Handouts Arnold Berstad

How to translate an idea into practical
solutions?
Arnold Berstad, professor
Section for Gastroenterology, Institute of Medicine
UoB
Agenda
• Why are we doing research?
– Importance of having fun
•
•
•
•
•
•
Competence family
A plain road to Ph.D.
The method
Resources / creativity
Examples
Student / mentor relationship…
Lovisenberg sykehus 1980
Gaudium de veritate
• The satisfaction we feel by acknowledgement
and solution of a problem
– Curiosity-driven research
– Strategic research
– Impact factor
Nils Arne Eggen i ”På godfoten”:
”Humor
– et satsingsområde i Rosenborg”
– a high priority area in Rosenborg”
Ingebrigt Steen Jensen i ”Ona fyr”
Doctorates
1. Magne Roland
2. Erling Ådland
3. Helge Bell
4. Karin Frislid
5. Andreas Rydning
6. Ragnar Weberg
7. Åsve Nesland
8. Ketil Berstad
9. Trygve Hausken
10. Christen J. Bang
11. Tone Tangen Haug
12. Ingvar Wilhelmsen
13. Odd Helge Gilja
14. Jan G. Hatlebakk
15. Frode Lerang
16. Karl Anton Undeland
17. Kristian Hveem
18. Solomon Tefera
19. Edda Olafsdottir
20. Thor-H. Henriksen
21. Snorri Olafsson
22. Gulen Arslan
23. Kari Erichsen
24. Linn Anne Brunborg
25. Ina Hjelland
26. Johan Axel Lunding
27. Tormod Bjørkkjær
28. Mette Helvik Morken
29. Kine Gregersen
30. Kristine Lillestøl
31. Ragna Anne Lind
32. Jørgen Valeur
33. Aung Htun Lin
Year
1975
1981
1982
1986
1986
1990
1990
1992
1992
1994
1994
1995
1997
1997
1998
1998
2001
2001
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
Topics
Gastric secretion after proximal gastric vagotomy
Gastric secretion after cimetidine
Alcoholic liver disease
Gastric secretion after ranitidine
Dietary fiber and ulcer disease
Antacids in dyspepsia
Erosive prepyloric changes in dyspepsia
Antacids – mechanisms of action
Functional dyspepsia – pathophysiology and treatment
Effect of LMW heparin on gastric haemostasis
Functional dyspepsia – psychological factors
Duodenal ulcer – bacteriological and psychological factors
Functional dyspepsia studied with ultrasound
Reflux oesophagitis – pathophysiology and treatment
Treatment og Helicobacter pylori infection
Gastric motor function in diabetes
Gastric motor function; comparison of methods
Gastric motor in reflux oesophagitis
Functional GI disorders in children
Resistence to metronidazole in Helicobacter pylori
Helicobacter pylori-infection in dyspepsia
Food hypersensitivity
Iron therapy in Crohn’s disease
Effects of seal oil in IBD-related joint pain
Biofeedback in functional dyspepsia
Functional dyspepsia studied with barostat and ultrasound
Effects of seal oil in patients with IBD
Carbohydrate intolerance in patients with FH
Gut prostaglandin and serotonin in FH
Immunological and cognitive sensitisation in FH
Subjective food hypersensitivity
Colonic metabolism in FH
Anisakis sensitisation in FH
A plain road to Ph.D.:
• Establish a (new) method
• Evaluate the method
• Apply the method
AB’s
thesis:
1. The method
2. Application of
the method
OHG’s
thesis:
1. The method
2. Application of
the method
The start
• Pinpoint / simplify the problem
• Available methods / resources
• The method is the key – deserves major investments
• If you succeed in producing something new, it is most
often a consequence of your original approach to the
problem (by new method?), and not because of your
(extraordinary) smartness
Eksempel 1:
Comparisons of filter papers
0.725
0.675
0.650
0.625
0.600
0.575
0.550
no
41
4
W
60
no
S&
S
no
00
1
M
no
W
50
no
3
W
no
W
no
58
9
0.525
S&
S
OD at 280 nm
0.700
Eksempel 2:
Influence of (fish-) diet in Bergen prison…
•
The problem:
– n-3 fatty acids may reduce aggresiveness
– would it be possible to document emotional improvements by having more (fat)
fish in the prison’s diet?
•
Available methods / resources:
– the cook very interested
– a psychologist with PhD in HRV and cognitive functions
– fatty acids analysis possible at NIFES
•
How to procede?
– Intervensjon trials immediately?
– or start with investigations on:
• relationship n-6/n-3 ratio in blood blod vs HRV (surrogate maker of emotional effect)?
• relationship n-6/n-3 ratio in the prison’s diet vs ”an optimal diet”?
• relationship n-6/n-3 ratio in individual diets vs the ratio in blood?
Effect of low-dose Al-antacids
Duodenal ulcers
p<0.001
Patients with healed
ulcers (%)
100
Gastric ulcers
p<0.001
100
75
75
74%
67%
50
25
50
25
29%
25%
0
0
Placebo
Antacid
Weberg et al. Gastroenterology 1985
Placebo
Antacid
Rydning et al. Gastroenterology 1986
Low-dose antacids vs imetidine
NS
Patients with healed
ulcers (%)
100
75
78.4%
71.1%
50
25
0
Antacid
Cimetidine
Weberg et al. Gastroenterology 1988
% reduksjon av H pylori
p<0.001
100
91%
75
50
25
0
12%
Placebo
Antacid
Berstad et al. Gastroenterology 1988
Brita Torkildsens Mikstur
• Vismut subnitrat 1,5 g
• Natrium sitrat 1,25 g
• Rabarbrarot 0,5 g
• Rabarbradråper 2,5 g
• Bittert mandelvann 2,0 g
• Blandes med vann opp til 100 g
• Konserveres
Mersereau & Hinschey's kammer
Recurrent
bleedings from
the gastric
mucosa in a
rat model
A fibrin clot disappears
in a few minutes in
gastric juice - not in pure acid,
because pepsin
is digesting the clot
On mentoring
• Partnership- rather than master-model
– student and mentor collaborate and are equally
responsible for the project
• Competence groups
– be friends!
– together we are much stronger!
A good mentor
–
–
–
–
–
available
regular meetings
more listening than talking / teaching
fast evaluation of written material
extensive use of explorative text (without personal
prestige)
– friendly, kind, enthusiastic and helpfull
A good student
• Do’nt be too servile!
• As soon as possible say:
– ”I would like to do it like this – do you agree?”
• and not:
– ”what should I do now?”
• and when things go wrong,
– don’t claim your mentor!
• Keep you mentor updated
– recent findings, things you have read, your thoughts / feelings
– be stimulating – also for your mentor!
• Use of explorative text
Take home messages
• Be friends and have fun
• Pay attention to the method
• Stimulate your mentor