ClinVir – Clinical Virology Research Group

Susanne G. DudmenGroup leader
Susanne G. Dudmen
Group leader

The ClinVir is a research group consisting of clinical virologists, clinicians and scientist engaged in virus research in laboratories. The research group carries out clinical research in virology and clinical vaccine trials. Our main focus is on viral hepatitis, enteric viruses and respiratory viruses, viral infections in immunosuppressed patients and in pregnancy. The group collaborates with scientists in various research areas, and supervises PhD candidates.

Our research goal is to develop methods for viral diagnostics and to increase the knowledge about the pathology of virus infections. Our group is engaged in research on prevention of viral diseases by conducting vaccine trials, in addition to antiviral therapy and antiviral resistance studies. Apart from running randomized controlled trials (RCTs), we carry out epidemiological studies.

News:

HEV vaccine trial results published in Lancet

Susanne G. Dudman
Susanne G. Dudman

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection is prevalent around the world, especially affecting low-income countries in Asia and Africa. High morbidity and mortality have been reported in pregnant women and their children. The only licensed vaccine against HEV, the recombinant HEV239, has been used in a large RCT in Bangladesh. The results from the clinical trial were published in Lancet recently. Senior author is Susanne G. Dudman, head of the The Clinical Virology Research Group group at the Department of Microbiology.

Norwegian SARS- CoV-2 study

At Oslo University Hospital, the ClinVir Research group, headed by Susanne G. Dudman, is setting up an observational study on the newly discovered emerging SARS- CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 infection. The study has been approved by the Regional Ethics Committee and internally at OUS, so that inclusion of confirmed COVID-19 cases admitted at the hospital can start immediately including the first patients needing hospitalisation.  The plan is to include more hospitals in other parts of Norway, starting with Akershus University Hospital. The study is anticipated to provide much needed data on the course of the COVID-19 infection, as well as generating knowledge about the virus and its transmission.

Project leader is specialist in medical microbiology and infectious diseases, dr. Jan Cato Holter. The research team consists of other experts from both Ullevål hospital and Rikshospitalet.

Norwegian SARS-CoV-2 study Virological characterization of inpatients during the COVID-19 outbreak

This project is a part of the Norwegian SARS-CoV-2 study (NCT04381819), a multicentre (10 hospitals) cohort study on COVID-19 initiated through a joint collaboration between the Dep. of Microbiology and Dep. of Infectious disease, Oslo University Hospital, and national and international partners. The study investigates adult hospitalized COVID-19 patients by serial clinical data collection according to the International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infection Consortium (ISARIC)/World Health Organization (WHO) Clinical Characterization Protocol (CCP) (isaric.tghn.org).