Norwegian National Conference on Women's Health Research

The conference presents groundbreaking women’s health research within Driv’s four pillars: biomedical, translational, clinical and public health and primary care research.

The research is presented in a scientific format and is primarily aimed at a professional scientific audience.

Women’s health research plays a crucial role in:

• Improving public health
• Informing political decisions with evidence
• Promoting interdisciplinary research collaboration
• Developing an equitable healthcare system that meets women’s actual needs

Driv – Center for Women’s Health Research invites you to the National Conference on Women’s Health Research, where researchers, healthcare professionals, policymakers, and users come together to share knowledge and build networks.

At this event, Norwegian researchers will present cutting-edge women’s health research that can serve as a foundation for future health policy decisions. The goal is to shape a fair and effective healthcare system that better addresses women’s health needs.

Link to the programme

Note: The opening and closing sessions will be held in Norwegian. All other presentations are primarily in English.

Programme – National Conference on Women's Health Research

09:00-10:00 | Registration and coffee/tea

10:00-10:15 | Welcome

Marit Bakke, Chair of Driv - Centre for Women’s Health Research, Professor and Dean at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen

Kjell-Morten Myhr, Professor, Vice-Rector, University of Bergen

Christine Meyer, Chief Commissioner of Bergen 

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10:15-11:15 | Women’s Health and Society

Chair: Inger Haukenes &  Bård Bogen

• 10:15-10:45 | Keynote 
  Kirsti Malterud, Professor Emerita of General Practice, University of Bergen - Norwegian Women’s Health Research in a Historical Perspective (Norwegian)
• 10:45 -10:55
  Ingrid Fjeldheim Bånerud & Kathrine Vadøy (EUPATI) - How Does EUPATI Contribute to Improving Patient Involvement in Medical Research in Norway? (Norwegian)
• 10:55-11:05
   Heidi Marie Meling (NORCE) - Gendered Patterns in Conditions for Sustainable Return to Work After Depression (Norwegian)
• 11:05-11:15
   Stein Frostad (Helse Bergen) - Restart: Re-establishing Normal Gut-Brain Interaction in Anorexia Nervosa (Norwegian)

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11:15-11:30 | Break

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11:30–12:20 | Disease Mechanisms in Women’s Health

Chair: Camilla Krakstad

• 11:30-12:00 | Keynote
  Karl Johan Tronstad, Professor, Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen & Haukeland University Hospital - What Causes ME/CFS? Exploring the Underlying Mechanisms
• 12:00-12:10 
  Karianne Fjeld (UiB) - Female-specific roles of the digestive enzyme carboxyl ester lipase in health and disease
• 12:10-12:20 
  Katrin Kleinmanns (UiB) - Single-Cell Transcriptomic Signatures Identify Drug Combinations to Address Platinum Resistance in Ovarian Cancer 

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12:20-12:30 | Speed Talks 

Chair: Silje Mæland

• Aditi Singh (UiB) - Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy, Maternal Cardiovascular Disease Mortality and the role of Familial Predisposition: a Norwegian Population-Based Sibling-Comparison, Sibling-Spillover and Negative-Control Cohort Study
• Aditi Singh (UiB) - Heterogeneity in Long-Term Maternal Cardiovascular Disease Mortality according to Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes across Successive Pregnancies: A National Cohort Study
• Ester Kringeland (UiB) - Associations of gingival inflammation with blood pressure among community-dwelling older women and men with periodontitis
• Hilde Halland (UiB) - Progressive inflammation in proteomic profile underlies increased blood pressure in obese individuals
• Michael Mortensen (HVL) - Exploring Women’s Return to Work Following Open-Heart Surgery: A Qualitative Perspective

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12:30-13:15 | Lunch

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13:15-14:30 | Diagnosis and Treatment: Clinical Medicine

Chair: Linn-Marie Sørbye

• 13:15-13:45 | Keynote
  Emma Crosbie, professor of Gynaecological Oncology, University of Manchester & Honorary Consultant, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust - Preventing obesity-driven endometrial cancer
• 13:45-13:55 
  Jone Trovik (UiB/HB) - Adding pre-operative hormone receptor status to traditional risk stratification decreases lymphadenectomy rates without compromising disease survival in endometrial cancer
• 13:55-14:05
  Daniela Contreras (UiB) - CGRP monoclonal antibodies for migraine and the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes: Norway’s Headache Health - a nationwide registry-based cohort study from 2018 to 2022
• 14:05-14:15 
  Aisteja Selmyte-Besuspare (UiB/HB) - Sex hormones as markers of cardiovascular organ damage in women with overweight and obesity 

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 14:15-14:30 | Speed Talks 

Chair: Line Bjørge

• Maria C. Magnus (UiO) - Risk of endometriosis, adenomyosis and related symptoms among female offspring according to conception by assisted reproductive technologies
• Solveig Løkhammer (UiB/HB) - Endometriosis and trauma: insights from observational and genetic analyses
• Lorena Larios (UiB) - Using Near-Infrared Activated Double-Functionalized Nanodiamonds to Prevent Vulvar Cancer Recurrence
• Oddrun Kristiansen (UiO) - Placentas vekt - en god indikator for placentas endokrine og metabolske funksjon?
• Mari Halle (UiB) - Livmorhalskreft – fra forebygging til personlig behandling
• Ann-Katrin Grotle (HVL) - Effects of Beetroot Juice Supplementation on Exercise Blood Pressure and Metaboreflex Activation in Postmenopausal Women: A Double-Blind Randomized Placebo-Controlled Crossover Study
• Henriette Christie Ertsås (UiB) - Kvinnesykdommer utfordrer gjeldende sannheter

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14:30-14:45 | Break

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14:45-16:00 | From Laboratory to Patient Treatment: Translational Research

Chair: Bergithe Eikeland Oftedal 

• 14:45-15:15 | Keynote
  Camilla Krakstad, Professor, Department of Clinical Medicine 2, CCBIO, University of Bergen, Head of Bergen Research Group for Gynecological Cancer - Why translational research matters for the individual patient: role of vimentin in cancer as a valuable lesson
• 15:15-15:25 
  Luka Tandaric (UiB/HB) - Rethinking High-Grade Serous Ovarian Carcinoma: Towards Personalized Im munotherapy through Preclinical, Translational and Clinical Evaluation of Combined CD73 and PD-L1 Blockade
• 15:25-15:35 
  Solveig Løkhammer (UiB) - Multi-ancestry genome-wide association study of endometriosis and its clinical manifestations in ~1.4 million women: translating gene discovery into pathogenic mechanisms and therapeutic targets
• 15:35-15:45 
  Thea Wergeland (UiO) - Comparison of drug or mechanical induced-differentiation- From Placental Syncytium-on-Chip (PSoC) to Trophoblast Invasion-on-Chip (TIoC)
• 15:45-15:55 
  Tamandeep K. Bharaj (UiB/HB) - Unraveling the Female Gender Bias in Sjögren’s Disease 

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15:55-16:00 | Summary

Silje Skrede, Academic leader of Driv – Center for Women's Health Research - 
National Conference on Women’s Health Research - Key Takeaways

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16:00-16:30 | Networking and Music

Informal mingling with light refreshments and beverages.
Piano performance by Marina Matsuoka, pianist.

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16:30-17:15 | Panel debate (in Norwegian)

Theme: Implementering av kvinnehelseforskning i klinisk praksis: Utfordringer og muligheter

[“Implementing Women’s Health Research in Clinical Practice: Challenges and Opportunities”]

Moderator: Berit Angelsgård

Despite increasing knowledge and research activity in women’s health, much of this knowledge is not being translated into evidence-based practice, as highlighted in the Norwegian Official Report NOU 2025:3 - “The Great Divide. On Women’s Health and the Importance of Gender in Health.”
Why is it taking so long to implement research findings in clinical practice – and what steps are needed to change this?

In this panel debate, you will hear from key stakeholders from specialist health services, primary care, advocacy organizations, and academic communities. Together, they will address the challenges and opportunities for ensuring that women’s health research benefits patients.

Panelists:

• Elisabeth Swärd - Senior Adviser on Women’s Health, Norwegian Women’s Public Health Association; Founder and Policy Adviser of the Women’s Health Alliance
• Kjerstin Fyllingen - CEO, Haraldsplass Deaconess Hospital
• Yngvild Skåtun Hannestad - Vice President of the Norwegian Medical Association, Gynecologist
• Bjarne Hansen - Professor, Clinical Psychologist, OCD Treatment Specialist, and National Leader for Implementing Evidence-Based OCD Therapy
• Torgeir Hoff Skavøy - Chair, Norwegian College of General Practitioners; Clinician and GP

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The conference is funded by and organized in collaboration with Alrek Partnership Funds and the University Fund.