Pharmacology Research Group

Description of Research Group

The Pharmacology research group performs basic research into areas of cell signaling and transcriptional regulation. One of our main goals is to decipher molecular mechanisms involved in cell migration, invasion and
metastasis with the aim to improve therapeutic strategies for the treatment of cancer.

Our research projects includes studies of ‘Cellular signaling through the atypical MAP kinases ERKJ and ERK.4’, FISH &CRIS PR, and ‘Regulation of gene-expression by the transcription factor Pax6’.

We are also involved in several collaborative projects within the Faculty of Health Sciences (Link microRNA), the University of Tromsø and the Norwegian Cancer Genomics Consortium.

Technology, expertise and equipment

Our research focus is cellular signaling and the role of specific protein kinases and protein phosphatases as regulator of cellular signaling. The main aim for the research is to identify specific inhibitors for protein kinases that can modify cancer cell signaling and be used to develop novel pharmacological strategies to combat cancer. Our experimental approaches range from generating protein crystal structures of protein kinases in complex with small-molecule inhibitors to cell and animal models. Lately we have also started to use CRISPR-cas9 gene-editing as an important tool for our research. In this connection we are also involved in the interdisciplinary project FISH &CRISPR where we will try to optimize the CRISPR technology to be used in Gene-editing of Atlantic Salmon.