Randi Jacobsen Bertelsen

Position

Professor, PI ERC StG project BRuSH, PI RHINESSA Bergen

Affiliation

Research groups

Short info

My background and interests are broad and include exposure assessment from chemicals to allergens; indoor and occupational environment, biomarkers, microbiome and antimicrobial resistance; how climate affect exposures; allergic and respiratory disease, and linking oral bacteria to lung inflammation.
Research

I am groupleader for the BRuSH research group at the Department of Clinical Science at the University of Bergen. I have a background from evolutionary biology and ecology (MSc) from the University of Bergen and from Environmental Medicine and Epidemiology from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health and University of Oslo (PhD).

In 2010 I was awarded Voksentoppen Research Award within paediatric allergology and pulmonology, and in 2018 I received Kronprins Haakons research award for asthma and allergy.

My main research interests are on environmental exposure, microbiome and asthma and allergy. The Young Research Talent grant (RCN-funded) focused on exposure to antibacterial chemicals, oral microbiome and lung health.

I am PI for the European Research Council (ERC); starting grant project "BRuSH" (2019-2025). In this research project we are exploring how bacteria that produce particularly potent proinflammatory lipid As (the component responsible for inflammation in the host) affects lung health and disease over time. The interest are both on bacteria in the environment and in the human body.

I have a shared researcher position between University of Bergen and Oral Health Centre of Expertise, where I have collaborators with dental background, which is valuable collaborators in the projects exploring oral and respiratory health. I am PI and biobank manager for RHINESSA Bergen centre (www.rhinessa.net).

My professional committments include

  • Appointed member in the National Committee for Medical and Health Research Ethics (NEM) by the Ministry of Education and Research since 2014 
  • Associate editor of International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health since 2017
  • Vice chair for COST Action CA18131 (2019-2023): Statistical and machine learning techniques in human microbiome studies
  • Appointed member of the Scientific advisory board of the Leibniz ScienceCampus Evolutionary Medicine of the Lung (EVOLUNG) http://evolung.fz-borstel.de/ since 2018

A successful track record for research funding includes grants such as 

  • Research Council of Norway (RCN) Personal Postdoctoral Grant
  • U.S.-Norway Fulbright Foundation for Educational Exchange Fellowship
  • The Norwegian Asthma- and Allergy Foundation
  • RCN Young Research Talent grant
  • RCN Research Project from 2017 (BETTERHEALTH)
  • ERC Starting Grant 2018
  • Nordforsk (Antimicrobial reistance genes) 2023
  • CAMRIA network: Surveillance and tracking of AMR 2022
Outreach

Healthy lungs start from your toothbrush European Reaserch Council - World Microbiome Day

Phthalates and Childhood Asthma Environmental health perspectives - podcast

Housedust mite and allergies [in Norwegian]

Chemicals in toothpaste and cosmetics and risk on allergi [In Norwegian] 

Cat allergens and asthma risk [In Norwegian]

 

Publications
Academic article
Editorial
Academic lecture
Abstract
Academic literature review
Letter to the editor
Short communication
Popular scientific article
Doctoral dissertation

See a complete overview of publications in Cristin.

Publication statistics

  • 85 publications in international peer-reviewed journals; h-index: 25, Citations: 1897 (Web of science, Jan 2025)
  • 11 publications in Norwegian journals for health personnel 
  • Book chapter: Jensen ET, Bertelsen RJ, Ringel Kulka T.The Microbiota of the Gastrointestinal Tract in Infancy”, book chapter in “The Microbiota in Gastrointestinal Pathophysiology: Implications for Human Health, Prebiotics, Probiotics and Dysbiosis” 1st Edition November 2016. Elsevier. ISBN: 9780128040249.
  • 15 popular science interviews (newspapers, TV, radio)

Many of Randi J Bertelsen's publications are Open Access, and her updated publication record can be found at: 

ResearcherID

Orcid

Scopus

Google Scholar Citations

ResearchGate

 

10 Representative Publications

  1. Amin H, Šantl-Temkiv T, Cramer C, Finster K, Real FG, Gislason T, Holm M, Janson C, Jögi NO, Jogi R, Malinovschi A, Marshall IPG, Modig L, Norbäck D, Shigdel R, Sigsgaard T, Svanes C, Thorarinsdottir H, Wouters IM, Schlünssen V, Bertelsen RJ. Indoor Airborne Microbiome and Endotoxin: Meteorological Events and Occupant Characteristics Are Important Determinants. Environ Sci Technol. 2023 15;57(32):11750-11766. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.3c01616. 
  2. Shigdel R, Johannessen A, Lin H, Peddada S, Gómez Real F, Ringel-Kulka T, Svanes C, Bertelsen RJ. Oral bacterial composition associated with lung function and lung inflammation in a community-based Norwegian population. Respir Res. 2023 12;24(1):183. doi: 10.1186/s12931-023-02491-6.
  3. Jõgi NO, Svanes C, Siiak SP, Logan E, Holloway JW, Igland J, Johannessen A, Levin M, Real FG, Schlunssen V, Horsnell WGC, Bertelsen RJ (2018) Zoonotic helminth exposure and risk of allergic diseases: A study of two generations in Norway. Clin Exp Allergy; 48(1):66-77. 
  4. Vindenes HK, Lin H, Shigdel R, Ringel-Kulka T, Real FG, Peddada SD, Svanes C, Bertelsen RJ. Exposure to antibacterial chemicals is associated with altered composition of oral microbiome. Frontiers of Microbiology. 2022. 28;13:790496. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.790496. eCollection 2022.
  5. Pérez Barrionuevo AM, Gómez Real F, Igland J, Johannessen A, Omenaas E, Franklin KA, Pérez Barrionuevo L, Åstrøm AN, Svanes C, Bertelsen RJ (2018) Periodontal health status and lung function in two Norwegian cohorts. PLoS One; 13(1):e0191410 
  6. Bertelsen RJ, Rava M, Casin AE, Accordini S, Benediktsdottir B, Dratva J, Franklin KA, Heinrich J, Holm M, Janson C, Johannessen A, Jarvis DL, Jogi R, Leyneart B, Norback D, Omenaas ER, Raherison C, Sánchez-Ramos JL, Schlunssen V, Sigsgaard T, Dharmage SC, Svanes C (2017) Parental asthmatic and allergic activity before conception predicts asthma and allergy in the offspring. Clin Exp Allergy; 47(5): 627-638. 
  7. Bertelsen RJ, Jensen ET, Ringel-Kulka T (2016). Use of probiotics and prebiotics in infant feeding. Best Pract Res Clin Gastroenterol; 30(1):39-48. 
  8. Bertelsen RJ, Brantsæter AL, Magnus M, Haugen M, Myhre R, Jacobsson B, Longnecker MP, Meltzer HM, London SJ (2014) Probiotic milk consumption in pregnancy and infancy and subsequent childhood allergic disease. J Allergy Clin Immunol 133(1):165-171.. 
  9. Bertelsen RJ, Lødrup-Carlsen KC, Calafat AM, Hoppin JA, Haland G, Mowinckel P, Carlsen KH, Løvik M (2013). Urinary Biomarkers for Phthalates Associated with Asthma in Norwegian Children. Environ Health Perspect 121(2):251-256. Featured as a Science Selection in the February Issue of EHP: http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/2013/02/121-a59/ 
  10. Bertelsen RJ, Longnecker MP, Løvik M, Calafat AM, Carlsen K‐H, London SJ, Lødrup Carlsen KC. Triclosan exposure and allergic sensitization in Norwegian children (2013) Allergy; 68 (1): 84-91. 
Projects

2023 Research project "Pesticides and exposures from traditional textile industry associated with own and offspring health in indigenous Guatemalan communities" – WP Leader for WP4: Exposure assessment – Research Council of Norway

2023 Reseach project "Tracking of Antimicrobial Resistant Genes in Environmental reservoirs in the Nordic countries"- Principal investigator (PI) – NordForsk

2022 Research project "Surveillance and Metagenomic tracking of Antimicrobial Resistance Genes IN environmental and clinical samples using machine learning approaches" - PI – Trond Mohn Foundation (CAMRIA-network) 

2021 Researcher project "Oral health in adults: predictors, social gradients and correlation with cardiovascular health in women and men" - WP PI - Research Council of Norway; project owner: Oral Health Centre of Expertice/TKVestland

2019 ERC Starting Grant: “Oral bacteria as determinants for respiratory health” - PI - European Research Council (ERC); Project owner: University of Bergen

2018 Researcher project: “Oral and Environmental Microbiome, Endotoxin and Lung Health; the ‘United Airways’ concept extended” - PI - Research Council of Norway; Project owner: University of Bergen

2017 Reseracher project: “Housedust mite prevalence in Western Norway” - PI - The Norwegian Asthma and Allergy Foundation; Project owner: Haukeland University Hospital