Åsmund Flobak

About

Group leader for Flobak lab. Project leader for the ERA PerMed project OncoLogics and project leader for the RCN project PRESORT. Principal Investigator at St Olavs hospital for the clinical trial IMPRESS-Norway.

Links to Relevant Webpages:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/asmundflobak
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4NzEyo_HQo

Teaching

Medical students first and second years: Basic molecular biology.

Medical students last year: Consultation technique.

Course administrator for MOL3007 Functional genomics 2017

Course administrator for Medicine term IIC and IID 2020.

Course administrator for MOL4010 Basic molecular biology 2024.

'Lecturer of the year' by medical students every year since 2019 and 2023.

Medical teaching award from Norwegian Medical Association 2024.

Biography

Medical doctor 2005 and Master of Science in Nanotechnology 2013. Medical internship 2006-2007, clinical oncology 2009, residential radiologist 2010-2011, PhD 2011-2016, jointly clinical oncology and research from 2016 at The Cancer Clinic, St Olavs University hospital and at The Norwegian University of Science and Technology.

My research project during medical studies focused on simulation of signal transduction, and my master project in nanotechnology focused on a transfection platform using nanowires for high throughput transfection.

Working as a residential oncologist in 2009 I was puzzled by how many novel drugs, with specific targets in signal transduction networks, only produced modest benefits and only for some of my patients. Targeted therapies are different from traditional chemotherapeutic agents in that it is not the growth capacity but rather regulators deciding on growth that are the drug targets. I started my PhD autumn 2011 to explore options for drug combination response prediction.

During my PhD I focused on a drug panel of 7 targeted drugs and the corresponding 21 pairwise combinations, and integrated prior knowledge on the signaling mechanisms affected by the drugs with specific molecular states characterizing my experimental system, the AGS cell line. I finished my PhD from NTNU in 2016, titled “Systems Medicine: From Modeling Systems Perturbations to Predicting Drug Synergies”. During my PhD I did both experiments in the wet-lab (cell lines, drug screening, xenograft experiments), and in the dry-lab (building logical models for drug combination response prediction, development of a pipeline in Java for drug synergy studies).

I’m lead developer of the DrugLogics pipeline for drug synergy and resistance predictions. Our pipeline produces models tailored to single samples for drug synergy simulation and prediction. The automated pipeline takes as input prior knowledge describing molecular mechanisms for targeted drugs, and omics data describing a given cell line or tissue. Based on these two inputs calibrated models are generated, which can predict drug synergies or resistance for single cell lines or tissues. I have also designed the high throughput experiment we currently use as a benchmark for our drug synergy predictions, encompassing 171 pairwise combinations of targeted therapies (mostly kinase inhibitors and some protein interaction inhibitors).

Flobak lab

PhD fellows Cristoffer Sakshaug and Ingrid A. Bergstrøm work on patient inclusion in the PRESORT and MATRIX projects together with support from St Olavs hospital. PhD fellow Henri Colyn Bwanika is working on roboticising and miniaturising patient-derived cell culturing in 3D setups to test various drugs on the patient’s own cells in the COLOGIC project, in close collaboration with SINTEF. PhD fellow Rianne van Drimmelen is studying omics data from patient-derived tumoroids before and after drug exposure. Postdoc Christa Ringers uses high content imaging for the identification of new cell phenotype readouts. PhD fellow Viviam Bermúdez and researcher Eirini Tsirvouli in the OncoLogics and DrugLogics projects convert omics data for patients to patient-centred models, digital twins, to prioritise which drugs to test on each patient’s cells. MDs Ingrid and Cristoffer seek ways to enable clinical decision support in the COSENSE clinical trial.

Flobak lab

Publications in PubMed

HealthTalk: IMPRESS-Norway - Large national cancer precision medicine trial (interview in English)

Contribution to the Different Sub-projects

Project(s): ERAPerMed OncoLogics, PRESORT,

COLOSYS, NTNU Health DrugLogics

Publications

2022

Zobolas, John; Monteiro, Pedro T.; Kuiper, Martin; Flobak, Åsmund. (2022) Boolean function metrics can assist modelers to check and choose logical rules. Journal of Theoretical Biology
Academic article

2021

Flobak, Åsmund. (2021) IMPRESS-Norway presentert ved Onkologisk Forum 2020. Onkonytt
Popular scientific article
Touré, Vasundra; Flobak, Asmund; Niarakis, Anna; Vercruysse, Steven; Kuiper, Martin. (2021) The status of causality in biological databases: data resources and data retrieval possibilities to support logical modeling. Briefings in Bioinformatics
Academic literature review

2020

Sofias, Alexandros Marios; Toner, Yohana C.; Meerwaldt, Anu E.; van Leent, Mandy M. T.; Soultanidis, Georgios; Elschot, Mattijs. (2020) Tumor Targeting by αvβ3-Integrin-Specific Lipid Nanoparticles Occurs via Phagocyte Hitchhiking. ACS Nano
Academic article
Touré, Vasundra; Vercruysse, Steven; Acencio, Marcio Luis; Lovering, Ruth C.; Orchard, Sandra; Bradley, Glyn. (2020) The Minimum Information about a Molecular Interaction Causal Statement (MI2CAST). Bioinformatics
Academic article
Zobolas, John; Kuiper, Martin; Flobak, Åsmund. (2020) emba: R package for analysis and visualization of biomarkers in boolean model ensembles. Journal of Open Source Software (JOSS)
Academic article
Folkesson, Evelina; Niederdorfer, Barbara; To, Vu; Thommesen, Liv; Klinkenberg, Geir; Lægreid, Astrid. (2020) High-throughput screening reveals higher synergistic effect of MEK inhibitor combinations in colon cancer spheroids . Scientific Reports
Academic article
Niederdorfer, Barbara; Touré, Vasundra; Vazques, Miguel; Thommesen, Liv; Kuiper, Martin Tremen R.; Lægreid, Astrid. (2020) Strategies to Enhance Logic Modeling-Based Cell Line-Specific Drug Synergy Prediction. Frontiers in Physiology
Academic article
Zobolas, John; Kuiper, Martin; Flobak, Åsmund. (2020) emba: R package for analysis and visualization of biomarkers in boolean model ensembles. Journal of Open Source Software (JOSS)
Interview Journal
Comte, Blandine; Baumbach, Jan; Benis, Arriel; Basílio, José; Debeljak, Nataša; Flobak, Åsmund. (2020) Network and Systems Medicine: Position Paper of the European Collaboration on Science and Technology Action on Open Multiscale Systems Medicine. Network and Systems Medicine
Academic literature review
Tsirvouli, Eirini; Touré, Vasundra; Niederdorfer, Barbara; Vazquez Garcia, Miguel; Flobak, Åsmund; Kuiper, Martin. (2020) A middle-out modeling strategy to extend a colon cancer logical model improves drug synergy predictions in epithelial-derived cancer cell lines. Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences
Academic article

2019

Flobak, Åsmund; Niederdorfer, Barbara; To, Vu; Thommesen, Liv; Klinkenberg, Geir; Lægreid, Astrid. (2019) A high-throughput drug combination screen of targeted small molecule inhibitors in cancer cell lines. Scientific Data
Academic article
Menden, Michael Patrick; Wang, Dennis; Mason, Mike J.; Szalai, Bence; Bulusu, Krishna C.; Guan, Yuanfang. (2019) Community assessment to advance computational prediction of cancer drug combinations in a pharmacogenomic screen. Nature Communications
Academic article

2017

Flobak, Åsmund; Garcia, Miguel Vazquez; Lægreid, Astrid; Valencia, Alfonso. (2017) CImbinator: a web-based tool for drug synergy analysis in small- and large-scale datasets. Bioinformatics
Academic article
Flobak, Åsmund. (2017) Mutasjoner, arv og miljø. Onkonytt
Popular scientific article

2015

Flobak, Åsmund. (2015) Fant to nye kombinasjoner av kreftmedisiner.
Website (informational material)
Flobak, Åsmund; Baudot, Anaïs; Remy, Elisabeth; Thommesen, Liv; Thieffry, Denis; Kuiper, Martin. (2015) Discovery of Drug Synergies in Gastric Cancer Cells Predicted by Logical Modeling. PLoS Computational Biology
Academic article
Tripathi, Sushil; Flobak, Åsmund; Chawla, Konika; Baudot, Anaïs; Bruland, Torunn; Thommesen, Liv. (2015) The gastrin and cholecystokinin receptors mediated signaling network: a scaffold for data analysis and new hypotheses on regulatory mechanisms. BMC Systems Biology
Academic article

2014

Flobak, Åsmund. (2014) Kombinasjonsbehandling – veien til bedre kreftbehandling for den enkelte?.
Website (informational material)

Journal publications

Zobolas, John; Monteiro, Pedro T.; Kuiper, Martin; Flobak, Åsmund. (2022) Boolean function metrics can assist modelers to check and choose logical rules. Journal of Theoretical Biology
Academic article
Flobak, Åsmund. (2021) IMPRESS-Norway presentert ved Onkologisk Forum 2020. Onkonytt
Popular scientific article
Touré, Vasundra; Flobak, Asmund; Niarakis, Anna; Vercruysse, Steven; Kuiper, Martin. (2021) The status of causality in biological databases: data resources and data retrieval possibilities to support logical modeling. Briefings in Bioinformatics
Academic literature review
Sofias, Alexandros Marios; Toner, Yohana C.; Meerwaldt, Anu E.; van Leent, Mandy M. T.; Soultanidis, Georgios; Elschot, Mattijs. (2020) Tumor Targeting by αvβ3-Integrin-Specific Lipid Nanoparticles Occurs via Phagocyte Hitchhiking. ACS Nano
Academic article
Touré, Vasundra; Vercruysse, Steven; Acencio, Marcio Luis; Lovering, Ruth C.; Orchard, Sandra; Bradley, Glyn. (2020) The Minimum Information about a Molecular Interaction Causal Statement (MI2CAST). Bioinformatics
Academic article
Zobolas, John; Kuiper, Martin; Flobak, Åsmund. (2020) emba: R package for analysis and visualization of biomarkers in boolean model ensembles. Journal of Open Source Software (JOSS)
Academic article
Folkesson, Evelina; Niederdorfer, Barbara; To, Vu; Thommesen, Liv; Klinkenberg, Geir; Lægreid, Astrid. (2020) High-throughput screening reveals higher synergistic effect of MEK inhibitor combinations in colon cancer spheroids . Scientific Reports
Academic article
Niederdorfer, Barbara; Touré, Vasundra; Vazques, Miguel; Thommesen, Liv; Kuiper, Martin Tremen R.; Lægreid, Astrid. (2020) Strategies to Enhance Logic Modeling-Based Cell Line-Specific Drug Synergy Prediction. Frontiers in Physiology
Academic article
Zobolas, John; Kuiper, Martin; Flobak, Åsmund. (2020) emba: R package for analysis and visualization of biomarkers in boolean model ensembles. Journal of Open Source Software (JOSS)
Interview Journal
Comte, Blandine; Baumbach, Jan; Benis, Arriel; Basílio, José; Debeljak, Nataša; Flobak, Åsmund. (2020) Network and Systems Medicine: Position Paper of the European Collaboration on Science and Technology Action on Open Multiscale Systems Medicine. Network and Systems Medicine
Academic literature review
Tsirvouli, Eirini; Touré, Vasundra; Niederdorfer, Barbara; Vazquez Garcia, Miguel; Flobak, Åsmund; Kuiper, Martin. (2020) A middle-out modeling strategy to extend a colon cancer logical model improves drug synergy predictions in epithelial-derived cancer cell lines. Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences
Academic article
Flobak, Åsmund; Niederdorfer, Barbara; To, Vu; Thommesen, Liv; Klinkenberg, Geir; Lægreid, Astrid. (2019) A high-throughput drug combination screen of targeted small molecule inhibitors in cancer cell lines. Scientific Data
Academic article
Menden, Michael Patrick; Wang, Dennis; Mason, Mike J.; Szalai, Bence; Bulusu, Krishna C.; Guan, Yuanfang. (2019) Community assessment to advance computational prediction of cancer drug combinations in a pharmacogenomic screen. Nature Communications
Academic article
Flobak, Åsmund; Garcia, Miguel Vazquez; Lægreid, Astrid; Valencia, Alfonso. (2017) CImbinator: a web-based tool for drug synergy analysis in small- and large-scale datasets. Bioinformatics
Academic article
Flobak, Åsmund. (2017) Mutasjoner, arv og miljø. Onkonytt
Popular scientific article
Flobak, Åsmund; Baudot, Anaïs; Remy, Elisabeth; Thommesen, Liv; Thieffry, Denis; Kuiper, Martin. (2015) Discovery of Drug Synergies in Gastric Cancer Cells Predicted by Logical Modeling. PLoS Computational Biology
Academic article
Tripathi, Sushil; Flobak, Åsmund; Chawla, Konika; Baudot, Anaïs; Bruland, Torunn; Thommesen, Liv. (2015) The gastrin and cholecystokinin receptors mediated signaling network: a scaffold for data analysis and new hypotheses on regulatory mechanisms. BMC Systems Biology
Academic article

INFORMASJONSMATR

Flobak, Åsmund. (2015) Fant to nye kombinasjoner av kreftmedisiner.
Website (informational material)
Flobak, Åsmund. (2014) Kombinasjonsbehandling – veien til bedre kreftbehandling for den enkelte?.
Website (informational material)

Outreach

Legeforeningens grunntdanningspris 2024

Vinner av Den norske legeforening sin pris for beste undervisning i medisinsk grunnutdanning, 2024

2020

Interview

Egge, Julie Haugen; Flobak, Åsmund. (2020) Slik skal kunstig intelligens gi bedre behandling for kreftpasienter . nrk.no nrk.no [Internet] 2020-12-22

2019

Poster

Zobolas, John; Vázquez, Miguel; Kuiper, Martin; Flobak, Åsmund. (2019) DrugLogics: An ensemble model analysis related to drug prediction performance [version 1; not peer reviewed]. F1000Research 2019, 8:113 (poster). Norwegian Biochemical Society NBS 2019 , Røros 2019-01-24 - 2019-01-27

2018

Poster

Touré, Vasundra; Flobak, Åsmund; Lægreid, Astrid; Kuiper, Martin. (2018) Knowledge management and standard representation of causal statements for systems modeling. JOBIM 2018 , Marseille 2018-07-03 - 2018-07-06
Lecture

Niederdorfer, Barbara; Vázquez, Miguel; Thommesen, Liv; Kuiper, Martin; Lægreid, Astrid; Flobak, Åsmund. (2018) Logical model simulations predict drug synergies across different cancer cell lines. International Society for Computational Biology ISMB 2018 , Chicago 2018-07-06 - 2018-07-10
Lecture

Sofias, Alexandros Marios; Ochando, Jordi; Flobak, Åsmund; Mulder, Willem J. M.; Hak, Sjoerd. (2018) Tumor targeting by cRGD-modified nanoparticles is dominated by immune cell hitchhiking. WMIC 2018 2018-09-12 - 2018-09-15
Poster

Sofias, Alexandros Marios; Ochando, Jordi; Grendstad, Kristin; Flobak, Åsmund; Mulder, Willem J. M.; Hak, Sjoerd. (2018) Tumor angiogenesis targeting by cRGD-modified nanoparticles is dominated by neutrophil hitchhiking. ESCDD 2018 2018-04-11 - 2018-04-13

2017

Interview

Flobak, Åsmund. (2017) NRK P1 Trøndelag Forskerpraten 3. april 2017: Om kreftforskning. Radio Radio [Radio] 2017-04-03
Poster

Touré, Vasundra; Flobak, Åsmund; Lægreid, Astrid; Kuiper, Martin Tremen R.. (2017) Extraction and representation of causal statements: Creating a model building resource for Systems Biology. COMBINE 2017 COMBINE 2017 , Milano 2017-10-09 - 2017-10-13

2016

Academic lecture

Flobak, Åsmund. (2016) DrugLogics: Rationalizing drug combination screening. Internatioanl Conference on Systems Biology Internatioanl Conference on Systems Biology , Barcelona 2016-09-16 - 2016-09-20
Poster

Flobak, Åsmund; Steigedal, Tonje S.; Thommesen, Liv; Kuiper, Martin Tremen R.; Lægreid, Astrid. (2016) Logical models for drug screen prioritization. European Conference on Computational Biology European Conference on Computational Biology , Den Haag 2016-09-03 - 2016-09-07

2015

Interview

Flobak, Åsmund. (2015) Oppdaget mer effektiv kreftbehandling. Adresseavisen Adresseavisen [Newspaper] 2015-08-29
Interview

Flobak, Åsmund. (2015) Finner kreftmedisin som virker bedre med mindre doser. Adressa Adressa [Newspaper] 2015-08-28
Interview

Flobak, Åsmund. (2015) Nye medisinkombinasjoner kan redde liv. NRK P1 Norgesglasset NRK P1 Norgesglasset [Radio] 2015-09-07

2014

Poster

Flobak, Åsmund; Baudot, Anaïs; Remy, Elisabeth; Thommesen, Liv; Thieffry, Denis; Kuiper, Martin. (2014) Drug synergies in a gastric cancer cell line discovered by signal transduction modeling. Stig Omholt / VPH consortium Virtual Physiological Human Conference 2014 , Trondheim 2014-09-09 - 2014-09-12

Språkvelger

Åsmund Flobak

Åsmund Flobak

About

Publications

2022

2021

2020

2019

2017

2015

2014

Journal publications

INFORMASJONSMATR

Outreach

Legeforeningens grunntdanningspris 2024

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014