Our research areas

Epilepsy

Epilepsy is a brain disease that causes repeated seizures. One in ten people will have an epileptic seizure during their lifetime, while one in 100 will develop epilepsy. Treatment with medication can help most people, but can also have unwanted effects, especially during pregnancy.

We research how people with epilepsy can live the best possible lives – with safe treatment throughout the different phases of life, good follow-up and opportunities to participate fully in education, work and society.

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Headache

Every day, one in six people in the world experiences a headache, making it one of our biggest health challenges. Common causes include migraines, tension headaches, trigeminal neuralgia, cluster headaches, medication overuse, or head injuries. Women are affected more often than men.

We research why headaches occur, new treatment strategies, how treatment can be adapted to the individual, and how we can provide safe treatment – also during pregnancy. BergenBrain is the largest partner in the Norwegian Center for Headache Research ( NorHead ), a national research center for clinical treatment established by the Research Council of Norway.

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Myasthenia gravis

Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune disease that affects the nerve-muscle junction. Antibodies against the postsynaptic membrane in muscle cause muscle weakness. About 1,500 people in Norway have the disease.

Treatment is available, but the effects vary and can be particularly challenging during pregnancy. We are researching disease mechanisms and safe pregnancies for people with myasthenia gravis.

Image: Gilhus, N.Eet al. Myasthenia gravis. Nat Rev Dis Primers (2019).

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Internationally recognized research work

Community work and research dissemination

Our researchers share insights through teaching, lectures for healthcare professionals, decision-makers and patients, and disseminate their research via podcasts, newspapers, television and social media.

Go to Media and Communication

Funding and collaboration

BergenBrain collaborates closely with leading research communities in neurology, epidemiology, artificial intelligence, industry and genetics. This strengthens our research on registry data and biobanks, and is crucial for our multicenter clinical studies.


Our research is possible thanks to support from a number of national and international funding sources, including the Research Council of Norway, Trond Mohn Research Foundation, EU Horizon, KLINBEFORSK, NordForsk, Helse Vest, the pharmaceutical industry and patient organizations.

Experts by experience provide us with the user perspective

We collaborate closely with user organizations in Norway and Europe, including the Epilepsy Association , Headache Norway and the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

We know that the best research ideas often come from those living with the disease. The user perspective helps us choose research goals, interpret results, and communicate new knowledge to those affected.

Would you like to contribute? We are often looking for experienced experts for new research projects. Please contact our coordinator Yvonne Wollertsen.

Contact Yvonne

How do we use personal data in research?

We use personal data in research either from clinical studies, where participants have given informed consent, or from health registries and Statistics Norway. All data is anonymized – information that can directly identify individuals, such as name or social security number, is never linked to the research data. Data is stored on secure servers with strict access control.

If you have any questions about what information we research, or how we process personal data, you can contact group leader Professor Marte Helene Bjørk. If you have participated in one of our clinical studies and wish to withdraw or delete your information, contact the Department of Neurology at Haukeland University Hospital.