])Coordinator Medical Imaging, Siver Moestue, PhD ([email protected])

Adviser & Coordinator for the Strategic Area of Medical Technology Karin Tømmerås, PhD ([email protected])

PhDs in Medical Technology 2012

Sigrun Saur Almberg, PhD. Monte Carlo and film dosimetry with applications in breast cancer radiotherapy.

Reidar Brekken, PhD. Ultrasound-based estimation of strain in abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Maria Dung Cao, PhD. MR metabolic characterization of locally advanced breast cancer - treatment effects and prognosis.

Sigrid Kaarstad Dahl, PhD. Numerical simulations of blood flow in the left side of the heart.

Mirta Mittelstedt Leal de Sousa, PhD. Proteomics analysis of proteins involved in DNA base repair and cancer therapy.

Sjur Urdson Gjerald, PhD. A FAST ultrasound simulator.

Øystein Grimstad, PhD. Toll-like receptor-mediated inflammatory responses in keratinocytes.

Maria Tunset Grinde, PhD. Characterization of breast cancer using MR metabolomics and gene expression analysis.

Sasha Gulati, PhD. Surgical resection of high-grade gliomas.

Halvard Edvard Mølmen Hansen, PhD. Cardiovascular effects of high intensity aerobic interval training in hypertensive patients, healthy aged and young persons.

Audun Hanssen-Bauer, PhD. X-ray repair cross-complementing protein 1 associated multiprotein complexes in base excision repair.

Vigdis Heimly, PhD. Electronic collaboration across organizational borders in the health care sector. Design and deployment from a national perspective.

Toril Holien, PhD. Bone morphogenetic proteins and MYC in multiple myeloma.

Marit Kleven, PhD. Numerical simulations and experimental studies for nasal delivery of vaccines and drugs.

Valentina La Russa, PhD. Biomechanical aspects of distraction osteogenesis. Experimental evaluation of three wire fixator designs and assessment of callus stiffness using finite element modeling.

Paul Roger Leinan, PhD. Biomechanical modeling of fetal veins. The umbilical vein and ductus venosus bifurcation.

Håkon Olav Leira, PhD. Development of an image guidance research system for bronchoscopy.

Ingrid Alsos Lian, PhD. Mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of pre-eclampsia and fetal growth restriction. Transcriptional analyses of placental and decidual tissue.

Jostein Malmo, PhD. Chitosan-based nanocarriers for gene and siRNA delivery.

Saeed Mehdizadeh, PhD. Adaptive beamformers for ultrasound imaging of acoustically hard tissues.

Siver Andreas Moestue, PhD. Molecular and functional characterization of breast cancer through a combination of MR imaging, transcriptomics and metabolomics.

Caroline Hild Hakvåg Pettersen, PhD. The effect of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on human cancer cells - molecular mechanisms involved.

Jan Rødal, PhD. On functional imaging and treatment planning for biologically adapted radiotherapy.

Øystein Sandanger, PhD. The innate immune system: a paradoxical mediator of host defence, tissue repair and collateral damage.

Kirsten Margrete Selnæs, MR imaging and spectroscopy in prostate and colon cancer diagnostics.

Nils Kristian Skjærvold, PhD. Automated blood glucose control. Development and testing of an artificial endocrine pancreas using a novel intravascular glucose monitor and a new approach to insulin pharmacology.

Karin Solvang-Garten, PhD. X-ray repair cross-complementing protein 1 - the role as a scaffold protein in base excision repair and single strand break repair.

Laurent Francois Thomas, PhD. Effect of single-nucleotide polymorphisms on microRNA-based gene regulation and their association with disease.

Anders Thorstensen, PhD. 2D and 3D echocardiography during inotropic alterations and after recent myocardial infarction.

Monica Unsgaard-Tøndel, PhD. Motor control exercises for patients with low back pain.

Marius Widerøe, PhD. Magnetic resonance imaging of hypoxic-ischemic brain injury development in the newborn rat - manganese and diffusion contrasts.

Inger Økland, PhD. Biases in second-trimester ultrasound dating related to prediction models and fetal measurements.

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