About us - NORCOR

The research group NORCOR was established in 2013. The group originates from and is led by the Medical Department at Drammen Hospital. NORCOR’s clinical and academic partnership extend to other hospitals in Vestre Viken, Vestfold Hospital, the Department of Behavioral Medicine at the University of Oslo, and the Department of Pharmacology at Oslo University Hospital. The group actively participates in a wide range of national and international collaborations.

The Research Unit in the Medical Department is responsible for finances and infrastructure, including study personnel. PhD candidates in the projects are primairly employed at Drammen Hospital and Oslo University Hospital. Leading the project’s steering group are John Munkhaugen (Chair), Elise Sverre (Vice-Chair), along with members Erik Gjertsen, Einar Husebye, Toril Dammen, and Nils Tore Vethe. The steering committee is responsible for making major decisions, including those related to project direction and strategy.

Norcor is organized into four research groups, each dedicated to a specific aspect of our ongoing major research projects:

Biopsychosocial Research Group (led by Toril Dammen)
NORCOR Preventive medicines project (led by Nils Tore Vethe and Elise Sverre)
NORCOR Group for Metabolic and Endocrinological Project
Healthcare Services and Collaboration Research Group (led by John Munkhaugen and Stina Therese Sollid)

Members of NORCOR (as of October 2025):

One research coordinator and three study nurses
Two postdoctoral researchers
13 PhD candidates and four Msc students
20 active senior researchers, two statistical advisors, and several national and international advisors and collaborators.

Below is a brief presentation of the members.

Members of NORCOR research group:

Leader

John Munkhaugen

Head of Research, cardiologist, and professor

Phone: +47 97524194

johmun@vestreviken.no

Deputy leader

Elise Sverre

Head of the Preventive Medicines Group, senior researcher, and cardiologist.

Phone: +47 99020329

elisbj@vestreviken.no

Research coordinator

Anja Lia-Engene

Research coordinator and cardiology nurse

92460856

anjlia@vestreviken.no

Group leaders

Nils Tore Vethe

Head of the Research Group for Preventive Medicines, Associate professor, and pharmacist

nvethe@ous-hf.no

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Toril Dammen

Head of the Bio-Psychosocial Research Group, professor, and specialist in psychiatry.

toril.dammen@medisin.uio.no

Senior scientists

Erik Gjertsen

Clinical researcher, cardiologist and head of section for cardiology

erik.gjertsen@vestreviken.no

Einar Husebye

Professor-competent senior researcher, specialist in gastroenterology and special adviser

einar.husebye@vestreviken.no

Costas Papageorgiouu

Senior researcher, Associate professor of clinical psychology at University of Oslo

costas@costaspapageorgiou.com

Senior advisors

Post-doctoral researchers

Kari Peersen

Post-doctoral researcher and physiotherapist

kari.peersen@siv.no

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Stina Sollid

Head of the Group for Metabolic and Endocrinological Research and section chief physician

STTHSO@vestreviken.no

Phd candidates

Jonas Pivoriunas

PhD fellow

Joans.pivoriunas@vestreviken.no

Ingrid Engebretsen

PhD fellow

ien@osloeconomics.no

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Ine Solesvik Oppedal

PhD fellow

ineopp@vestreviken.no

Amund Leinaas

PhD fellow

amuola@vestreviken.no

Karin Pleym

PhD fellow

Karin.Pleym@vestreviken.no

Karoline Svensen Braanaas

Research fellow

Karoline.Svensen.Braanaas@vestreviken.no

Johanne Elise Nyen

PhD fellow

jen@osloeconomics.no

Vilde Getz

PhD fellow

Vilde.Getz@vestreviken.no

Kristoffer Tunheim

PhD fellow

k.j.tunheim@medisin.uio.no

Øystein Fossdal

Clinical researcher, specialist in geriatrics and internal medicine

oeyfos@vestreviken.no

André Filip Antonio Pekkola Pacheco

PhD fellow and MD

andpek@ous-hf.no

Study statisticians

Morten Wang Fagerland

Researcher PhD, Oslo Center for Biostatistics and Epidemiology (OCBE), Regional Research Support, OUS.

morten.fagerland@medisin.uio.no

Harald Weedon-Fekjær

Senior researcher; PhD, Oslo Center for Biostatistics and Epidemiology (OCBE), Regional Research Support, OUS.

hf@ous-hf.no; harald.weedon-fekjar@medisin.uio.no

Research nurses

Elin Dignes

Research nurse, Msc in advanced clinical general nursing

elin.dignes@vestreviken.no

Mari Dyrkon

Mari Dyrkorn

Research nurse

MADYRK@vestreviken.no

Associated members

Peder L Myhre

Professor at the Department of Cardiology, Clinic for Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Diseases, Institute of Clinical Medicine. Head Physician at Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet

Kjetil Retterstøl

Professor at Division of Clinical Nutrition at University of Oslo and senior physicianat The Lipid Clinic at Oslo University Hospital

kretters@ous-hf.no; kjetil.retterstol@medisin.uio.no

Kirsten Bjørklund Holven

Professor at Division of Clinical Nutrition at University of Oslo

k.b.holven@medisin.uio.no; kirstean@ous-hf.no

Mari Gynnild

Postdoctor at Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging at Norwegian University of Science and Technology

mari.nordbo.gynnild@stolav.no

Trine Lauritzen

Researcher and Chief Physician at the Department of Medical Biochemistry, Vestre Viken Hospital Trust

Trine.Lauritzen@vestreviken.no

Sigrun Halvorsen

Professor at Department of Cardiology at University of Oslo and Head physician at Department of Cardiology at Oslo University Hospital

sigrun.halvorsen@medisin.uio.no

Serena Tonstad

Senior researcher, professor em. and Head Physician at Section for Preventive Cardiology at Oslo University Hospital

SERTON@ous-hf.no

Kirsten Holven Bjørklund

Professor ved Seksjon for klinisk ernæring ved Universitetet i Oslo og forskningsgruppeleder ved Nasjonal kompetansetjeneste for familiær hyperkolesterolemi ved Oslo universitetssykehus HF

k.b.holven@medisin.uio.no; kirstean@ous-hf.no