Aina Westrheim Ravna
Stillingsbeskrivelse
Forsker på legemidlers virkesteder i kroppen ved hjelp av molekylmodellering.
Underviser farmakologi for medisinerstudenter, tannlegestudenter, sykepleiestudenter og biologistudenter.
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Forskningsinteresser
Forsker på legemidlers virkesteder i kroppen ved hjelp av molekylmodellering, med særlig fokus på legemidler for behandling av kreft og depresjon.
Formidler egen forskning samt populærvitenskapelige emner som sjokolade, krydder og samisk folkemedisin (sjamanisme).
Medlem i forskningsgruppe
CV
CURRICULUM VITAE
Dr.scient. Aina Westrheim Ravna
EDUCATION AND RESEARCH
1988 Student at the Los Altos High School, Los Altos, CA, USA.
1991 Examen artium 1991 from Kongsbakken Videregående Skole, Tromsø.
1996 Cand.mag. (mathematic-natural scientific), University of Tromsø autumn with exams
from the University of Copenhagen, 1995, fitted into cand.mag. degree: Inorganic
Chemistry, Valence Theory (Introduction to fundamental conceptions of quantum
mechanics) and Physical Organic Chemistry.
1997 Maternity leave
1999 Cand.scient., University of Tromsø.
2000→Teaching pharmacology for of medical students, odontology students, biology students
at bachelor-, master and doctorate level, and student nurses.
2000→Supervision of master students, bachelor students and medical students.
2003 Dr.scient. (PhD), University of Tromsø, 17th October 2003. Title of thesis: ”Molecular
modelling of secondary transporters and their interactions with cocaine and SSRIs”.
Exams from the University of Tromsø included in the dr.scient degree:
FA-333 Pharmacokinetics
K-342 Protein structure
BIO-481 Basis course in Biomedical Research
Exams from the University of Oslo included in the dr.scient degree:
O-3768 Mechanisms of Cellular Signal Transduction
(dissertation completed 9 months ahead of scholarship ending)
2004 “Universitetspedagogisk seminar” (UPS) at the University of Tromsø.
2004 Temporary scholarship from the University of Tromsø (autumn 2004)
2005-2009 Post.doc position granted by The Norwegian Cancer Society doing research on ABC
transporters
2007 Maternity leave
2008→Supervision of Ph.D. students.
2009 Research stay at Ruben Abagyan's lab (Molsoft/The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla,
USA) (7 weeks).
2009→Researcher position at the University of Tromsø (permanent position from February 2011)
2011 Research stay at Ruben Abagyan's lab (University of California (UCSD), La Jolla, USA) (3 months)
2013→Group leader for the Medical Pharmacology and Toxicology research group.
Teaching
Lectures given at the University of Tromsø:
- Course for specialization in Clinical Pharmacology (Den norske lægeforening):
- “Neurotransmitter transporters”, 1 hour, spring 2009.
- “Pharmacological Mechanisms”, 1 hour, 2004, 2006 and 2009.
- “Molecular modeling as a tool for development of novel drugs”, 1 hour, autumn 2006 and 2009.
- “Chocolate as a potential euphoric substance”, 1 hour, spring 2012.
- CNS pharmacology
- Odontology students, 11 hours, spring 2009.
- Medical students, 2 hours, spring 2009.
- Limbic system neurotransmitters, medical students, 1 hour, spring 2012, spring 2013.
- Children and medications, medical students, 1 hour, autumn 2011, 2013, 2014.
- Elderly people and medicines, medical students, 1 hour, autumn 2011.
- Pharmacology for “medisin grunnfag”, 6 hours, autumn 2002 and 2003.
- Basic pharmacology for student nurses, 4 hours, spring 2011; 8 hours, autumn 2011, 4 hours autumn 2013.
- Oral contraception
- Midwife students, 3 hours, spring 2011 and 2012, autumn 2014.
- Public health nurse students, 3 hours, spring 2011, spring 2013
- Pharmacology of the kidneys
- Odontology students, 4 hours, autumn 2011, 6 hours autumn 2013.
- Medical students, 6 hours, spring 2012, spring 2013.
- Bio-354 (Pharmacology and Toxicology), 9 hours, autumn 2000, 2001, 2002, 2008.
- Bio-262 (General and Human Toxicology), 10 hours, spring 2001, 2002 and 2003.
- Bio-2301 (General Pharmacology and Toxicology), 12 hours, spring 2004. (Course
responsible).
- Bio-3305 (Toxicology), 6 hours, spring 2004.
- Pharmacology for midwife students (oxytocin etc), winter 2013.
- MBI-2005 (General pharmacology and toxicology), 4 hours, autumn 2011, 8 hours autumn 2013.
- MBI-3002 (Pharmacology), 8 hours, spring 2012 (Course responsible), 20 hours, spring (Course responsible) 2013.
- Bio-8305 (Research frontiers in molecular and structural biology): 1 hour (”The homology modeling approach”), autumn 2006.
- Bio-1101-1 Biologiske molekyler - struktur og egenskap, 1 hour, autumn 2013, 2014.
- Psychopharmacology for student nurses, 3 hours, autumn 2013.
- Teaching for doctors in the child psychiatrist program in Northern Norway, 1 hour, autumn 2013.
- Workshop: ”Introduction to molecular modelling”, 1 hour (“Homology based modelling of drug targets”), autumn 2005.
- Sami traditional medicine for
- Medical students, spring 2005, 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2013.
- Bio2301 students, spring 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2009.
- Students enrolled in master study of indigenous people, autumn 2005, spring 2007, and spring 2009.
- History students, autumn 2010 and 2011.
Lectures given at Tromsø University College:
- Pharmacology for student nurses, 4 hours, spring 2002 and spring 2011.
Supervision:
- PhD students Anna Subbotina, Lena Aronsen, Inger Lindin and Mari Gabrielsen. The date for Mari Gabrielsen’s dissertation was 16.09.11.
- Master student Elin Øien Ørvoll. The date for Elin Øien Ørvoll’s master exam was 24.06.11.
- Supervision assistance of master students Maja Karlsen Linchausen and Marit Livik.
- Supervision assistance of medical student at summer stipend, University of Tromsø, 8
weeks, summer 2000.
- Supervision of students on semester projects in the course Bio-2301 (General
Pharmacology and Toxicology) spring 2004 and spring 2010.
- Supervision of students on semester projects in the course MBI-2005 (General
Pharmacology and Toxicology), autumn 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014.
- Training of master- and doctoral students in use of software for molecular modeling and
computational chemistry at the Department of Pharmacology, Institute of medical
biology, University of Tromsø.
Colloquium teaching and pharmacokinetic exercises:
• Pharmacology for medical students (Course I, Introduction to Biological Medicine,
Pharmacology), 8 hours, autumn 2000, 2002 and 2003.
• Bio-354 (Pharmacology/Toxicology), 16 hours, autumn 2002 and 2003.
Maternity leaves
Maternity leave from the 1st of March 1997 until the 7th of January 1998, and from the 30th of
July 2007 until the 20th of April 2008.
Other experience
- Indre Sør-Troms Distriktsmuseum; summer employment as museum assistant in 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994 and 1995.
- ”Skaidi - Informasjonsavisa for høyere utdanning i Nord-Norge”; summer employment in 1994 as journalist.
- Information speech about master studies at the Department of Pharmacology, University of Tromsø, for new students, February 2000.
- External examiner at “Medisin grunnfag” exam spring 2002.
- Member of 4 judging committees:
- employment of PhD student at the Department of Molecular Biotechnology, IMB, University of Tromsø, spring 2002
- employment of PhD student at the Department of Pharmacology, IMB, University of Tromsø, autumn 2003
- employment of PhD student at the Molecular Pathology Research Group, IMB, University of Tromsø, autumn 2012
- employment of PhD student at the Medical Pharmacology and Toxicology Research Group, IMB, University of Tromsø, autumn 2012.
- Responsible for social activities during the course for specialization in Clinical Pharmacology: “Pharmacological Mechanisms” (Den norske lægeforening), February 2004.
- Preparation of answer to inquiry concerning inquiry note about “Naturmiddelutredningen” from the Ministry of Health in March 2004.
- Referee for journals (Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences (CMLS), Protein Science, International Journal of Molecular Sciences, Biochemical Pharmacology, Journal of Molecular Modeling, European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry)
- External examiner at Bio-8305 (Research frontiers in molecular and structural biology), autumn 2006.
- Examiner at 3 master exams in pharmacology at the University of Tromsø, spring 2008, 2009 and 2011.
Invited speeches
- Ravna AW and Edvardsen Ø.: “Towards a structural model of the serotonin transporter and its implications for a rational drug design.” 7th World Congress of Biological Psychiatry,
Berlin, July 2001.
- Ravna AW.: ”Urtemedisin i et farmakologisk perspektiv.” (“Herbal medicine from a pharmacological point of view”) Popular science. Sex, drugs & rock’n’roll. Congress for bioengineers, University of Tromsø, November 2001.
- Ravna AW.: “Molecular modeling of drug targets in the central nervous system” Institute for psychology, University of Tromsø, 15th of March 2002.
- Ravna AW: “Glade molekyler.” (“Happy molecules”) Popular scientific speech at the Science days arranged by the University of Tromsø, 21th of September 2004.
- Ravna AW: “Molecular modeling of secondary transporters.” Winter Meeting at Beito, Norway 2005, arranged by the Norwegian Society for Pharmacology and Toxicology.
- Ravna AW: “Molecular modeling of CNS drug targets.” Meeting arranged by Sanofi-Aventis, Clarion Hotell Bryggen, Tromsø, 17th of November 2005.
- Ravna AW: ”Modellering av dopamintransporter som utgangspunkt for nye psykofarmaka.” (“Modeling of dopamine transporter as a starting point for new psychoactive drugs”) at the annual Gardermoen-course in biological psychiatry, Radisson SAS Airport Hotel, Gardermoen, 30th of November 2005.
- Ravna AW: “Traditional Saami Medicine.” Speech for representatives from Sosial- og
helsedirektoratet and the Chinese Embassy, University of Tromsø, 9th of June 2006.
- Ravna AW: “Molecular modelling and docking studies of drug transporters using ICM.” at the ICM User Group Meeting (“Challenges in Protein Structure Prediction and Drug Discovery”), The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla CA USA, April 2009.
- Ravna AW: “Homology modelling of neurotransmitter transporters” Speech at III Konwersatorium Chemii Medycznej, Lublin, Poland, September 21st 2010.
- Ravna AW: “Sjokolade og “lystsenteret” i hjernen”, Litteraturhuset i Oslo, 23th of September 2011.
- Ravna AW: “Sjokoladerus, hjertebrus og hjernesus”, Tromsø Museum, 25th of September 2011.
- Ravna AW: “Jul i hjernen”, (Christmas spices’ influence on the brain), Tromsø Museum, 1th of December 2011.
- Ravna AW: “Computer based methods in the search for new compounds”, Winter Meeting at Beito, Norway 2012, arranged by the Norwegian Society for Pharmacology and Toxicology.
- Ravna AW: “Sjokoladerus, hjertebrus og hjernesus - Om kakao og krydder som afrodisiaka” Speech given at the opening of the imPuls exhibition at MH-bygget at the University of Tromsø, 14th of February 2012 (Valentine’s Day).
- Ravna AW: “Samisk folkemedisin”, AJA samisk senter, Manndalen, 3th of March 2012.
- Ravna AW: “Sildenafil og ABC transportere: Økt sensitivitet for legemidler i kreftbehandling.” NSFTs vintermøte, January 2013
- Ravna AW: “Novel sildenafil analogues - possible drugs for increased sensitivity to chemotherapeutic agents.” MedChem & CADD, Las Vegas, USA, October 2013.
- Ravna AW: “Sjokoladens virkning på hjernen. Dame-Vorspiel med rødvin og sjokolade”, Landsbymarkedet, Nordreisa, November 2013
- Ravna AW: “Jul i hjernen - om julekrydder og dopamin. Desembernatt på Tromsø Museum, December 2013.
- Ravna AW: “Sjokoladens farmakologi.” Årsmøte for Norsk kjemisk selskap, Nord-Norge, December 2013.
Memberships
Board member of NSFT (Norsk Selskap for Farmakologi og Toksikologi)
ACS (American Chemical Society)
REFERENCES
Professor Georg Sager, Institute of Medical Biology, University of Tromsø, phone number 77644708
Professor Terje Larsen, Institute of Medical Biology, University of Tromsø, phone number 77644694