KUR programming event for teachers to learn to teach programming.

Introducing programming to the curriculum

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Programming is not only for computer hackers, it can also help teachers to engage their students in science subjects and inspire start ups to discover new cancer treatments.

 

Almost 60 teachers working in upper secondary schools in Oslo visited Oslo Cancer Cluster Innovation Park and Ullern Upper Secondary School one evening in the end of March. The topic for the event was programming and how to introduce programming to the science subjects in school.

“The government has decided that programming should be implemented in schools, but in that case the teachers first have to know how to program, how to teach programming and, not least, how to make use of programming in a relevant way in their own subjects.”

This was how Cathrine Wahlström Tellefsen opened her lecture. She is the Head of Profag at the University of Oslo, a competence centre for teaching science and technology subjects. For nearly one hour, she talked to the almost 60 teachers who teach Biology, Mathematics, Chemistry, Technology, Science Research Theory and Physics about how to use programming in their teaching.

 

What is KUR? KUR is a collaborative project between Oslo Cancer Cluster, Ullern Upper Secondary School and other schools in Oslo and Akershus. It aims to develop the skills and competence of science teachers. Every six months, KUR arranges a meeting where current topics are discussed.

 

Programming and coding

“Don’t forget that programming is much more than just coding. Computers are changing the rules of the game and we have gained a much larger mathematical toolbox, which gives us the opportunity to analyse large data sets,” Tellefsen explained.

Only a couple of years ago, she wasn’t very interested in programming herself, but after pressures from higher up in her organisation, she gave it a shot. She has since then experienced how programming can be used in her own subject.

“I have been a Physics teacher for many years in an upper secondary school in Akershus, so I know how it is,” she said to calm the audience a little. Her excitement over the opportunities programming provides seemed to rub off on some of the people in the room.

“In biology, for example, programming can be used to teach animal population growth. The students understand more of the logic behind the use of mathematical formulas and how an increase in the carrying capacity of a biological species can change the size of its population dramatically. My experience is that the students start playing around with the numbers really quickly and get a better understanding of the relationships,” said Tellefsen.

When it was time for a little break, many teachers were eager to try out the calculations and programming themselves.

 

Artificial intelligence in cancer treatments

Before the teachers tried programming, Marius Eidsaa from the start up OncoImmunity (a member of Oslo Cancer Cluster) gave a talk. He is a former physicist and uses algorithms, programming and artificial intelligence every day in his work.

“OncoImmunity has developed a method that can find new antigens that other companies can use to develop cancer vaccines,” said Eidsaa.

He quickly explained the principals of immunotherapy, a cancer treatment that activates the patient’s own immune system to recognise and kill cancer cells, which had previously remained hidden from the immune system. The neoantigens play a central role in this process.

“Our product is a computer software program called Immuneprofiler. We use patient data and artificial intelligence in order to get a ranking of the antigens that may be relevant for development of personalised cancer vaccines to the individual patient,” said Eidsaa.

Today, OncoImmunity has almost 20 employees of 10 different nationalities and have become CE-marked as the first company in the world in their field. (You can read more about OncoImmunity in this article that we published on 18 December 2018.)

The introductory talk by Eidsaa about using programming in his start up peaked the audience’s interest and the dedicated teachers eagerly asked many questions.

 

Programming in practice

After a short coffee break, the teachers were ready to try programming themselves. I tried programming in Biology, a session that was led by Monica, a teacher at Ullern Upper Secondary School. She is continuing her education in programming now and it turns out she has become very driven.

“Now you will program protein synthesis,” said Monica. We started brainstorming together about what we needed to find out, which parameters we could use in the formula to get the software Python to find proteins for us.

Since my knowledge in biology is a little rusty, it was a slow process. But when Monica showed us the correct solution, it was surprisingly logical and simple. The key is to stay focused and remember to have a cheat sheet right next to you in case you forget something.

 

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Image of taking tests in the lab.Louis Reed / Unsplash

How will biobanks accelerate cancer research?

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Biobanks ­– the powerful tools in cancer research you may have never heard of.

 

Biobank Norway is a national research infrastructure that comprises all public biobanks in Norway and represents one of the world’s largest existing resources within biobanking. They are also a member of Oslo Cancer Cluster, through NTNU, and represent an exciting initiative in the endeavour to develop precision medicine.

 

A biobank is a storage facility that keeps biological samples to be used for medical research. The samples come from population-based or clinical studies.

 

Christian Jonasson, seniorforsker ved NTNU.

Christian Jonasson, seniorforsker ved NTNU.

Christian Jonasson, the Industry Coordinator for Biobank Norway, connects businesses with Norwegian biobanks to accelerate medical research. He said that more biobanks now work with the health industry and benefit from added value in the process.

“It is the health industry that will ultimately bring new therapies to patients.”
Christian Jonasson

Biobank Norway has developed several strategic areas for Norwegian biobanks. They have built automated freezers for secure long-term storage, with advanced robotised systems that can retrieve barcoded biological samples. They have initiated new biobanks, established new IT systems and also developed policies for public-private collaborations. Also, they have contributed to strategic processes that promote increased utilization of Norwegian health data, including the national Health Data Program.

Ultimately, Biobank Norway aims to facilitate collaborations between the global health industry and Norwegian biobanks to accelerate innovation in the life sciences, disease prevention and treatment.

“Biobanks are one of the most important tools in precision medicine.” Christian Jonasson

 

Biosamples may be used for important, life-saving cancer research. For example, to develop new immunotherapies, such as T cell therapy. Photograph by Christopher Olssøn

Biosamples may be used for important, life-saving cancer research. For example, to develop new immunotherapies, such as T cell therapy. Photograph by Christopher Olssøn

 

A competitive edge

Norway has been collecting biological samples for the last 30-40 years. For example, one of the world’s largest birth cohort studies, the Mother and Child study (called MoBa) was initiated in 1999. It included 100 000 newborns with mother and father, which totalled over 285 000 participants over a ten-year period. There are numerous other Norwegian health studies, which have involved hundreds of thousands of people, such as the HUNT study and the Tromsø study.

Moreover, the Norwegian Radium Hospital have collected countless valuable samples from cancer patients over the years from both regular clinical care and from clinical research studies. Hospitals across Norway also continually collect and save diagnostic samples, which may be used for medical research at a later stage.

The number of biobanks and the rigorous collection of clinical data in health registers in Norway represent unique assets for medical researchers.

“Norway has a competitive edge on its health data infrastructure.” Christian Jonasson

 

Sharing the data

However, Jonasson also points out that the health registers in Norway are too fragmented. To combat the problem, Biobank Norway are helping the Norwegian Directorate of eHealth to develop a Health Data Program. The digital platform, called the Health Analytics Platform (HAP), will collate copies of relevant data from the various health registers, providing a single point of easy access for researchers.

Biobank Norway also has a long-term vision to collect all biobank data and health data in a common platform. This is a necessary step to unleash a larger national precision medicine initiative. First, they want to organise the data from the four largest population-based cohort studies in one place. In a couple of years, this database would hopefully include 400 000 people, which is a very attractive cohort for medical research.

“We need to attract leading actors from the international health industry and Norwegian start-ups in real collaborations with biobanks.” Christian Jonasson

Important medical research is already being conducted in biobanks across Norway. Jonasson said that there now needs to be a plan to market Norwegian health data and biobanks internationally to spur innovation further.

 

Image of DNA spiral.

Biosamples are also used for sequencing of the human genome, to develop more precise diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

 

The hidden key

To unlock the potential of biobanks, the biological samples need to be analysed and converted into meaningful data, which can be an expensive and laborious process.

Finland, for example, has begun to collect biological samples from 500 000 individuals. One single database holds all phenotypic data, such as diagnosis and treatment, and all genotypic data, which is the mapping of the human genome.

In the UK, there is the Genomics Project, which has already sequenced the DNA (the coded parts of the human genome) of 100 000 patients. The UK Biobank are aiming to sequence the DNA of half a million brits.

Jonasson hopes that such ambitious initiatives will be imported to Norway to build the biobank infrastructure further and provide meaningful data for medical research. He adds that public-private collaborations will be key to drive and fund such large scale initiatives.

Biobank Norway is currently in the process of extending into its third phase and aims to continue to improve the biobanks, the partner institutions and global research collaborations in the future.

 

  • Do you need help with your research and innovation project using biobanks in Norway?
    E-mail Christian Jonasson.
  • For more information, please visit the official website of BioBank Norway.

 

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Kronikk: Dine helsedata kan styrke helsenæringen

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This opinion piece was first published on 9 May 2019 in Dagens Medisin, by Ketil Widerberg, General Manager at Oslo Cancer Cluster, and Christian Jonasson, Senior Adviser at NTNU. Both are also members of a work group for innovation and business development for the Health Data Program for the the Norwegian Directorate of eHealth. Please scroll to the end of this page for an English summary.

 

Vi får nye forretningsmodeller innen helse som er basert på digitalisering og persontilpasset medisin. Her kan Norge virkelig lede an!

Christian Jonasson, seniorforsker ved NTNU.

Christian Jonasson, seniorforsker ved NTNU.

Ketil Widerberg, daglig leder i Oslo Cancer Cluster.

Ketil Widerberg, daglig leder i Oslo Cancer Cluster.

HELSE BLIR digitalisert og medisin blir tilpasset den enkelte pasienten. Dette er to megatrender som vil endre forretningsmodellen for helseindustrien. Forrige uke kom Stortingsmeldingen om nettopp helsenæringen. Den åpner for store muligheter for Norge.

I bilindustrien erstatter gradvis digital mobilitet den tradisjonelle boksen på fire hjul. Et eksempel er at Tesla blir verdsatt høyere enn tradisjonelle bilprodusenter blant annet for sin evne til kontinuerlig datainnsamling fra bilene. I helsenæringen vil vi se det samme.

 

NYE MODELLER. Med digital persontilpasset medisin vil nye forretningsmodeller vokse frem. Vi ser eksemplene daglig: Roche, et globalt legemiddelselskap, har nylig kjøpt opp helsedataselskapet Flatiron. Oppkjøpet gjorde de for å kunne utvikle nye kreftbehandlinger raskere, for nettopp tid er viktig for kreftpasienter som kjemper mot klokka. Et annet legemiddelselskap, AstraZeneca, har ansatt toppleder fra NASA. Norske DNVGL, som tradisjonelt har jobbet med olje, gass og shipping, har nå helsedata som et satsingsområde.

Helsemyndigheter erkjenner også endringen mot mer datainnsamling. Legemidler blir mer målrettede og brukes på stadig mindre undergrupper av pasienter. Dette utfordrer hva som er nødvendig kunnskapsgrunnlag for å gi pasienter tilgang til ny behandling. Mens det i dag er kunnskap om gjennomsnitt for store pasientgrupper som ligger til grunn for beslutninger om nye behandlingsmetoder, er det med persontilpasset behandling nettopp viktig å ta mer hensyn til individer og små undergrupper. De amerikanske helsemyndighetene (FDA) har derfor lagt frem retningslinjer for hvordan helsedata kan brukes som beslutningsgrunnlag for nye legemidler.

 

NORSKE FORTRINN. Legemiddelverket i Norge gir uttrykk for at de også ønsker å være i front i denne utviklingen – for også de ser at helsedata gir bedre beslutningsgrunnlag.

Hvordan kan så Norge lede an? Norge har konkurransefortrinn knyttet til et sterkt offentlig helsevesen, landsdekkende person- og helseregister og biobanker som kan knyttes sammen gjennom våre unike fødselsnummer. Dette er få land forunt! Derfor kan vi utnytte dette konkurransefortrinnet for å ta en posisjon i den store omveltningen av helsesektoren og helsenæringen.

Nedenfor følger noen forslag som vi mener vil styrke Norges stilling.

 

PLATTFORM. Vi kan starte med å lage en norsk dataplattform. Selskap leter globalt etter helsedata av god kvalitet. La oss utvikle en dataplattform hvor helsedata er raskt og sikkert tilgjengelig for norske og utenlandske aktører. Et eksempel er helseanalyseplattformen. Her må data gjøres tilgjengelig for alle aktører og for alle legitime formål. Samarbeidsmodeller må utvikles som sikrer at verdiskapingen blir i Norge og pasientene får bedre behandling.

Vi kan utvikle bedre økosystemer. Verdiskapingspotensialet for helsedata ligger i skjæringspunktet mellom offentlig og privat. Dagens offentlige forvaltere av helsedata må derfor samarbeide tettere med norske oppstartsbedrifter og internasjonale aktører.

 

INNSYN. Vi kan bruke personvern som konkurransefortrinn. Hver og en av oss eier våre egne helsedata. Derfor er det viktig med digitale plattformer som gir oss innsyn i egne helsedata.

Hvordan vi kommer til å bruke helsedata om få år, er vanskelig å forutse, akkurat som det var vanskelig å forutse hva konsesjonsutlysningen for oljeutvinning i 1965 ville føre til. Historien viser imidlertid at slike avgjørelser kan ha stor betydning for fremtidens verdiskapning i Norge, og for pasienter i hele verden. La oss derfor ikke overlate til tilfeldighetene hva vi i Norge gjør med våre helsedata.

 

 

English summary:

Digitalisation and precision medicine are influencing emerging business models in the health industry. It is time for Norway to lead the way!

As precision medicine develops, data gathering becomes ever more important. Instead of relying on results from a big patient group, cancer researchers are using big data to find out how treatments can be customised for small patient groups and individual patients.

Norway has a competitive advantage on health data: thanks to its strong public health sector, national health registers and biobanks that can be connected to unique personal ID numbers.

We suggest creating a common platform for Norwegian data, where high quality data can be accessed securely by legitimate national and international companies. Through collaborative models, we can ensure that the medical breakthroughs stay in Norway and benefit the patients. We need to develop better ecosystems that inspire simple collaboration between international key players, Norwegian start ups and the public agencies that handle health data.

Data privacy can be used as an asset. If we ensure everyone has complete access and insight into their own personal health data, people can be empowered to share it for the common good.

The decisions we make today will have great ramifications for the future value creation in Norway and for cancer patients across the world. We should not leave it up to chance.

 

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Woman in lab coat behind microscope sourounded by peopleGunnar Kopperud

Radforsk to invest NOK 4.5 million in cancer research

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Radforsk, the Radium Hospital Research Foundation, a partner of Oslo Cancer Cluster, is awarding several million Norwegian kroner to new research that fights cancer with light.

Radforsk is an evergreen investor focusing on companies that develop cancer treatment. Since its inception in 1986, Radforsk has allocated NOK 200 million of its profit back into cancer research at Oslo University Hospital. This year, four researchers will be awarded a total of NOK 4.5 million. One of them is Anette Weyergang, who will receive NOK 3.75 million over a three-year period.

“I’m so happy for this grant. As researchers, we have to find funding for our own projects. I didn’t have any funding for the project I have now applied and been granted funds for,” says Anette Weyergang.

Anette Weyergang is a project group manager and senior researcher in a research group led by Kristian Berg. The group conducts research in the field of photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photochemical internalisation (PCI). Radforsk’s portfolio company and Oslo Cancer Cluster member PCI Biotech is based on this group’s research.

What is PDT / PCI? Cancer research in the field of photodynamic therapy and photochemical internalisation studies the use of light in direct cancer treatment in combination with drugs, or to deliver drugs that can treat cancer cells or organs affected by cancer.

 

Weyergang is the first researcher ever to receive several million kroner over the course of several years from Radforsk.

“We have donated a total of NOK 200 million to cancer research at Oslo University Hospital, of which NOK 25 million have gone to research in PDT/PCI. We have previously awarded smaller amounts to several researchers, but we now want to use some of our funds to focus on projects we believe in,” says Jónas Einarsson, CEO of Radforsk.

By the deadline on 15 February 2019, Radforsk received a total of eight applications, which were then assessed by external experts.

 

New use of PCI technology

PCI is a technology for delivering drugs and other molecules into the cancer cells and then releasing them by means of light. This allows for a targeted cancer treatment with fewer side effects for patients.

Weyergang will use the funds from Radforsk to research whether PCI technology can be used to make targeted cancer treatment even more precise.

“The project aims to find a method for delivering antibodies to cancer cells using PCI technology. This has never been done before, and if we succeed, it can open up brand new possibilities for using this technology,” says Weyergang.

Initially, she will focus on glioblastoma, which is the most serious form of brain cancer. Glioblastoma is resistant to both chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and has a very high mortality rate.

“This is translational research, so human trials are still a long way off. We will now use both glioblastoma cell lines and animal experimentation to test our hypothesis. We do this to establish what is called a “proof of concept”, which we need to move on to clinical testing,” says Weyergang.

 

The other researchers who have received funding for PDT/PCI research from Radforsk in 2019 are:

  • Kristian Berg and Henry Hirschberg Beckman: NOK 207,500
  • Qian Peng: NOK 300,000
  • Mpuldy Sioud: NOK 300,000

 

What is Radforsk?

  • Since its formation in 1986, Radforsk has generated NOK 600 million in fund assets and channelled NOK 200 million to cancer research, based on a loan of NOK 1 million in equity back in 1986.
  • During this period, NOK 200 million have found its way back to the researchers whose ideas Radforsk has helped to commercialise.
  • NOK 25 million have gone to research in photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photochemical internalisation (PCI). In total, NOK 40 million will be awarded to this research.

 

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