Launching a European Doctoral Network for Hormone Disorders
The University of Bergen (UiB) will coordinate the new doctoral training network Endotrain – a Marie Skłodowska Curie Actions Doctoral Network (MSCA DN) where clinicians, mathematicians, ethicists, legal scholars, and experts in medical technology will join forces to educate the next generation of specialists in digital endocrinology.
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On 22–23 January, the network’s research leaders met in Bergen to plan and coordinate the research projects and doctoral training.
"Not all of the research leaders had met before, so it was important to sit together, work in groups, and also have informal discussions during breaks," explains Endotrain’s coordinator, Professor Eystein Husebye at the Department of Clinical Science.
The programme will fund 19 PhD candidates across nine European countries, all contributing to the network's research efforts.
A New Digital Era for Endocrinology
"We aim to improve the diagnosis and follow‑up of hormone disorders by using dynamic hormone measurements," says Husebye.
Today, diagnostics and monitoring largely rely on single, isolated measurements.
"But we are now at the beginning of an era where we can measure hormones continuously over a whole day, using methods developed in a previous EU project, H2020‑Ultradian," he explains.
Endotrain will take this concept further by using digital tools to record sleep, stress, activity, and self‑reported health, enabling better interpretation of hormonal fluctuations.
According to Husebye, this means shifting from analogue to a new digital era—one that involves richer datasets and more patient participation. Patients will be more involved, contributing real‑time reports about their own health experiences.
"In the long term, we hope that deeper insight into hormone dynamics will help us detect diseases earlier and treat them more effectively, in ways tailored to each individual," he says.
Training Interdisciplinary Experts
The work will be grounded in seven clinical studies that will generate data for the mathematical modellers. Legal, ethical, and data‑storage experts will ensure responsible data handling, and industry partners are also involved in the network, with innovation playing a central role in the research training.
"One of our aims is that the researchers can also be attractive candidates for industry after completing their doctorate," says Husebye.
Building Networks and New Competence
All positions are now advertised on Jobbnorge and Euraxess, and the goal is for all PhD candidates to be appointed in time for the kick‑off meeting in Zurich in September.
According to Husebye, it means a lot to UiB and the endocrine community in Bergen to have the opportunity to coordinate such a network:
"As the coordinating institution, we will be closely involved with all the projects. It also means access to a large international network and, not least, new interdisciplinary competence. MSCA‑DN projects are a strategic priority for UiB," he adds.
Read more on the ENDOTRAIN website.
The programme is funded by Horizon Europe MSCA-DN: Grant No. 101227148 ENDOTRAIN