Master i farmasi Richard Fjellaksel disputerer for ph.d.-graden i helsevitenskap og vil offentlig forsvare avhandlingen:
“Development and evaluation of gonadotropin releasing hormone antagonists as SPECT radiotracers.”
Kort sammendrag av avhandlingen:
Alzheimer` disease (AD) is the most dominant reason of dementia, it is estimated that as much as 131.5 million people worldwide will be affected by dementia in 2050. Currently, there is no cure for AD. Researchers are looking for new treatments to alter the course of the disease and improve the quality of life for people with AD. An early overexpression of the gender hormone gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) has been linked to AD. The theses by Richard Fjellaksel focuses on the connection between GnRH and AD. The main aim was to develop radiotracers to GnRH, for use in single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and positron emitting tomography (PET). These studies have resulted in several promising radiotracers with suitable characteristics for clinical use. The chosen radiotracers will further undergo preclinical and clinical trials to discover their true potential in labelling GnRH to investigate its role in AD and possible be better diagnostic tools for early detection and follow up of patients with AD.
(Avhandlingen er tilgjengelig for utlån hos Seksjon forutdanningstjenester frem til disputasdato)
Veiledere
Hovedveileder førsteamanuensis II Rune Sundset, Institutt for klinisk medisin, UiT Norges arktiske universitet.
Biveileder førsteamanuensis Patrick Riss, kjernekjemi, Universitetet i Oslo
Biveileder overlege Ira Haraldsen, Rikshospitalet
Biveileder professor II Ole Kristian Hjelstuen, Institutt for farmasi, UiT Norges arktiske universitet
Biveileder Førsteamanuensis Jørn Hansen, Institutt for kjemi, UiT Norges arktiske universitet
Bedømmelseskomiteen
1. Opponent: Professor Alfons Verbruggen, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Leuven, Belgium
2. opponent: Førsteamanuensis Tom Christian Adamsen, Kjemisk institutt, Universitetet i Bergen
Leder av komite: Professor Karen Kristine Sørensen, Institutt for medisinsk biologi, Det helsevitenskapelige fakultet, UiT Norges arktiske universitet.
Disputasleder
Førsteamanuensis Anders Vik, Institutt for klinisk medisin, UiT Norges arktiske universitet
Prøveforelesning over oppgitt emne holdes kl. 10.15, samme sted: “Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease using imaging and non-imaging techniques – current situation”