Barents summer school 2014

David Leon, Professor

Workplace: London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Field: Epidemiology
Email: david.leon@lshtm.ac.uk

Andy Gilman, PhD

Workplace: MacLaughlin Institute
(Population Health Centre), University of Ottawa 

Field:Arctic and aboriginal
health policy

Email: andygilman@shaw.ca

Evert Nieboer, Professor

Workplace: McMaster University

Field: Toxicology & Environmental Medicine 
Email:  nieboere@mcmaster.ca       

Torkjel M. Sandanger, Associate Professor

Workplace: UiT - Arctic University of Norway
Field: Environmental stressors and human health
Email: torkjel.sandanger@uit.no

Erik Eik Anda, Postdoc

Workplace: UiT, the Arctic University of Norway
Field: Perinatal and environmental epidemiology
Email: erik.anda@uit.no

Tormod Brenn, Associate Professor

Workplace: UiT - The Arctic Univerity of Norway
Field: Statistics
Email: tormod.brenn@uit.no

The Course (3 ects)

The main topics of the course will be human health related to environmental impacts, lifestyle choices, food security, climate change and practical statistical methods. One of the major obstacles to overcome when working in the high north is the lack of subjects which to study effects on, simply because there are few of them. This calls for extraordinary measures related to study design, sampling and statistical methods. With those measures overcome, the populations of the high north are among the most vulnerable in the world when it comes to the changing environment and the effects on human health will be the earliest noticeable and most easily detectable in these areas, underlining the importance of proper scientific investigations.

Social activity Thuesday, King Crab Cruise

Meet and eat the King crab from our crab traps, as we visit Boris Gleb – An Icon of the Norwegian-Russian border history. You follow our riverboats from Kirkenes to our facility at the Russian borderline. We serve you a King Crab dinner with white wine, cloudberries with cream, followed by coffee or tea. While the crabs are being prepared, you’ll learn that the cultural history of the Laplanders and the Orthodox church of Russia are closely connected to the border area. You’ll be as close to the border that you can almost touch it! However, trespassing is illegal.

Project partners

-          University of Tromsø – Institute of Community Medicine - Norway

-          University of Oulo - Finland

-          University of Umeå – Sweden

-          Northern State Medical University – Russia

Contact Persons:

Norway - Tormod Brenn tormod.brenn@uit.no

Sweden – Lena Maria Nilsson lena.nilsson@umu.se

Finland - Arja Rautio arja.rautio@oulu.fi

Russia - Yury A.Sumarokov sioury@mail.ru

Background

The main goal is to prepare young scientists (PhD students) for particular challenges related to conducting science in the high north. Other goals are to create an arena where these young scientists may interact with senior scientists that are experienced in high north issues and interact (as well as building networks) with other international students that have similar challenges. Specifically, senior scientists will be available to supervise on specific requests the students might have.

In cooperation with