As we approach the Oslo congress, we have one final interview in the Norwegian Scientists series, this time with congress Chair, Stein Bergan. It’s great to hear from Stein, whose perspective adds to the picture painted in earlier interviews of Norway being a vibrant hub for the implementation of innovations in pharmacology, always for the benefit of patients. Stein traces developments since the days when PCR was understood to mean ‘Partido Comunista Revolucionario’ (!), and a mass spectrometer required several engineers to analyze a handful of samples per week. Though we’ve come a long way, Stein highlights some areas where there is room to learn and improve, a number of which will have dedicated sessions at the upcoming congress.

If you are still sitting on the fence about joining us all in Oslo, I strongly recommend our recent podcast episode with Stein, Anders and Ida where we take a deep dive into the program. Our earlier interviews with Anders, Kristine and Nils will also undoubtedly inspire you to come see the amazing work from Norway, as well as colleagues from around the world. Click on the link below to read more!

Stein Bergan
Group leader
Precision Pharmacotherapy research group
Pharmacology Department, Oslo University Hospital
Oslo, Norway

Professor
Department of Pharmacy
University of Oslo
Oslo, Norway

We continue our Norwegian Scientist series this month with an interview from Anders Åsberg, a very well-known name in the IATDMCT ‘microcosm.’ It’s really great to hear from Anders as one of the leaders in the field, who has always been swift to implement innovations in the TDM and clinical pharmacology space, to the benefit of patients. Apart from applying model informed dosing and using microsampling devices clinically, which Anders and his team are known for, it was great to hear about a novel approach to accurately determine GFR using serum iohexol concentrations (with a free shiny application, reducing the sampling time frame), as well as Anders’ dedication to research students. Anders was very kind to join us on a recent Eight Drugs a Week podcast episode to chat about some of the highlights of the upcoming congress. We’re looking forward to hearing more about his work in Oslo!

Anders Åsberg
Head, Laboratory of Renal Physiology
Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet
Oslo, Norway

Professor
Department of Pharmacy
University of Oslo
Oslo, Norway

As we head towards our annual congress in Oslo, we will profile some outstanding local scientists. First, we will do a throwback to a great interview from 2021 with Nils Tor Vethe. Nils is a well known IATDMCT member and, in 2009, was the recipient of the Patsalos Prize for best manuscript published in Therapeutic Drug Monitoring. We look forward to hearing about developments with his work at the congress in September.

This month we hear from Kristine Hole, a pharmacist and post-doctorate researcher at the Center for Psychopharmacology of Diakonhjemmet Hospital in Oslo. In 2019, Kristine likewise received the Patsalos Prize. It’s great to hear from Kristine as she paints an impressive picture of personalized treatment in psychiatry, including pleasant pharmacogenetic clinical alerts and clinical use of high-resolution mass spectrometry, with potential to retrospectively determine any analyte. We are headed towards a future where artificial intelligence platforms, national laboratory databases and optimized electronic health systems will contribute to clinical decision support systems, greatly enhancing patient care.

Kristine Hole
Pharmacist and post-doctorate researcher
Center for Psychopharmacology
Diakonhjemmet Hospital
Oslo, Norway

Associate Professor
Department of Life Sciences and Health
Oslo Metropolitan University
Oslo, Norway