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University of Bergen
SAMLET
Research group

Occupational and environmental medicine

The field of occupational medicine encompasses the study of how various exposures in the work environment affect health, including the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of work-related diseases and injuries, as well as the promotion of health and safety in the workplace. The field of environmental medicine involves the study of how environmental factors such as air pollution, chemicals, radiation, and climate change impact human health, as well as the development of measures to prevent and reduce health damage caused by these factors.

Picture on the left is of man drilling into hard mountain, dust rising from drill. Picture to the right is of a fire following a large explosion.
Photo:
Gro Tjalvin, Glenn Rogers

Main content

The research group has a wide range of research activities, focusing on both occupational and environmental medical epidemiology. Through our research, we aim to contribute to the prevention of work- and environment-related diseases and injuries, both nationally and globally. In addition to projects funded internally and externally, we also undertake larger consultancy tasks within our areas of expertise

Who are we?

Magne Br氓tveit, professor, occupational hygienist
Bente Moen, professor, specialist in occupational medicine
Gro Tjalvin, associate professor, specialist in occupational medicine听
Ole Jacob M酶llerl酶kken, associate professor, specialist in occupational medicine听
Kaja Irgens-Hansen, associate professor, specialist in occupational medicine听
Bj酶rg Eli Hollund, associate professor, occupational hygienist
Jorunn Kirkeleit, researcher, occupational hygienist
Hilde Kristin Vindenes, specialist in occupational dermatology听听

Associated members:
Kari Eilidh Mikkelsen, occupational hygienist/bioengineer
Stein H氓kon L氓stad Lygre, statistician
Abel Deresu Dufera, doctor specializing in occupational medicine
Dagrun Sletteb酶 Daltveit, statistician听
听

Research group vision

Healthy workplaces and a healthy external environment, both nationally and globally

By conducting leading research on the relationships between exposures in the workplace or from the external environment and health effects, we will contribute to the prevention of work- and environment-related diseases and injuries, both nationally and globally. We aim to be an important educational institution in occupational and environmental medicine, and a visible societal participant in issues concerning the development of healthy workplaces and a healthy external environment.

National and international collaborating partner institutions

National:

  • Other research groups at University of Bergen
  • Department of Occupational Medicine, Haukeland universitetssykehus
  • Occupational Health in the North, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Troms酶
  • Department of Occupational Medicine, University Hospital of North Norway, Troms酶
  • Work and Health, Department of Public Health and Nursing, NTNU, Trondheim
  • Occupational Medicine Department, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim
  • Cancer registry/University of听Oslo
  • STAMI 鈥� The National Institute of Occupational Health in Norway

International:

  • Utrecht University, Netherlands
  • University of Cape Town, South Africa
  • Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS), Tanzania
  • Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia
  • Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Finland听
  • Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Lund University, Sweden
  • Det nationale forskningscenter for arbeidsmilj酶, Denmark

Commissioned research

The group can conduct commissioned research in health, environment, and safety.

We are particularly interested in projects related to HSE within:

  • Fisheries
  • Maritime work
  • Offshore work
  • Heavy industry
  • Occupational health in low- and middle-income countries

Areas where we have particular expertise:

  • Various types of pollution
    • Chemical health hazards
    • Indoor climate
    • Dust and particles
    • Oil and oil products
  • Shift work and health
  • Noise exposure and health

Potential clients include, for example, companies in Norwegian industry, organisations, authorities, and research councils.

Teaching

Medical students

Occupational medicine: workplace exposures, health effects, occupational history, management at individual and group levels, reading scientific literature

Environmental medicine: external environmental exposures, health effects, and management at the societal level

Master鈥檚 in Occupational Hygiene

Chemical and physical factors in the work environment

Supervision

Mandatory "hovedoppgave" (medical students), research track students, master鈥檚 and PhD candidates

International Courses

鈥淏etter Workplaces in Low and Middle Income Countries鈥� (online on Futurelearn.com)

鈥淚ntroduction to Global Occupational Health鈥� (on campus)

"Chemical Hazards in the Work Environment" (online kurs hosted by Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences)

About the group

Group leader:听
Associate Professor Gro Tjalvin

Visitor address:听

脜rstadhuset, Haukeland universitetssykehus,听Jonas Lies vei 65,听5021 Bergen听

Members of the research group 

Gro Tjalvin

Associate Professor

Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care

  • +47 55 58 61 16

gro.tjalvin@uib.no

Ole Jacob Torkildsen M酶llerl酶kken

Associate Professor, Leader of SAMLET (Community Medicine, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Health Management)

Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care

  • +47 55 58 61 01

ole.mollerlokken@uib.no

Bente Elisabeth Moen

Professor, Centre for International Health

Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care

  • +47 55 58 85 51
  • +4790025541

bente.moen@uib.no

Bj酶rg Eli Hollund

Associate Professor

Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care

bjorg.hollund@uib.no

Kaja Irgens-Hansen

Associate Professor

Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care

kaja.irgens@uib.no

Magne Br氓tveit

Professor

Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care

  • +47 55 58 60 73
  • +47 992 05 955

magne.bratveit@uib.no

Jorunn Kirkeleit

Researcher

Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care

  • +47 55 58 61 65

jorunn.kirkeleit@uib.no

Hilde Kristin Vindenes

Associate Professor, MD, Specialist in Dermatovenerology

Department of Clinical Medicine

hilde.vindenes@uib.no

Cecilie Svanes

Professor, Centre for International Health

Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care

Cecilie.Svanes@uib.no

Ongoing Projects 
Person arbeider ved samleb氓nd med fisk p氓.

Project for Better Occupational Health in the Salmon Processing Industry

The goal of the SHInE* project is to identify effective measures to improve air quality in the workplaces of the salmon processing industry.

EPHOR - Exposome project for health and occupational research

The Occupational Exposome in the Lung Health Survey in Bergen is a sub-study of the Lung Health Survey in Bergen and part of the European multicenter study EPHOR - Exposome Project for Health and Occupational Research. In this project, we aim to investigate short-term exposures during a workweek 鈥�...

Group of people on a lawn, sun shining, palm trees, roof and sea in the background

SAFEWORKERS - developing a Virtual School of Occupational Health

Professors Bente E. Moen (CIH) and Magne Br氓tveit (OEM) aim to develop a Virtual school of Occupational Health with their partners in Tanzania and Ethiopia.

Job Exposure Matrices for Benzene and Oil Mist/Vapor among Offshore Workers (2025)

The project is a work package conducted by UiB during the period 2022-2025 as part of an NFR-funded project led by the Cancer Registry of Norway/UiO.

Music intervention to prevent musculoskeletal disorders

The aim of the project is to find out if music interventions in the workplace can help prevent musculoskeletal disorders.

21.03.2025