Group description: 

Diabetes epidemiology, causes of type 1 diabetes and prevention, diabetes complications and mortality. Special emphasis on risk factors for type 1 diabetes using epidemiological approaches, including studies of infectious, dietary and other environmental factors, and potential gene-environment interactions. Research to prevent complications and premature death by studying of risk factors is also central in the group's work. The long-time goal is to reduce the incidence of type 1 diabetes in children and reduce the impact of complications of diabetes in children that already have the disease. The most important source for research is the Norwegian Childhood Diabetes Registry with biobank with > 90% of new cases of diabetes below 15 years included, the MOBA-study with biobank and other registers.

Projects:

1. The PAGE study (Prediction of Autoimmune diabetes and celiac disease in childhood by Genes and perinatal Environment): Studies of risk factors for type 1 diabetes and for celiac disease in The Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort (MOBA) linked to the Norwegian childhood diabetes registry (PI: Lars Chr. Stene).

2. Cardiovascular and end-stage renal disease in type 1 diabetes with onset before 15 years of age and long duration. PhD project, research fellow Maryam Saeed, MD.

3.  Early nutrition and risk of islet autoimmunity and type 1 diabetes. Postdoc project, Nicolai Lund-Blix, PhD.

Group members:

Geir Joner, Professor, MD, PhD

Lars Christian Stene, PhD, senior researcher

Torild Skrivarhaug, MD, PhD, Director, Norwegian Childhood Diabetes Registry

Vibeke Gagnum, MD, PhD student

Ingvild Menes Sørensen, MD, PhD, paediatric endocrinology

German Tapia, PhD, researcher/postdoc

Nicolai Lund-Blix, cand. scient, PhD, postdoc

Maria C. Magnus, PhD, researcher

Paz Ruiz, MD, research fellow

Maryam Saeed, MD, research fellow