CCBIO – Centre for Cancer Biomarkers
The Centre is working on new cancer biomarkers and targeted therapy and has a particular focus on mechanisms that show how cancer cells are affected by the microenvironment in the tumors, and what significance this has for cancer proliferation and poor prognosis. Centre Director is Lars A. Akslen, with Co-Directors Line Bjørge and Carina Strell.
About the research centre
CCBIO was established in 2013 by the Research Council of Norway in collaboration with the University of Bergen (UiB). CCBIO was part of the Research Council of Norway's Centres of Excellence (CoE) scheme in 2013–2024. The scheme organizes the activities of Norway’s foremost scientific circles in centres to achieve ambitious scientific objectives through collaboration and long-term basic funding. CCBIO is from 2025 continuing its operation, funded by UiB, upholding the CoE standards.
Other important sources of financial support for our projects are the Research Council of Norway; the Norwegian Cancer Society; Helse Vest; the Trond Mohn Research Foundation; and international funding sources.
The CCBIO Research School for Cancer Studies
The CCBIO Research School for Cancer Studies (RSCS), which was officially opened in September 2014, focuses on translational cancer research and innovation. The research school courses are available for all interested students within the field of cancer research. Its activities are ECTS-providing for UiB-registered students as well as open to other researchers for professional updates. See more information on the Research School courses.
CCBIO Seminars
Check the CCBIO events calendar for upcoming seminars, or see an overview list here, including previous seminars.
CCBIO Annual Symposium
The CCBIO Annual Symposium is the event of the year! See an overview of future and previous dates here.
CCBIO Junior Scientist Symposium
The CCBIO Junior Scientist Symposium is a lecture series that aims to improve scientific interaction and networking among junior researchers. The symposia are held four times a year, and although mainly intended for postdocs, PhD students, and other students, they are open to senior researchers as well. See an overview here over future and previous symposia.
Featured
Events
Research groups
Team I, Mechanisms of Tumor-Microenvironment Interactions
The aim of this program is to examine how tumor cells interact with the surrounding tumor microenvironment with different cell types such as immune cells, fibroblasts, vascular cells, nerve cells and stem cells embedded in the complex extracellular matrix. This team consists of the PIs Gullberg, Kalland, and Mc Cormack.
Read more about each PI and their group:
Team II, Discovery and Validation of Cancer Biomarkers
The aim of this program is to explore and validate different classes of biomarkers in tissues and blood samples from human patient cohorts and clinical trials. The investigators take advantage of the recently established technology of single-cell analytics by mass cytometry (flow and imaging based), using panels of multiple antibodies for high dimensional mapping of cell subpopulations and tissue niches in parallel with functional interrogation. The studies examine associations with clinico-pathologic phenotypes as well as prognostic and predictive signals. This team consists of the PIs Akslen (CCBIO director), Costea, Engelsen, Krakstad, Lorens, Strell, and Wik/Høivik.
Read more about each PI and their groups:
Team III, Clinical Applications and Early Trials
The aim of this program is to perform clinical trials with associated biomarker studies, and to promote novel findings on markers and treatment targets for clinical implementation and change of practice through updated guidelines. This team consists of the PIs Bjørge (CCBIO co-director from November 16, 2022), Gjertsen (CCBIO co-director until November 16, 2022), and Straume.
Read more about each PI and their groups:
Team IV, Ethics, Economics and Priorities
This program aims to perform studies on the ethics, economics, philosophy, and priority challenges in the biomarker field, to contribute to improved education of CCBIO scientists in this dimension of their work, including increased self-reflection, and ultimately to influence the public debate and policy-making in the expanding area of biomarkers and precision treatment.
Responsible for this team: Professor Roger Strand.
Publications
Scientific papers
Annual reports
Get a full overview of the CCBIO activities in our annual reports!
CCBIO in Brief 2024: A brief history of the Centre for Cancer Biomarkers CCBIO 2013-2024, including activities 2023-2024: Exists in book version, ask for a printed book from geir.loken@uib.no
2022: Link to 2022 report as PDF
2021: Link to 2021 report as PDF
2020: Link to 2020 report as PDF
2019: Link to 2019 report as PDF
2018: Link to 2018 report as PDF
2017: Link to 2017 report as PDF
2016: Link to 2016 report as PDF
2015: Link to 2015 report as PDF
2014: Link to 2014 report as PDF
2013: Link to 2013 report as PDF
Newsletters
CCBIO started issuing a newsletter to the extended CCBIO family in September 2014. The newsletter has a focus on news and events at CCBIO and other matters of relevance for CCBIO. In combination with the CCBIO website ccbio.no, the newsletter, supplemented by round-mails, is CCBIO's preferred means of distributing information.
If you wish to receive CCBIO's newsletter each time we issue a new one, and be informed when CCBIO issues invitations to events, please send an e-mail to eli.vidhammer@uib.no and ask to be added to the mailing list.
CCBIO in the Media
See an overview of news stories involving CCBIO members/research groups through the years.
People
Centre manager
Lars A. Akslen Professor, CCBIO Director
Line Bjørge Professor, CCBIO Co-Director
Carina Strell Researcher, CCBIO Co-Director
Administration
Geir Olav Løken Administrative leader
Eli Synnøve Vidhammer Communications officer
Erling A. Høivik CCBIO Research School Leader
K1 administration CCBIO Research School administration: studie.kliniskmedisin@uib.no
Principal investigators / group leaders
Lars A. Akslen Professor, CCBIO Director
Line Bjørge Professor, CCBIO Co-Director
Daniela Elena Costea Principal Investigator, Professor
Agnete S. T. Engelsen Principal Investigator, Researcher
Bjørn Tore Gjertsen Principal Investigator, Professor
Donald Gullberg Principal Investigator, Professor
Erling A. Høivik Principal Investigator, Research School Leader
Karl-Henning Kalland Principal Investigator, Professor
Camilla Krakstad Principal Investigator, Professor
James Lorens Principal Investigator, Professor
Emmet Mc Cormack Principal Investigator, Professor
Oddbjørn Straume Principal Investigator, Professor
Carina Strell Principal Investigator, Researcher, CCBIO Co-Director
Elisabeth Wik Principal Investigator, Professor
Alumni
Dissertations affiliated to the Centre of Cancer Biomarkers through the years. CCBIO dissertations
Contact
Visiting address:
Centre for Cancer Biomarkers CCBIO,
Sentralblokka 2nd floor (hospital main building),
Haukeland University Hospital,
5021 Bergen,
Norway
- Phone number
- +47 55 58 54 36
- Emails
- geir.loken@uib.no