Anette Weyergang – project group leader at Institute for Cancer Research (ICR), Oslo University Hospital - is on December 11^th awarded the prize Researcher-of-the-Year from the leadership at ICR for her groundbreaking scientific contributions. The award of 100,000 NOK is financed by the Radium Hospital Foundation (Radiumhospitalets legater) and is a personal scholarship for stimulating further excellence in research. 

The leadership group highlights the important work Weyergang has done to characterize the role of Rab proteins in the intracellular transport of antibody-drug conjugates such as for example trastuzumab-derukstekan (Enhertu®). This work has been published in Nature Communication and led to the establishment of Rab Diagnostics AS. 

Chief administrative officer, Kari Aalrust Berger at the Institute for Cancer Research, was awarded the 2024 Employee of the Year prize on December 11th. The award was presented by the institute’s leadership team in recognition of Berger's outstanding contributions to the institute and its staff.

Kari Aalrust Berger was nominated by the Division of Radiation Biology, which highlighted her exceptional ability to tackle challenges with calmness, insight, and innovative solutions—always accompanied by a smile. The section describes her as a steadfast supporter who excels in managing both large, complex issues and smaller everyday challenges.

Dr. Casado is shared 1^st author on the paper “Immune microniches shape intestinal Treg functions” published in Nature. This work was conducted during her postdoc stay in Professor Sarah Teichmann’s lab (Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, UK), in collaboration with Professor Fiona Powrie’s lab (University of Oxford, UK).
Dr. Casado has spent several years working in Norway with gut immunology in the Jahnsen lab at Dept. of Pathology, and was recently recruited to the Lothe lab at Institute for Cancer Research to pursue her academic career and combine research interests in gut immunology with translational research on colorectal cancer.

With this meeting place for academia and industry the UiO Growth House wants to inspire, give self-confidence and knowledge about the innovation process, help researchers and students to build networks and facilitate collaboration between academia and industry to put more research to use for the benefit of patients and society.

• Inspirational talk: Jonas Hallén, PhD, Chief Medical Officer, Co-Founder, Calluna Pharma
• Role model talk: TBA
• Matchmaking between researchers and students and representatives from companies: Halden Pharma, Pharmaq, Sero, UiO iHub, Novartis, UiO Momentum internship and Calluna Pharma

In order to stimulate excellent research and draw attention to the hospital's research activity, Oslo University Hospital rewards outstanding publications every half-year.

Six research groups were awarded for their excellent papers published the first half-year of 2024 during a ceremony on November 28th. Each group received NOK 50.000 earmarked for further research, and the prize winners gave short presentations of their main findings.

A team of scientists has made a groundbreaking discovery that could explain why certain prostate cancer therapies are less effective than expected. With 5,000 Norwegian men diagnosed with the disease annually, resulting in roughly 1,000 deaths every year, a major clinical objective is to prevent the spread of cancer and recurrence. 

The study was published in Nature Communications November 16th. Alfonso Urbanucci from the Institute of Cancer Research is shared senior author.