Researchers affiliated with Driv and their research
Researchers affiliated with Driv study a variety of topics within clinical research. Here, you can get to know the different areas and find information about research projects, research groups, and other initiatives related to the field.
Reestablishing normal gut-brain interaction in anorexia nervosa with normal gut microbiota
Contact Person: Stein Frostad
Research focus
The aim of the research of Stein Frostad and collaborators in Norway, Denmark, Sweden, US and Italy is to improve treatment for anorexia nervosa (AN). More than 90% of the patients with AN are females and the debut of the disease is usually around 13 years of age. Mainstay of treatment is outpatient psychotherapy, but only half of the patients have good effects of the treatment and around half of the patients drop out from psychotherapy and experience deterioration of the eating disorder shortly after discontinuation of treatment. In addition, some of the patients who have completed psychotherapy experience relapse the first year after end of treatment. Main areas of research are assessing the effects of treatment of AN, studies on the interaction between the gut and the brain in AN and improving psychotherapy for AN with artificial intelligence.
Subprojects
In collaboration with world leading experts on AN studies on effects of outpatient psychotherapy on moderate, severe and extreme AN have been performed. These studies indicate that patients with all degrees of severity of AN can be treated as outpatient if they are medically stable. In collaboration with the national registry of eating disorders a research study on how to use a national registry to assess effectivity of treatment is performed.
In collaboration with researchers in Copenhagen in Denmark, North Carolina, Sweden and several district psychiatric centers in Western Norway and Mid-Norway a study prototocol for combining psychotherapy and supplementation with normal gut bacteria (fecal microbiota transplantation) has developed. This study has received funding from Stiftelsen Dam and inclusion of patients will start October 2025.
In collaboration with experts on artificial intelligence-based analysis of text-transcripts and world leading experts on psychotherapy development a protocol for improvement of psychotherapy for anorexia nervosa with artificial intelligence has been developed and funding application are in preparation.
Pregnancy, Fetal Development, and Birth
Contact Person: Cathrine Ebbing
Fertility, pregnancy, and childbirth are unique and highly central fields of women's health. In our time, declining fertility has been highlighted as a societal issue. Pregnancy and childbirth represent significant stressors and serve as an important "stress test" for women's health.
Globally, complications during pregnancy, birth injuries, and infections are conditions that impose long-term health challenges on women.
The research group for pregnancy, fetal development, and childbirth at the Department of Clinical Medicine 2 and Haukeland University Hospital aims to uncover new knowledge about women’s health from a life-course perspective. They achieve this through studies of fertility, pregnancy, fetal life, and childbirth—conditions that particularly concern women’s lives.
The research sheds light on how circumstances before and during conception, pregnancy, and the period related to birth can have consequences for women’s health and the next generation. Some of the issues addressed include lifestyle and conditions related to conception, high-risk pregnancies (including preterm births), birth injuries, and infections, as well as how women’s health in a life-course perspective is interconnected with these factors.
The research group seeks to identify targeted and personalized interventions and recommendations that can strengthen society's and women’s self-care, aiming for better lives for women.
The research group is led by Professor Cathrine Ebbing. The group is based in the Women’s Clinic at Haukeland University Hospital. Most members of the research group are physicians specializing in obstetrics and gynecology, with midwives also part of the team.
Cardiac disease in women
Contact person: Eva Gerdts
Cardiovascular diseases are one of the leading causes of premature death or reduced quality of life for women worldwide. In 2022, 23% of deaths among Norwegian women were caused by cardiovascular disease. In Norway, the most common heart conditions are atrial fibrillation and heart failure, with heart attacks being the third most common. More women than men died from heart disease caused by high blood pressure or heart failure, while fewer women died from heart attacks.
Many believe that cardiovascular diseases primarily affect men. In reality, just as many women as men live with atrial fibrillation in Norway, and more women than men live with heart failure. Current treatments are primarily developed based on research conducted on men and often work less effectively for women. Therefore, heart disease is a significant cause of reduced women’s health today, both because these are very common conditions and because we have insufficiently studied women with heart disease.
We know that risk factors for cardiovascular disease differ between women and men. While high blood pressure, obesity, smoking, diabetes, and high cholesterol increase the risk of cardiovascular disease in both sexes, high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, and smoking have a particularly strong impact on women’s risk. Additionally, it is well-documented that pregnancy complications and several factors related to fertility predispose women to cardiovascular disease at a young age.
Research Highlights:
- High Blood Pressure and Women’s Cardiovascular Health: Our research investigates why high blood pressure is more damaging to women’s hearts and arteries. Collaborating with international research partners, we have studied the hearts of women and men with high blood pressure in clinical and population studies using ultrasound examinations.
- Eva Gerdts' research shows that women are more likely than men to develop changes in the heart due to high blood pressure, particularly leading to thickened heart muscle in the left ventricle and an enlarged left atrium. Furthermore, we have found that treatment for high blood pressure is less effective in reversing these heart changes in women than in men.
- Blood Pressure and Heart Attack Risk: Ester Kringeland's research has demonstrated that the harmful effects of high blood pressure begin at a lower threshold in women than in men, and high blood pressure is a stronger risk factor for heart attacks in women. This underscores why high blood pressure is more damaging to women’s hearts and a major cause of cardiovascular disease and death in women.
- Inflammatory Diseases and Obesity: Helga Midtbø’s research shows that having inflammatory diseases or obesity increases the risk of heart disease even further.
- Long-term Effects of Obesity: Dana Cramariuc’s research recently revealed that women more often experience persistent reduced heart function after bariatric surgery compared to men.
We are now working to identify new underlying mechanisms that explain why women are more susceptible to cardiovascular damage from high blood pressure. In collaboration with our international network, we are analyzing various molecular markers in biobank samples from large patient cohorts and population studies to better understand the reasons behind the differing effects of blood pressure and obesity on women’s cardiovascular systems compared to men’s.
This includes metabolomics, proteomics, and genomic analyses. For example, Hilde Halland recently discovered that protein patterns in blood change differently with obesity in women compared to men.
Our goal is to integrate information about biomarkers, imaging markers, and clinical factors into a system that better identifies women with high blood pressure who are at particular risk of developing cardiovascular disease. These markers will reflect mechanisms that can be targeted for the development of new treatments. Additionally, we are studying how blood pressure trends throughout life affect the risk of cardiovascular disease in old age. Our research may help determine whether the same threshold for diagnosing high blood pressure should be applied to women and men.
Oral Health from Women's Perspective
Contact person: Sivakami Rethnam Haug
Oral Health-Related Quality of Life and Gender Differences
Oral health-related quality of life refers to how an individual’s oral health impacts their overall quality of life, encompassing physical, psychological, and social aspects. It is not just about the absence of disease but also about well-being and functional capacity related to the oral cavity. Despite an excellent dental care program in Norway, supported by general dentists, specialists, and state-of-the-art equipment, a higher proportion of women than men report low oral health-related quality of life.
Women’s Unique Oral Health Needs
Women have specific needs and considerations when it comes to oral health. Hormonal fluctuations have a surprisingly significant impact on the oral cavity. Puberty, menstruation, pregnancy, menopause, and the use of contraceptive medications all influence women’s oral health.
Pain, particularly tooth pain, among women is an area that has not been adequately addressed or thoroughly researched in Norway. Pain is a subjective experience, but when it comes to toothache, women report higher levels of pain than men. A larger proportion of women experience discomfort, issues, or problems related to teeth and the oral cavity compared to men. Dental problems, pain, dentures, and other oral conditions are more commonly associated with women, who also report more emotional distress, insecurity, and stress due to these conditions.
Research Gaps in Gender and Oral Health
Research on gender differences and women’s oral health has traditionally been underprioritized. Women are more affected by conditions such as:
- Temporomandibular disorders (TMD)
- Osteoporosis
- Burning mouth syndrome
- Salivary dysfunction
- Sjögren’s syndrome and other autoimmune diseases that can impact the oral cavity
At the Department of Clinical Dentistry, we are dedicated to studying these gender differences, particularly through clinical and patient-centered research as well as dental education research. The goal is to develop more gender-specific treatment options to better meet the unique needs of women in oral healthcare.
Women and Migraine
Contact person: Marte-Helene Bjørk
Migraine is a debilitating condition for many women, yet there is limited understanding of why the disease affects some so severely or how it can be effectively prevented.
Eighteen percent of women and six percent of men experience migraines. Young girls are five times more likely than boys to develop the most severe form of the condition: chronic migraine. Society spends over a billion Norwegian kroner annually on migraine-related costs, with more than 80 percent of this due to work-related issues caused by migraines in women. Despite this significant burden, little research focuses on identifying the underlying causes or effective treatments specifically for women.
Professor Marte-Helene Bjørk, a neurologist, leads the Female Task Force at the Norwegian Center for Headache Research (NorHead), a Center for Clinical Treatment Research (FKB) funded by the Norwegian Research Council.
The researchers have collected extensive data on genetics, environmental exposures, diagnoses, medication use, academic performance, and employment statistics. The goal is to understand the factors in women’s childhood, adolescence, and adulthood that are associated with the development of severe migraines and identify the most effective treatments. Machine learning algorithms are being used to analyze these data.
Bjørk and her team are also conducting clinical trials on medications and medical treatment technologies, with a specific focus on discovering effective treatments tailored to women.
For more information, visit: NorHead (external link).
Lipedemia
Contact person: Hildur Skulardottir
Lipedema is a chronic disease that almost exclusively affects women and is characterized by painful subcutaneous fat tissue in the areas around the hips, thighs, calves, and, in some cases, arms. The condition typically develops in connection with puberty, pregnancy, or menopause. Patients exhibit a symmetrical fat distribution, with a slim upper body and disproportionately large thighs and calves. The patient group reports a sensation of heaviness in the legs and a tendency to bruise easily in affected areas. Studies show that individuals with lipedema experience a reduced quality of life, an increased prevalence of mental health issues, and a decreased level of functioning. The main symptom of lipedema is pain in the fatty tissue, but the exact cause of this pain remains unknown.
There is currently no curative treatment for lipedema, and there is a lack of solid evidence to provide knowledge-based recommendations for different treatment options, whether conservative or surgical. Some studies suggest that surgical treatment in the form of liposuction can reduce pain and improve quality of life, but these studies do not meet sufficient scientific standards to form the basis for evidence-based treatment recommendations.
The study Surgical Treatment of Lipedema in Norway is a national multicenter study conducted at the request of the Ministry of Health and Care Services. The study is led by Haraldsplass Deaconess Hospital, in collaboration with Telemark Hospital (Health South-East), St. Olavs Hospital (Health Central), and the University Hospital of North Norway (Health North).
The purpose of the lipedema study is to investigate the effect of liposuction on pain and quality of life in women with lipedema. Additionally, the study aims to evaluate the use of pulsation therapy for non-surgical treatment of lipedema and to conduct a comprehensive mapping of the patient population. Furthermore, the study hopes to provide more information about the need for conservative treatment and the appropriate duration of such treatment.
The current knowledge base regarding lipedema is highly insufficient, making the results of this study significant not only for patients in Norway but also internationally. Our goal is for the study’s findings to contribute to increased knowledge and improved treatment for women with lipedema.
BEETBOOST: Beetroot Juice – A Natural Boost for Heart and Vascular Health in Menopausal Women?
Contact person: Ann-Katrin Grotle (external link)
The Norwegian Women's Health Commission Report (NOU 2023:5) highlights the need for more research on menopause and new strategies to prevent and manage menopause-related health changes. The BEETBOOST project contributes to this knowledge by investigating whether beetroot juice and exercise can improve cardiovascular health and physical capacity in postmenopausal women.
Background
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among women globally, with risk increasing significantly after menopause. This is partly due to hormonal changes affecting blood pressure and cardiovascular regulation. Research suggests that nitrate-rich supplements (like beetroot juice) and exercise may independently benefit heart health and physical function. However, their effects remain understudied in postmenopausal women. BEETBOOST aims to address this gap through two subprojects.
Two Subprojects
Subproject 1: Short-Term Effects of Beetroot Juice. The ongoing first subproject examines the acute effects of beetroot juice on blood pressure regulation and physical fitness in postmenopausal women under 65. This is a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial.
Subproject 2: Synergy Between Beetroot Juice and Exercise. A planned PhD project titled "Beetroot Juice: A Natural Aid for Boosting the Health and Functional Effects of Exercise Post-Menopause?" will investigate whether combining beetroot juice and exercise enhances health benefits. Postmenopausal estrogen loss reduces nitric oxide production, impairing vascular health and metabolism. Since both exercise and beetroot juice increase nitric oxide—via different mechanisms—this study will assess potential synergistic effects through a randomized controlled trial.
Objective
BEETBOOST aims to generate evidence on how simple, natural interventions (beetroot juice and exercise) can improve health and function in postmenopausal women. Findings may inform future clinical studies and refine health recommendations for this population
Multiple Sclerosis
Contact person: Øivind Grytten Torkildsen
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, immune-mediated disease of the central nervous system that often affects young adults in the early stages of adult life. Women are affected approximately twice as often as men. Many of those diagnosed with the disease are in the process of establishing careers and families. The disease can affect the ability to work, family life, and quality of life, and therefore has significant societal impact, particularly in relation to women’s health.
The MS research group at the University of Bergen (UiB) and Haukeland University Hospital is led by Professor Øivind Torkildsen and is part of Neuro-SysMed. The group works with clinical trials, biomarkers, and the development of new treatment strategies for MS. The group leads several national and international investigator-initiated studies and leads and participates in EU projects aimed at improving treatment and long-term prognosis for patients with MS.
Through Driv, we aim to highlight how clinical research in neurology can contribute to innovation, improved patient pathways, and strengthened women’s health. Our research is rooted in patient-centered clinical practice, but with an international scope.
An important example of patient-centered and women’s health–focused research in the group is studies of breastfeeding during treatment with rituximab. Many women with MS face difficult decisions in the postpartum period: Should they quickly resume high-efficacy treatment to reduce the risk of disease activity, or refrain from treatment in order to breastfeed? Traditionally, the evidence base has been limited, and recommendations have been conservative. In our prospective study, we measured the concentration of rituximab in breast milk from women with MS who received treatment during the breastfeeding period. We found very low levels in breast milk, with an estimated relative infant dose well below established safety thresholds, and rituximab was not measurable in the serum of the infants examined. B-cell counts in the infants were within normal reference ranges. These findings provide concrete, clinically relevant documentation that can support safer and more evidence-based guidance for women with MS during a vulnerable phase of life, and illustrate how targeted clinical research can strengthen women’s health and improve patient pathways.
EBV-MS (Epstein - Barr Virus MS)
MS and clinical studies (external link)
Aging and cognitive function
Contact person: Ragnhild Eide Skogseth
Dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, affects both men and women, but women have a higher prevalence. Several factors contribute to this, including hormonal changes related to menopause. Reduced estrogen production after menopause has been associated with an increased risk of cognitive decline, as estrogen has a neuroprotective effect on the brain. This hormone plays a key role in synaptic plasticity and neuroprotection, and a reduction in estrogen levels may therefore contribute to the development of dementia in women.
Women often develop Alzheimer's disease later than men, but the disease course tends to be more severe. Women are also more likely to be primary caregivers, which can lead to chronic stress, shown to have a negative impact on cognitive health. Furthermore, women often seek medical help earlier than men, which may result in a faster diagnosis but also increased anxiety and concern.
Although there is currently no cure for dementia, early diagnosis, lifestyle interventions such as physical activity, diet, and mental stimulation, have been shown to positively impact cognitive health. Increased research into gender-specific factors in dementia is needed to develop more precise treatment and prevention strategies for women.
Haraldsplass Diaconal Hospital, in collaboration with NeuroSysmed, is conducting research on dementia and recruiting patients for both clinical trials and observational studies to improve treatment and gain deeper insight into the disease mechanisms.
