Current funding
Our lab is currently supported by a Norwegian Research Council (NFR) project and a large EU Innovative Health Initiative where we lead the microbiome work package. We also collaborate on a further NFR project focused on animal welfare, alongside several smaller initiatives with academic, clinical, and industry partners.
Running projects
The role of Blastocystis in inflammatory bowel disease
NFR 324516
We test whether Blastocystis is truly pathogenic by combining cohort studies (>5,000 participants), a 400-patient IBD trial, cancer immunotherapy–associated colitis, and controlled rat infections — to inform clinical guidance on when (or whether) to treat.
Contributions to animal welfare in pig production: developing and employing diagnostic tools for investigations of pathogens associated with lameness
NFR 358799
We develop and apply diagnostic tools to investigate infectious causes of lameness in Norwegian finisher pigs, with a focus on Mycoplasma hyosynoviae. The project validates a welfare-friendly oral fluid sampling method and determines herd-level pathogen prevalence.
PREDICTOM — AI-driven early screening for Alzheimer’s disease
EU IHI 101132356
Developing an at-home sampling and digital assessment platform with AI analysis across a large European cohort (>4,000 participants) to enable earlier diagnosis and intervention.
Other ongoing projects
- Reassessment of intestinal parasites: Prevalence, ecosystem role, and implications for faecal microbiota transplantation. — Forskningsmidler Stavanger Universitetssjukehus.
- Digitalisert Point of Care-Testing for økt samhandling og avlasting i helsetjenestene. — HelseCampus Stavanger - Intensjonssøknad om såkornmidler with NordicDX.
- Predicting patients at risk of adverse effects after immunotherapy, a machine learning and AI approach. — Folke Hermansens Fond.
Selected past projects
- Mitochondrial glycolysis as a target in pathogenic stramenopiles. — NFR 301170. Some pathogens run part of glycolysis inside mitochondria, implying a dedicated mitochondrial metabolite transporter. We identified and characterised a novel mitochondrial transporter which might be a selective drug target.
- PigStick - Diagnostic of bacterial-caused lameness in pigs. — Norwegian Research Council NFR program: Kommersialiseringsprosjekt with Validé.
- Identification of microbiome-associated mechanisms mediating anthocyanin-dependent cognitive improvement in a population at risk for dementia. — Leon Jarners Minnefond with Prof. Dag Aarsland (King's College London)
- Microbial eukaryotes in inflammatory bowel disease – a pilot study. — Forskningsmidler Stavanger Universitetssjukehus with Dr. Tore Grimstad (SUS).
- The oral microbiome and nitric oxide bioavailability across the human lifespan. — BBSRC Responsive Mode with Prof. Andrew Jones and Prof. Anni Vanhatalo (Exeter)
- Does the potential for AMR selection differ between common UK cattle grazing systems? — NERC AMR in the Real World Pump Priming Grants with Prof. Michael Lee and Dr. Jenni Dungait (Rothamsted Research)
- Gut health in European lobsters - the gut microbiome as a health marker in offshore sea cage culture. Joint project with Prof. Grant Stentiford and Dr. David Bass (Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science (Cefas)) and Dr. Carly Daniels (National Lobster Hatchery).