Dagrun Slettebø Daltveit is an Associate Professor at the Section for epidemiology and medical statistics, Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen. She is associated with the Centre for Translational Research in Epidemiology (TRACE), the Lifestyle Epidemiology (LERG) research group, and the BergenBrain research group. She holds a bachelor’s degree in natural sciences, a master’s in statistical data analysis, and a Ph.D. from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, (2024).

Her current research is primarily within the field of registry epidemiology, including work on cancer, birth defects, migraine, and benzene exposure.

As part of her PhD she was a visiting scientist during 2023 at the Cancer Surveillance Branch (CSU) at the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), World Health Organization (WHO) in Lyon, France.

Interview

• Birth Defects Tied to Higher Cancer Risk, The New York Times (2020). https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/07/well/live/birth-defects-cancer.html

UiB web-pages

• Global estimates of leukemia incidence by subtype | Section for epidemiology and medical statistics | UiB
• Increased cancer risk among siblings of individuals with birth defects | Section for epidemiology and medical statistics | UiB
• Congenital malformations and childhood cancer - gender differences | Section for epidemiology and medical statistics | UiB
• Pregnancy and risk of thyroid cancer in the mother | Section for epidemiology and medical statistics | UiB

2025

Teacher in statistics in Methods in Global Health Research (INTH315), autumn

Co-facilitator, Advanced Epidemiology (Indian Council of Medical Research- National Institute of Epidemiology (ICMR - NIE) in association with the Centre for Intervention Science in Maternal and Child Health (CISMAC), UiB. 16 - 24 January, Chennai, India.

2024

Teacher in statistics in Methods in Global Health Research (INTH315), autumn

Co-facilitator Workshop on Design and Analysis of Epidemiologic Studies for Causal Inference (Indian Council of Medical Research, National Institute of Epidemiology/UiB in Chennai, India), autumn

Co-facilitator Experimental Epidemiology (INTH321A/INTH921), spring 

Co-facilitator Design and analysis of epidemiologic studies for causal inference (CISMAC900-5 / CISMAC900A-5 ), spring 

2022

Teacher in statistics in Methods in Global Health Research (INTH315), autumn 

Teacher Epidemiology course in MED6, spring 

Teacher Epidemiology (MEDEPI),  spring 

2021

Group teacher Analysis of longitudinal and correlated data (MEDSTA3), autumn 

Teacher Epidemiology course in MED6, spring

Teacher Epidemiology (MEDEPI), spring 

Group teacher Regression models in medical research (MEDSTA2), spring

2010

Teacher in mathmathics, Summer school, Askøy videregående skole (high school).

Teacher in mathmathics and physics, Olsvikåsen videregående skole (high school).

2009

Teacher in mathmathics and physics, Fana Gymnas (high school).

Academic article

• Hide, Øydis; Daltveit, Dagrun Slettebø; Hvistendahl, Anne Katherine et al. (2025). Validity and Reliability of Speech Data in the Norwegian Registry of Cleft Lip and Palate. (external link)
• Sæle, Paul; Daltveit, Dagrun Slettebø; Bjering, Ragnar et al. (2025). Reliability of clinical orthodontic indicators in the Norwegian Registry of Cleft Lip and Palate. (external link)
• Daltveit, Dagrun Slettebø; Morgan, Eileen; Bardot, Aude et al. (2025). Childhood cancer survival in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, during 2008-2017 (SURVCAN-3): a population-based benchmarking study of 16 821 children. (external link)
• Daltveit, Dagrun Slettebø; Morgan, Eileen; Colombet, Murielle et al. (2024). Global patterns of leukemia by subtype, age, and sex in 185 countries in 2022. (external link)
• Ridderseth, Hilde; Daltveit, Dagrun Slettebø; Hollund, Bjørg Eli et al. (2023). Benzene Exposure From Selected Work Tasks on Offshore Petroleum Installations on the Norwegian Continental Shelf, 2002-2018. (external link)
• Ridderseth, Hilde; Daltveit, Dagrun Slettebø; Hollund, Bjørg Eli et al. (2023). Validation of a full-shift benzene exposure empirical model developed for work on offshore petroleum installations on the Norwegian continental shelf. (external link)
• Daltveit, Dagrun Slettebø; Klungsøyr, Kari; Engeland, Anders et al. (2023). Cancer risk in the siblings of individuals with major birth defects: a large Nordic population-based case-control study. (external link)
• Kitahara, Cari M.; Daltveit, Dagrun Slettebø; Ekbom, Anders et al. (2022). Maternal Health, Pregnancy and Offspring Factors, and Maternal Thyroid Cancer Risk: A Nordic Population-Based Registry Study. (external link)
• Ridderseth, Hilde; Daltveit, Dagrun Slettebø; Hollund, Bjørg Eli et al. (2022). Occupational Benzene Exposure in the Norwegian Offshore Petroleum Industry, 2002-2018. (external link)
• Daltveit, Dagrun Slettebø; Klungsøyr, Kari; Engeland, Anders et al. (2022). Sex differences in childhood cancer risk among children with major birth defects: a Nordic population-based nested case-control study. (external link)
• Daltveit, Dagrun Slettebø; Klungsøyr, Kari; Engeland, Anders et al. (2020). Cancer risk in individuals with major birth defects: large Nordic population based case-control study among children, adolescents, and adults. (external link)
• Kitahara, Cari M; Slettebø, Dagrun Daltveit; Ekbom, Anders et al. (2020). Maternal health, in-utero, and perinatal exposures and risk of thyroid cancer in offspring: a Nordic population-based nested case-control study. (external link)
• Dam, Paulien H van; Caljouw, Monique A. A.; Slettebø, Dagrun Daltveit et al. (2019). Quality of Life and Pain Medication Use in Persons With Advanced Dementia Living in Long-Term Care Facilities. (external link)
• Husebø, Bettina; Ballard, Clive; Aarsland, Dag et al. (2019). The effect of a multicomponent intervention on quality of Life in residents of nursing homes: A randomized controlled trial (COSMOS). (external link)
• Erdal, Ane; Flo, Elisabeth; Aarsland, Dag et al. (2018). Tolerability of buprenorphine transdermal system in nursing home patients with advanced dementia: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial (DEP.PAIN.DEM). (external link)
• Erdal, Ane; Flo, Elisabeth; Aarsland, Dag et al. (2018). Efficacy and Safety of Analgesic Treatment for Depression in People with Advanced Dementia: Randomised, Multicentre, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial (DEP.PAIN.DEM). (external link)
• Erdal, Ane; Flo, Elisabeth; Selbæk, Geir et al. (2017). Associations between pain and depression in nursing home patients at different stages of dementia. (external link)

Academic lecture

• Daltveit, Dagrun Slettebø; Bjørk, Marte-Helene; Contreras, Daniela et al. (2025). Efficacy of weight reducing agents against migraine in overweight or obese adults: an emulated target trial approach using nationwide registry data. (external link)
• Daltveit, Dagrun Slettebø; Klungsøyr, Kari; Engeland, Anders et al. (2022). Cancer risk in individuals with siblings with major birth defects: A large Nordic population-based case-control study. (external link)
• Daltveit, Dagrun Slettebø; Klungsøyr, Kari; Engeland, Anders et al. (2021). Childhood cancer risk among individuals with major birth defects: A Nordic collaborative study. (external link)
• Daltveit, Dagrun Slettebø; Klungsøyr, Kari; Engeland, Anders et al. (2020). Cancer risk in individuals with major birth defects: A large Nordic population-based case-control study among children, adolescents, and adults. (external link)

Doctoral dissertation

• Daltveit, Dagrun Slettebø; Bjørge, Tone; Klungsøyr, Kari (2024). Birth defects and cancer risk : Nordic population-based studies of cancer risk in children, adolescents, and adults with major birth defects and their siblings. (external link)

Poster

• Daltveit, Dagrun Slettebø; Morgan, Eileen; Colombet, Murielle et al. (2023). Global patterns of leukemia in 2022: Incidence by subtype. (external link)
• Daltveit, Dagrun Slettebø; Bjørge, Tone; Klungsøyr, Kari et al. (2022). Childhood cancer risk among children with major birth defects – sex differences?. (external link)

Popular scientific article

• Daltveit, Dagrun Slettebø; Engeland, Anders; Klungsøyr, Kari et al. (2020). Medfødte misdannelser gir økt risiko for kreft. (external link)

Interview

• Daltveit, Dagrun Slettebø (2020). Birth Defects Tied to Higher Cancer Risk. (external link)

See a complete overview of publications in Cristin.

Selected publications

[1] Daltveit, D. S., Morgan, E., Bardot, A., Steliarova-Foucher, E., Damie, A., Hagenimana, M., Khoubila, N., Moreno, F., & Soerjomataram, I. (2025). Childhood cancer survival in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, during 2008-2017 (SURVCAN-3): a population-based benchmarking study of 16 821 children. Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

[2] Daltveit, D. S., Morgan E, Colombet M, Steliarova-Foucher E, Bendahhou K, Marcos-Gragera R, Rongshou Z, Smith A, Wei H, Soerjomataram I. (2024). Global patterns of leukemia by subtype, age, and sex in 185 countries in 2022. Leukemia.

[3] Daltveit, D. S., Klungsoyr, K., Engeland, A., Ekbom, A., Gissler, M., Glimelius, I., Grotmol, T., Madanat-Harjuoja, L., Ording, A. G., Saether, S. M. M., Sorensen, H. T., Troisi, R., & Bjorge, T. (2020). Cancer risk in individuals with major birth defects: large Nordic population based case-control study among children, adolescents, and adults. BMJ, 371, m4060.

[4] Daltveit, D. S., Klungsoyr, K., Engeland, A., Ekbom, A., Gissler, M., Glimelius, I., Grotmol, T., Madanat-Harjuoja, L., Ording, A. G., Sorensen, H. T., Troisi, R., & Bjorge, T. (2023). Sex differences in childhood cancer risk among children with major birth defects: a Nordic population-based nested case-control study. Int J Epidemiol, 52(2), 450-465.

[5] Daltveit, D. S., Klungsoyr, K., Engeland, A., Ekbom, A., Gissler, M., Glimelius, I., Grotmol, T., Madanat-Harjuoja, L., Ording, A. G., Sorensen, H. T., Troisi, R., & Bjorge, T. (2023). Cancer risk in the siblings of individuals with major birth defects: a large Nordic population-based case-control study. Int J Epidemiol.

[6] Kitahara, C. M., Slettebø Daltveit, D., Ekbom, A., Engeland, A., Gissler, M., Glimelius, I., Grotmol, T., Trolle Lagerros, Y., Madanat-Harjuoja, L., Männistö, T., Sørensen, H. T., Troisi, R., & Bjørge, T. (2021). Maternal health, in-utero, and perinatal exposures and risk of thyroid cancer in offspring: a Nordic population-based nested case-control study. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol, 9(2), 94-105.

[7] Kitahara, C. M., Slettebø Daltveit, D., Ekbom, A., Engeland, A., Gissler, M., Glimelius, I., Grotmol, T., Trolle Lagerros, Y., Madanat-Harjuoja, L., Männistö, T., Sørensen, H. T., Troisi, R., & Bjørge, T. (2023). Maternal Health, Pregnancy and Offspring Factors, and Maternal Thyroid Cancer Risk: A Nordic Population-Based Registry Study. Am J Epidemiol, 192(1), 70-83.

[8] Ridderseth, Hilde; Daltveit, Dagrun Slettebø; Hollund, Bjørg Eli; Kirkeleit, Jorunn; Kromhout, H; Kruger, K; Austgulen, LT; Bråtveit, Magne. (2022). Occupational Benzene Exposure in the Norwegian Offshore Petroleum Industry, 2002-2018. Annals of Work Exposures and Health. 895-906.

[9] Ridderseth, Hilde; Daltveit , Dagrun Slettebø; Hollund, Bjørg Eli; Kirkeleit, Jorunn; Kromhout, Hans; Krüger, Kirsti; Aasbø, Kari; Bråtveit, Magne. (2023). Benzene Exposure From Selected Work Tasks on Offshore Petroleum Installations on the Norwegian Continental Shelf, 2002-2018. Annals of Work Exposures and Health. 228-240.

[10] Husebø, Bettina; Ballard, Clive; Aarsland, Dag; Selbæk, Geir; Slettebø, Dagrun Daltveit; Gulla, Christine; Aasmul, Irene; Habiger, Torstein Frugård; Elvegaard, Tony Matias; Testad, Ingelin; Flo, Elisabeth. (2019). The effect of a multicomponent intervention on quality of Life in residents of nursing homes: A randomized controlled trial (COSMOS). Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. 330-339.

Ongoing projects

Understanding Headache Through Registry Data - A NorHEAD MiHEAD project (2024-)

The aim of the project is to improve the understanding and treatment of primary headache disorders by using multiple linked Norwegian registries and health surveys.

Role: Statistician. 

The role of pregnancy and perinatal factors in maternal and offspring cancer risk: The impact of women’s complete reproductive histories (CORECA) (2025-)

The CORECA projects aims to identify patterns and risk factors for maternal and offspring cancer in relation to full maternal reproductive histories, in addition to in utero exposures for the offspring.

Role: Supervisor.

KidImmune, a study of autoimmunity in pediatric cancer patients (2025-)

The KidImmune project at Bergen University’s Department for clinical science has identified a number of autoantibodies, antibodies directed to the body’s own proteins, that are significantly more frequent in serum from children with cancer of various kinds.

Role: Supervisor.

Exposure Assessment and Prevention of Death, Disease, and Injuries among Offshore Petroleum Workers (2024-)

The aim of the work package in the project is to update job-exposure matrices for benzene and oil mist/vapour.

Role: Statistician. 

Cancer risk in families with children with birth defects (2017-) 

In this project, we take advantage of large population-based registries in four Nordic countries to explore the relationship between birth defects and cancer risk in more detail, and more extensively, than previously done. Whether birth defect(s) is associated with cancer risk in the affected individual and their families is important for the understanding of the etiology of specific cancers and could possibly allow for identification of individuals at elevated risk who would benefit from more regular follow-up or subsequent clinical intervention (Paper I, Paper II, and Paper III).

Role: Statistician 2017-2021, PhD student 2021-2024.

Past projects

Childhood cancer survival in countries in transition (2023-2025)

In this project, we aim to produce survival estimates for childhood cancer in countries in transition. The work is carried out at the Cancer Surveillance Unit at the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), World Health Organization (WHO), Lyon.

Role: Principal Investigator, UiB.

Global incidences  of leukemia (2023-2024)

In this project, we aim to estimate the global, regional, and national burden of leukemia by subtype and age. The work is carried out at the Cancer Surveillance Unit at the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), World Health Organization (WHO), Lyon.

Role: Principal Investigator, UiB. (Paper I)

Development of job-exposure-models for risk assessment of benzene exposure (2017-2023)

The primary objective is to develop task- and job-exposure models to estimate benzene exposure by inhalation among the five job categories assumed to have the highest exposure at oil and gas processing installations (Paper I, Paper II, and Paper III).

Role: Statistician. 

Perinatal characteristics and thyroid cancer risk in mothers and offspring: a Nordic registry linkage study (2018-2022)

A Nordic birth and cancer registry linkage study to prospectively evaluate the associations of pregnancy complications and other perinatal characteristics with subsequent risk of thyroid cancer in women (subproject 1) and their offspring (subproject 2).  We hypothesize that benign thyroid disorders during pregnancy, particularly hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) and perinatal characteristics related to or a consequence of underactive thyroid (e.g., preterm birth, gestational hypertension/preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, placental abruption) and/or altered sex steroid hormones during pregnancy (e.g., extreme birth weight, preterm birth, twin pregnancy, low birth order, hyperemesis, gestational hypertension/preeclampsia, pre-pregnancy and pregnancy weight and weight gain) are associated with increased risk of thyroid cancer in both mothers and their offspring (Paper I, and Paper II). 

Role: Statistician. 

The COSMOS intervention for improving the quality of life in nursing home patients study  (2016-2019)

The COSMOS project (COmmunication, Systematic pain assessment and treatment, Medication review, Organization of activities, and Safety) is a multicenter, cluster-randomized controlled trial aimed at improving the quality of life in nursing home patients. 545 patients from 67 nursing home units from the eastern and western parts of Norway were included in the study (Paper I, and Paper II).

Role: Statistician. 

The DEP.PAIN.DEM study - pain treatment and depression in nursing home patients (2016-2018)

The DEP.PAIN.DEM project is a multicentre, randomised, placebo-controlled trial which aims to determine whether pain treatment reduces symptoms of depression in nursing home patients with dementia and depression. 165 patients from 47 nursing homes in different regions of Norway were included in the study (Paper I, Paper II, and Paper III).

Role: Statistician.