Academic interests
- Lipid absorption
- transport and metabolism
- energy metabolism
- adipokines (signal proteins from adipocytes)
- myokines (signal proteins from skeletal muscle cells)
- perinatal nutrition
- diet and health
Our research activities are focused on the interplay between nutrients and physical activity, and gene regulation to provide information on lipid homeostasis related to cell proliferation, energy and bone metabolism. These issues are examined on molecular, cellular levels, as well as whole body. The main issue is to find the key factors involved for health and pathogenetic mechanisms behind common diseases.
Courses taught
- Energy metabolism
- lipid digestion
- lipoprotein metabolism
- molecular nutrition
Background
- 1970 MD at the University of Oslo (UO) with the average grade of 10.26 (laudabilis)
- 1970-72 Internship at Ålesund County Hospital (1 year) and in a GP office (6 months)
- 1972 Military service as a lieutenant at the Institute of Work Physiology, Oslo
- 1973-76 Research fellow at the Institute for Nutrition Research at UO
- 1976-77 Deputyship as Assistant Professor at the Institute for Nutrition Research
- 1977 Dr med thesis on "Cholesteryl ester metabolism"
- 1977-79 Postdoctoral fellow in Dept of Medicine, University of California, San Diego. Fellowships from San Diego County Heart Ass, John Fogarty's International Fellowship & Royal Norwegian Council for Scientific & Industrial Research
- 1979 Ass. Professor at Dept of Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacy, UO
- 1984 Associated head of National Institute of Forensic Toxicology
- 1988- Professor (& chairman of Section for Dietary Research), Institute for Nutrition Research, UO
- 1996/97 Sabbatical at Department of Biology, San Diego State University, California
Positions held
- 1973-76 Research fellow at the Institute for Nutrition Research at UO
- 1976-77 Deputyship as Assistant Professor at the Institute for Nutrition Research
- 1977-79 Postdoctoral fellow in Dept of Medicine, University of California, San Diego. Fellowships from San Diego County Heart Ass, John Fogarty's International Fellowship & Royal Norwegian Council for Scientific & Industrial Research
- 1979 Ass. Professor at Dept of Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacy, UO
- 1984 Associated head of National Institute of Forensic Toxicology
- 1988- Professor (& chairman of Section for Dietary Research), Institute for Nutrition Research, UO
- 1996/97 Sabbatical at Department of Biology, San Diego State University, California
Collaboration
I collaborate with Norwegian researchers from many institutions (eg. professors Jørgen Jensen, Arild C. Rustan, Bernd Thiede, Kåre I. Birkeland, Britt Nakstad), and researchers from the USA, Spain, The Netherlands, France, Italy, UK, Ireland, Germany, Poland, Bulgaria, Greece, Denmark, Finland & Sweden, in addition to several Norwegian research groups in clinical as well as basic science. We are presently involved in a large EU project in the 7th Framework Program; an Integrated Project called Food4me with 20 partners focused on personalized nutrition. I am a cofounder of the Nutrigenomics (NuGO) Association, where I am the present president.