Microbiology and Infectious Diseases

Laboratory diagnostics
Molecular epidemiology of infectious diseases
Staphylococcus aureus infections – bloodstream infections and orthopaedic implant- associated infections
Next-generation sequencing – whole genome sequencing, metagenomics, rapid diagnostics
Antibiotic resistance – antibiotic stewardship measures, epidemiology, mathematical modelling, resistome analyses of the gut microbiota
Microbiome – the gut microbiome in inflammatory bowel diseases, host – microbiome crosstalk, resistome
Human papillomavirus – National reference laboratory
Clinical translational research – collaboration between the laboratories (medical microbiology) and clinical departments on topics where infections play an important role
Infection control

The group collaborates with a range of regional, national and international research groups

National collaborators

Different clinical departments at Ahus
The Norwegian University Hospitals
Innlandet Hospital Trust
TTA – Turning the Tide of antimicrobial resistance – The TTA consortium is formed by Oslo
University Hospital teamed up with national and international collaborators
Norwegian Institute of Public Health
Cancer Registry of Norway
Norwegian Armed Forces
Norwegian Defence Research Establishment
Oslo Kommune
Universities: University of Tromsø; University of Bergen; Norwegian University of Life
Sciences; Oslo Metropolitan University (OsloMet); University of Oslo

International collaborators:

EUCAST Development Laboratory for Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (AST). Växjö, Sweden
Odense University Hospital, Denmark
Hvidovre Hospital, Denmark
Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
FIMM - Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland
Rabin Medical Center, Israel
Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Trento, Italy
Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology, Germany
The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Canada
The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK
The Institute Pasteur, France
Satens seruminstitut, Copenhagen, Denmark
Alere Technologies, Germany
Universities
- University of Edinburg, UK; University of Greifswald, Germany; University of Oxford, UK; University of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe; Örebro University, Sweden; Dresden University of Technology, Germany; Technical University of Denmark, Denmark; University of Bristol, UK; University of Latvia, Latvia; Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Brazil; University of New South Wales, Australia; Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel (UZ Brussel), Belgium; Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland

Kristiane Søreng (group leader)

Academic degree: PhD
Research interests: HPV-induced cervical cancer, mainly focusing on HPV-negative cases
Position: Head engineer, National HPV reference laboratory, Department of Microbiology and Infection Control
Email: kristiane.soreng@ahus.no
Phone: +47 67 96 46 73

Truls M. Leegaard UiO contact

Academic degree: PhD, MD (dr.med)
Research interests: antibiotic resistance and use, clinical translational research (airway infections, orthopaedic infections, ME/CFS), laboratory methods
Position: Consultant microbiologist, Department of Microbiology and Infection Control; Associate Professor, University of Oslo
E-mail: Truls.Michael.Leegaard@ahus.no
Phone: +47 906 462 65
More info: https://www.med.uio.no/klinmed/personer/vit/trulsl/ or https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Truls-Leegaard

Hege Vangstein Aamot

Academic degree: PhD, Cand. Scient
Research interests: Molecular epidemiology of infectious diseases, next-generation sequencing, metagenomics, nanopore sequencing, Staphylococcus aureus infections, genotyping, orthopaedic implant-associated infections, neurological infections
Position: Researcher, Department of Microbiology and Infection Control; Associate Professor, Østfold University College
E-mail: hege.vangstein.aamot@ahus.no
Phone: +47 679 68154
More info: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Hege_Aamot

Jan Erik Berdal

Academic degree: PhD, MD
Research interests: Infection medicine
Position: Head of department, Department of Infectious Diseases, Associate professor, University of Oslo
E-mail: Jan.Erik.Berdal@ahus.no
Phone: +47 679 64698
More info: https://www.med.uio.no/klinmed/personer/vit/janerib/

Anita Blomfeldt

Academic degree: PhD, MPH
Research interests: Infectious diseases epidemiology, molecular microbiology, Staphylococcus aureus infections, MRSA, antibiotic resistance, bacterial genotyping, whole-genome sequencing
Position: Researcher and Head of R&D section, Department of Microbiology and Infection Control
E-mail: anita.blomfeldt@ahus.no
Phone: +47 679 68149
More info: www.researchgate.net/profile/Anita_Blomfeldt

Patricia Campbell

Academic degree: MA (Cantab) Cambridge University, MB,BS (Distinction) London University
Research interests: Gonorrhoea epidemiology. Gonorrhoea throat infection. Microbiome. Honey in wound treatment.
Position: Medical Consultant, Department of Microbiology and Infection Control, Medical Consultant, Nasjonal Kompetansetjeneste for Seksuelt Overførte Infeksjoner, Turning the
Tide of Antibiotic resistance (TTA) Consortium, Studentship
E-mail: patricia.merckoll@ahus.no

Irene Kraus Christiansen

Academic degree: PhD
Research interests: HPV-related cancer diagnostics. A key focus of research is the detection and development of biomarkers for more specific cancer diagnostics.
Position: Director of the National HPV Reference Laboratory, Department of Microbiology and Infection Control
Email: irene.kraus.christiansen@ahus.no
Phone: +47 679 66906
More info: https://www.kreftregisteret.no/en/Research/Projects/hpv-sequencing/

Olav Dalgard

Academic degree: MD, PhD (dr. med)
Research interests: Hepatitis C
Position: Senior consultant, Professor, department of Infectious Diseases
Email: olav.dalgard@medisin.uio.no
Phone: +47926 16 800

Heidi Johanne Espvik

Academic degree: MD
Research interests: Antibiotic management and prescribing, antimicrobial resistance
Position: Senior consultant, Department of Microbiology and Infection Control
E-mail: hees@ahus.no
Phone: +47 679 66904

Kirsten Gravningen

Academic degree: PhD, MD, MPH
Research interests: Infection prevention & control, infection surveillance, infectious disease epidemiology, outbreak investigations, risk behaviours, genotyping, antimicrobial resistance, antibiotic use, the COVID-19 pandemic, long-COVID, sexually transmitted infections (STDs), sexual health
Position: Consultant Infection Control, Department of Microbiology and Infection Control; Associate professor, University of Oslo
Email: kirsten.gravningen@ahus.no
Phone: +47 67 96 44 00
More information: Kirsten Midttun Gravningen - Institute of Clinical Medicine (uio.no)

Karin Helmersen

Academic degree: MSc
Research interests: Participating in projects concerning molecular method development, next-generation sequencing, nanopore sequencing. Genotyping of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria
Position: Head Engineer, Department of Microbiology and Infection Control
E-mail: kar3@ahus.no
Phone:+47 995 52 473

Peter Huszthy

Academic degree: PhD, Cand. Scient
Research interests: Molecular diagnostics of infectious diseases, T cell-B cell collaboration in adaptive immune responses.
Position: Researcher, Department of Microbiology and Infection Control
Email: peter.huszthy@ahus.no
Phone: +47 90030835

Silje Bakken Jørgensen

Academic degree: PhD, MD
Research interests: Antibiotic resistance and the spread of resistant microbes in humans, animals and the environment. Infection epidemiology. Bacteria and viruses. Molecular mechanisms, genotyping, outbreak investigations.
Position: Head of Department, Department of Emergency Medicine
E-mail: silje.bakken.jorgensen@ahus.no
Phone: +47 99 69 86 855

Magnus Nakrem Lyngbakken

Academic degree: MD, PhD
Research interests: Epidemiology, Airway infections, Sepsis, Antibiotic stewardship
Position: Infections Disease fellow, Department of Infectious Diseases; Associate Professor, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo
Email: magnus.lyngbakken@medisin.uio.no
Phone: +47 93 40 88 37
More info: https://www.med.uio.no/klinmed/personer/vit/magnunly/index.html

Gro Kummeneje Presthus

Academic degree: MSc
Research interests: HPV induced cervical cancer, method development, NGS, genotyping
Position: Head engineer, National HPV Reference Laboratory, Department of Microbiology and Infection Control
Email: gro.kummeneje.presthus@ahus.no
Phone: +47 67964673

Evgeniya Sovershaeva

Academic degree: PhD, MD
Research interests: HIV infection, tuberculosis, antibiotic resistance, role of gut microbiome in chronic diseases, next-generation sequencing
Position: Medical Consultant, Department of Microbiology and Infection Control and Department of Infectious Diseases
Email: evgeniya.sovershaeva@ahus.no
Phone: +47 46 31 04 26
More information: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Evgeniya-Sovershaeva

Milan Stosic

Academic degree: MSc
Research area: HPV genetic variation as a biomarker for stratification of cancer risk development
Position: PhD student, Department of Microbiology and Infection Control/ OsloMet
Email: milansto@oslomet.no

Cecilie Sveen-Ekre

Academic degree: MSc
Research interests: Molecular epidemiology of infectious diseases, whole-genome sequencing, bacterial genotyping, antibiotic resistance.
Position: Biomedical laboratory scientists, Department of Microbiology and Infection Control
Email: cecilie.sveen-ekre@ahus.no

Mireille W.H. Wulf

Academic degree: PhD, MD
Research interests: Infection control, methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus
Position: Infection control consultant, Head of Section, Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infection Control.
Email: miwiwu@ahus.no
Phone: +47 940 33 542

Kristiane Søreng (Group leader), kristiane.soreng@ahus.no.

UiO contact: Truls M. Leegard, Truls.Michael.Leegaard@ahus.no.

More information on uio.no