Curriculum Vitae-Solbjørg Makalani Myrtveit
Date of Birth: 24th of November 1984
Phone number: +4799787945
Email address:
EducationApril 2012 – May 2015
PhD-candidate at the Department of Clinical Science, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Bergen (UiB). Also associated with the Department of Public Mental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH).
August 2013 – January 2014
Research stay at the Department of Health Psychology,University of Auckland, New Zealand
August 2005 – December 2011
Medical studies at the UiB. The studies included one semester and three clinical placements at the Medical faculty at the Universitätzuin Lübeck, Germany, and one semester of physics and Spanish at the University of Hawaii, USA.
Research related work experienceApril 2016 – today:
Post-doctor fellow at the Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, UiB.
October 2016 – April 2017:
20% position at the Department of Mental Health and suicide, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, NIPH
May 2015 – April 2016:
Researcher at the Department of Clinical Science, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, UiB. Also associated with the Department of Public Mental Health, NIPH.
April 2012 – May 2015:
PhD-candidate at the UiB, associated with the NIPH.
July, August 2011:
Research summer grant from the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, UiB: Worked on the article “Validity and non-responders; self-reported disability pension”, published in January 2013.
June, July, August 2010:
Research assistanton the project “Health, work and society, multi-disciplinary studies of determinants of sickness absence and disability”. Employed by the UniRokkan Centre.
Peer-reviewed publicationsHealth complaints in late adolescence; frequency, factor structure and the association with socioeconomic status.Solbjørg Makalani Myrtveit Sæther, BørgeSivertsen, Siren Haugland, TormodBøe, Mari Hysing. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, June 2017.
Physical activity is independently associated with reduced mortality. 15-years follow-up of the Hordaland Health Study (HUSK).ØyvindStorheimKopperstad, Jens ChristofferSkogen, BørgeSivertsen, Grethe S. Tell, Solbjørg Makalani MyrtveitSæther, PLOS one, March 2017
The Norwegian student introductory weeks: who takes part and is the arrangement associated with better social integration and satisfaction among students?Solbjørg Makalani Myrtveit, Kristin GärtnerAskeland, MaritKnapstad, Ann Kristin Knudsen, Jens ChristofferSkogen. European Journal ofHigher Education,November 2016
Risky drinking among Norwegian students: associations with participation in the introductory week, academic performance and alcohol-related attitudes. Solbjørg Makalani Myrtveit, Kristin GärtnerAskeland, Ann Kristin Knudsen, MaritKnapstad, Rune Olsen, TrulsNedregård, Jens ChristofferSkogen,Nordic Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, September 2016
Pain and pain tolerance in whiplash-associated disorders: A population-based study.Solbjørg Makalani Myrtveit, Jens ChristofferSkogen, BørgeSivertsen, Ólöf Anna Steingrímsdóttir, AudunStubhaug, Christopher Sivert Nielsen, European Journal of Pain, November 2015.
Initial health care and coping preferences are associated with outcome one year after whiplash trauma. Solbjørg Makalani Myrtveit, Tina Carstensen, Helge Kasch, Eva Ørnbøl, Lisbeth Frostholm, BMJ open, March 2015
The relationship between the belief in a genetic cause for breast cancer and bilateral mastectomy.
Keith J. Petrie, Solbjørg Makalani Myrtveit, Ann H. Patridge, Melika Stephens, Annette L. Stanton, Health Psychology APA,August 2014
Adolescent neck and shoulder pain - the association with depression, physical activity, screen-based activities and use of health care services. Solbjørg Makalani Myrtveit, BørgeSivertsen, Jens C.Skogen, Lisbeth Frostholm, Kjell Morten Stormark, Mari Hysing, Journal of Adolescent Health, April 2014
Abstention, alcohol consumption and common somatic symptoms: The Hordaland Health Study. Jens ChristofferSkogen, Ann Kristin Knudsen, Solbjørg Makalani Myrtveit, BørgeSivertsen. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, April 2014
Factors related to non-recovery from whiplash. The Nord-Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT). Solbjørg Makalani Myrtveit, Jens ChristofferSkogen, Keith J. Petrie, IngvardWilhelmsen, Hanne Gro Wenzel, BørgeSivertsen. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, September 2013
What characterizes individuals developing chronic whiplash? The importance of pre-injury health: The Nord-Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT).Solbjørg Makalani Myrtveit, IngvardWilhelmsen, Keith J. Petrie, Jens ChristofferSkogen, BørgeSivertsen. Journal of Psychosomatic research, March 2013
A population based validation study of self-reported pensions and benefits: the Nord-Trøndelag health study (HUNT)Solbjørg Makalani Myrtveit, Anja M. S. Ariansen, IngvardWilhelmsen, Steinar Krokstad, ArnsteinMykletun. BMC Research notes, January 2013
Somatic symptoms beyond those related to a whiplash injury are increased in chronic
Whiplash: The Hordaland Health Study (HUSK). Solbjørg Makalani Myrtveit, Jens ChristofferSkogen, Hanne Gro Wenzel and ArnsteinMykletun. BMC Psychiatry, August 2012
Submitted manuscriptsCan appointment allocation policy in itself lead to long waiting times for health care: a
simulation study. Solbjørg Makalani Myrtveit, TorhildHeggestad, John-Helge Heimdal, Magne Myrtveit. Submitted to BMC Health Services Research
Other publicationsRisiko for langvarige plager etter nakkesleng.Myrtveit, Solbjørg Makalani.Best Practice, Smerte2015 (15)
CoursesNovember 2016: 1 week course; “Advanced Stata”, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine(LSHTM), United Kingdom
June 2016: 1 week course in academic writing, DronningMaudsMinne
May 2016- June 2016: 3-day course in research- and PhD-supervision, UiB. UPED622
February 2016 – May 2016: Course in system dynamics, Department of Geography, UiB
August-December 2015: “Elementary Statistics”, Department of Mathematics, UiB
June 2015: 4 day summer school,“Handling missing data”, EPINOR, a national research school in population based epidemiology
January-May 2015: “Computer Programming for Science”, Department of Informatics, UiB
September 2014: “Advanced Course in Epidemiological Analysis”, two weeks, LSHTM, United Kingdom
June 2014: One week summer school, “Scientific writing”, EPINOR
May 2014: Two day course, “Writing for the general public”, UiB and Aftenposten (national newspaper)
June 2013: “Analysis of longitudinal data using” STATA, MEDSTAT3, UiB
May 2013: “Scientific dissemination”, one day, UiB
May 2013: “Regression models in medical research”, MEDSTAT-2B, UiB
November 2012: “Basic Course in Medical and Health Related Research”, MEDMET1, UiB
September 2012: “Basic Course in Medical Statistics using STATA”, UiB
July 2012: One week summer school; “Advanced Epidemiologic Methods”, Berlin School of Public Health, Germany
Selected presentationsSeptember 2016: Oral presentation at the annual NOFE (NorskForeining for Epidemiolgi) conference: “Risky drinking and the Norwegian introductory week”
September 2015: Oral presentation at the Nordic EPI, Oslo: “Is attributing chronic pain to whiplash associated with work attachment in individuals with chronic pain?
September 2015: Oral presentation at the post-conference seminar “Validity issues in mortality studies”, Nordic EPI, Oslo. “Plans for validating the Norwegian Cause of Death Registry”.
August 2014: Two presentations at the International Congress of Behavioral Medicine, Groningen: “The relationship between the belief in a genetic cause for breast cancer and bilateral mastectomy” (oral) and “Adolescent neck and shoulder pain - the association with depression, physical activity, screen-based activities and use of health care services”(poster)
April 2014: Poster presentation at the Annual meeting of the Scandinavian Association for the Study of Pain: “Whiplash –pain and pain tolerance”
March 2014: Presented findings from my PhD at a seminar at the Department of Global Public Health and Primary care, UiB: “Predictors of chronic whiplash” (oral)
September 2013: Presented findings from three studies on whiplash at the University of Auckland’s Health Psychology Seminar Series (oral)
August 2012: Presented new findings from “Musculoskeletal disorders; Mental and somatic symptoms and disability pension awards” (Oral)at the annual NOFE conference.
May 2011: Presented "Somatic symptoms amongst individuals also reporting whiplash, a Norwegian population-based study" (Oral) at a seminar at Uni Health.
November 2010: Presented findings from “Musculoskeletal disorders, mental and somatic symptoms and disability pension awards” (Oral) at Trygdeforskningsseminaret2010, Bergen
October 2010: Presented findings from “Musculoskeletal disorders, mental and somatic symptoms and disability pension awards” (Oral) at a research seminarat the Department of Economics, UiB.
June 2010: Participated and worked as staff atthe “European Psychiatric Association Symposium (EPA)”, Bergen. Presented:”Somatic symptoms amongst individuals also reporting whiplash”(poster)
February 2010: Presented findings from ”Somatic symptoms amongst individuals also reporting whiplash”(poster)at the 18th European Congress of Psychiatry (EPA) 2010, Munich.
Grants/awardsMarch 2013: Grant from Endowment fund for cancer research at the UiB(Legat for forskningpåkreftsykdommer) covering travel to and from the 6 months’ research stay at Kaiser Permanente, San Francisco.
November 2016: Grant from The Norwegian Cancer Society, for a 6 months’ research stay at Kaiser Permanente, San Francisco, from summer 2017.
February 2016: Grant from Endowment fund for cancer research at the UiB(Legat for forskningpåkreftsykdommer) covering attendance at the course “Programing in Stata” at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London
September 2014: Grant from EPNIOR covering attendance at the course “Advanced Course in Epidemiological Analysis” at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London
August: 2014: Early Career Award from the International Society of Behavioral Medicine, at the 13thInternational Congress of Behavioral Medicine in Groningen
June 2014: Grant from EPNIOR enabling attendance at the 13thInternational Congress of Behavioral Medicine, Groningen, Netherlands
2013: Grant from the Worldwide Universities Network(WUN)covering research stay atthe University ofAuckland, New Zealand
2011: The PhD-protocol I developed in cooperation with my supervisors was granted funding from the UiB for a 4 year-PhD-period.
2010: Grant from the Meltzer Research Fund covering theattendance at the 18th European Congress of Psychiatry (EPA), Munich
Relevant experience and skillsComputer based research tools
I have experience with STATA, SPSS, R and programming in Python.
Academic lecturing
- Lecturing and leading group work in epidemiology (Med Eip), 6th semester medical students, Nov. 2016.
- Lecturing and leading courses and group work (problem based learning) in internalmedicine for 3rd semester medical students, Sept. 2012 – Nov. 2014
- Lecturing and leading group work for first year medical students; anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, organ biochemistry, January 2008 – June 2006
Supervision and project management
- Co-supervision of student research project (“Særoppgåve”) for medical studies; “Glandular Epithelia Lesions and Risk of Cervica Cancer”.December 2016 – Today.
- Project managementand supervision (last author and main supervisor) of student research project (“Særoppgåve”) for medical studies.The work “Physical activity is independently associated with reduced mortality. 15-years follow-up of the Hordaland Health Study (HUSK).” The project was approved by the Facultyandwas published in PLoSONE March 2017. May 2013 – Feb 2017.
- Managing a study on social integration and alcohol in students, three planned articles, two published. October 2015 – today
Committee and administrative work
- Member of the “Research Committee” at Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care where we, amongst more
- evaluated the applications for “Småforskmidler” at the Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, spring 2017.
- planned the “Day of the Department” 2017.
- Member of the committee that interviewed and ranked candidates for a 3 year postdoctoral fellow position at the Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, spring 2017. Project: “«Long-term adverse health effects in cancer patients: Prescribing of drugs in survivors of adult-onset cancer»,”
- Member of the “Work group for research training”, the organization project at the UiB, spring 2015
- Member of the “Committee for research training” at the Department of Clinical Science, March 2013-Jan. 2015
- Web-administrator for fiveresearch groups at the Department of Clinical Science, 2014.
- Contributing to planning and communication around local meetings in EPINOR Bergen, the local branch of the National Research School in Population Based Epidemiology, 2013-2015.
Project developmentand applications
I have contributed substantially to the development of project protocols:
- Phd-project protocol that was granted funds from the UiB for my 4 year PhD-period.
- Post.doc. project protocol for investigating functional somatic syndromes based on Danish data.
- Protocol for project aiming to investigate the validity of the Norwegian Cause of Death Registry.
I have experience in
- applying for ethical approval for studies
- applying for data from registries and health surveys
- cleaning data sets and linking data sets from different sources
Languages
NorwegianMother tongue
EnglishFluent
GermanFluent
SpanishBasic knowledge