I hold a PhD in neuroscience and have a strong interest in sleep and cognitive impairment in people living with dementia. I am currently working as a postdoctoral researcher at the Centre for Elderly and Nursing Home Medicine (SEFAS) at the Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care. Here, I am involved in cutting‑edge dementia research, including an ERC Consolidator Grant project that investigates death and dying in people with dementia using digital phenotyping. I am also a Momentum delegate (2025-2026). 

I began my career in neuroscience as a master’s student at the Nobel Prize–winning Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience at NTNU, where I specialized in neuroanatomy. Since then, I have held positions as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Edinburgh and as a senior adviser at the Norwegian Directorate of Health, and I have also conducted research at the University of California San Diego.

Throughout my career, I have developed a broad and unique background in neuroscience, including work with innovative sensor technology, intracranial surgery and intra-cellular recordings in rodents, molecular biology, neuroanatomy, and clinical experience from nursing homes. My research spans learning and memory, behavior, sleep, network development, and cognitive decline in aging and dementia. My overarching goal is to bridge basic and clinical neuroscience to improve our understanding of cognitive impairment in older adults.

I am particularly interested in how sleep oscillations and social environments may relate to dementia. 

INVITED SPEAKER

2025: Invited Talk, Farsund municipality and care homes», Farsund, Norway, “Novel findings from 5-D study about sleep, pain and agitation”

2025: Invited Talk, Fagdag «Digitalt tilsyn og søvnmonitorering», Jølster, Norway, “Viktigheten av søvn og funn fra 5-D studien”

2025: Invited Talk, Neuro-SysMed Junior Scientist Symposium, Bergen, Norway, “5-D: Decoding Death and Dying in people with Dementia using Digital phenotyping”

2025: Invited Talk, Neuro-SysMed Seminar, Bergen, Norway, “Tech Care”

2021: Invited Talk, Department of Biological and Medical Psychology, “Development of projections in (para)hippocampus”       

2017: Invited Talk, Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience/NTNU, “The role of Growth Hormone in the Hippocampus”

See a complete overview of publications in Cristin.

• (2025) K. Haugland, M. Patrascu, B. Husebo, A. T. Hatle, T. Lukkari, B. Marty. V. Casadei, "A Clinician Perspective on Sensor Data in People with Dementia at the End of Life: Preliminary Results from the 5-D Study", IEEE International Symposium on Computer Based Medical Systems (CBMS 2025), Madrid, Spain.
   
• (2025) K. Haugland, V. Casadei, B. S. Husebo, L. I. Berge, M. Patrascu, "Multi-harmonic Visualization for Actigraphy-measured Circadian Rhythm with Evolutionary Learning in People with Dementia", IEEE International Symposium on Computer Based Medical Systems (CBMS 2025), Madrid, Spain.
   
• (2025) V.Casadei, M. Patrascu, L.I. Berge, S.V. Skagen, K. Nadreskar, K. Haugland, "Circadian Stability via Accelerometer in People with Dementia: a DARK.DEM proof-of-concept", IEEE International Symposium on Computer Based Medical Systems (CBMS 2025), Madrid, Spain.
   
• Haugland KG, Jordbræk SV, Knutsen E, Kjelstrup KB, Brun VH. Growth Hormone Alters Remapping in the Hippocampal Area CA1 in a Novel Environment. eNeuro. 2025 Feb 11;12(2):ENEURO.0237-24.2024. 
   
• Haugland KG, Olberg A, Lande A, Kjelstrup KB, Brun VH. Hippocampal growth hormone modulates relational memory and the dendritic spine density in CA1. Learn Mem. 2020 Jan 16;27(2):33-44.
   
• Haugland KG, Sugar J, Witter MP. Development and topographical organization of projections from the hippocampus and parahippocampus to the retrosplenial cortex. Eur J Neurosci. 2019 Jul;50(1):1799-1819. 

CONFERENCE CONTRIBUTIONS

2025 Haugland KG, Hatle AT, Lukkari T, Patrascu M, Marty B, Husebo SB. Poster: Changes in sleep towards end of life in people with dementia. Neuro-SysMed annual symposium 2025, Os, Norway.

2025 Haugland-Pruitt J, Førsund E, Miljeteig I, Haugland KG, Husebo B. Poster: Ethics at the end. Neuro-SysMed annual symposium  2025, Os, Norway.

2025 Hatle AT, Husebo BS, Lukkari T, Marty B,  Casadei V, Patrascu M, Haugland KG. Poster: Detecting Individual Agitation Patterns in People with Dementia using Sensor Technology: three case studies. Neuro-SysMed annual symposium 2025, Os, Norway.

2025 Lukkari T, Haugland KG, Haque F, Isene O, Marty B, Patrascu M, Husebo BS. Poster: Questionnaires filled in by proxy-raters – Challenges of interpretation. Neuro-SysMed annual symposium 2025, Os, Norway.

2025 Isene O, Husebo BS, Lukkari T, Hatle AT, Marty B, Patrascu M, Haugland KG. Poster: Digital pain assessment in nursing home residents with dementia. Neuro-SysMed annual symposium 2025, Os, Norway.

2025 Berge LI, Nouchi R, Vahia IV, Patrascu M, Husebo BS, Casadei V, Haugland KG, Hatle AT, Marty B, Haque F, Lukkari T. Symposium: “Transforming Care in the Digital Era”, Kanazawa, Japan.

2025 KG. Haugland, M. Patrascu, B. Husebo, A. T. Hatle, T. Lukkari, B. Marty. V. Casadei, poster: "A Clinician Perspective on Sensor Data in People with Dementia at the End of Life: Preliminary Results from the 5-D Study", IEEE International Symposium on Computer Based Medical Systems (CBMS 2025), Madrid, Spain.

2025 KG. Haugland, V. Casadei, B. S. Husebo, L. I. Berge, M. Patrascu, Talk: "Multi-harmonic Visualization for Actigraphy-measured Circadian Rhythm with Evolutionary Learning in People with Dementia", IEEE International Symposium on Computer Based Medical Systems (CBMS 2025), Madrid, Spain.

2025 V.Casadei, M. Patrascu, L.I. Berge, S.V. Skagen, K. Nadreskar, KG. Haugland, Poster: "Circadian Stability via Accelerometer in People with Dementia: a DARK.DEM proof-of-concept", IEEE International Symposium on Computer Based Medical Systems (CBMS 2025), Madrid, Spain.

2022 Haugland KG, Jordbrak SV, Kjelstrup KB, Brun VH. Poster: “Growth hormone increases remapping events in hippocampal CA1 place cells”, Society for Neuroscience, San Diego, US. 

2019 Haugland KG, Jordbrak SV, Kjelstrup KB, Brun VH. Poster: “Hippocampal growth hormone supports relational memory by increasing dendritic spine density”, Society for Neuroscience, San Diego, US.

2019 Haugland KG, Olberg A, Lande A, Kjelstrup KB, Brun VH. Oral presentation: “Hippocampal growth hormone supports relational memory by increasing dendritic spine density”, Norwegian Research School in Neuroscience, Bekkjarvik, Norway.

2017 Haugland KG, Olberg A, Lande A, Kjelstrup KB, Brun VH. Oral presentation: Poster presentation: “Growth hormone in hippocampal CA1 enhance relational memory”, Federation of European Neuroscience Societies, Berlin, Germany.

2017 Haugland KG, Kjelstrup KB, Brun VH. Oral presentation: Poster: “Hippocampal growth hormone modulates spatial memory”, Norwegian Research School in Neuroscience, Sommarøy, Norway.

2016 Haugland KG, Kjelstrup KB, Brun VH. Poster: “Intrahippocampal growth hormone modulates spatial memory”, Society for Neuroscience, San Diego, USA.

2016 Haugland KG, Kjelstrup KB, Brun VH. Poster: “Intrahippocampal growth hormone modulates spatial memory”, Norwegian Research School in Neuroscience, Hurdalsjøen, Norway.

2015 Haugland KG, Moldes A, Kjelstrup KB, Brun VH. Poster: “The role of intrahippocampal growth hormone in spatial memory”, Nordic Neuroscience Meeting, Trondheim, Norway.

2015 Haugland KG, Moldes A, Kjelstrup KB, Brun VH. Poster: “Intrahippocampal growth hormone modulates spatial memory”, Norwegian Research School in Neuroscience, Sotra, Norway.

2014 Haugland KG, Sugar J, Witter M: “Retrosplenial-(para)hippocampal Interconnections in the rat represent and adult-like before eye-opening”, Federation of European Neuroscience Societies, Milan, Italy.

2024-2028:        Decoding Death and Dying in people with Dementia by Digital thanotyping (5-D), European Research Council Consolidator Grants

2021-2022:        Fragile x syndrome, University of Edinburgh

2017-2018:        Effect of NMDA knock out on grid cells, Moser group Kavli Institute/NTNU

2015-2021:        Role of GH on hippocampal-dependent behavior, Helse Nord, The Arctic University of Norway – UiT

2014-2015:        Hypothermia, UiT

2012-2014:        Development of hippocampal-parahippocampal connectivity, Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience/NTNU

2011:                  Borreliosis and vaccination project, Førde Sentralsjukehus