NTNU is stimulating the field of systems biology by three appointments. These positions are associated with three different departments with the intent to establish interdepartmental cooperation in the filed of systems biology. The initiative to incorporate systems biology into experimental biomedical research is a long term commitment, further supported by grants for PhD candidates and other scientific positions. The principal investigators will cooperate to offer masters-level classes in systems biology, targeting students with a variety of backgrounds (biology, mathematics, physics, chemistry, informatics), and offering training in different levels of bioinformatical and biomathematical methods.

Eivind Almaas, Professor

Eivind Almaas took a M.Sc. in physics at NTH before continuing with graduate studies at The Ohio State University. After completing his Ph.D. in physics in 2002, he worked as a postdoctoral associate with Prof. Albert-Laszlo Barabasi at University of Notre Dame ('02-'05). After four years at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, he started as a Professor of Systems Biology in the Department of Biotechnology, NTNU. Since 2000, the majority of his research activity has been in the field of systems biology; in particular, the use of network approaches to analyze and model microbial systems.

Nadav (Nadi) Skjøndal-Bar, Førsteamanuensis

Nadav (Nadi) Skjøndal Bar Graduated from NTNU at the department of Engineering Cybernetics, with the expertise in Systems engineering, i.e. mathematical modeling, simulation and analysis of non linear dynamical systems, particularly in biology. Nadav developed a dynamic model of fish growth as a joint project with the company Biomar AS, Trondheim, during 2003-2007. This project has now gone international, including groups from Norway, Sweden, Germany, USA and Spain. Since his appointment as an associate professor in systems biology at the department of Chemical Engineering, his main interests include modeling (using ODEs and systems engineering) whole organisms, genetic circuits and cellular processes, computer simulations and non-linear analysis of these dynamical systems.

Martin T.R. Kuiper, Professor

Martin Kuiper (11.09.57) received training in Biology and Biochemistry in Groningen, the Netherlands. He has been working in various fields, exploring molecular biology, biotechnology, and the development of software for data extraction and analysis. After a life in industry (Keygene, Celera, Aventis) he returned to academia where he has been developing systems biology approaches at the VIB in Flanders, Belgium. In 2008 he started a new Systems Biology group at the Department of Biology, NTNU, Trondheim, promoting the incorporation of systems biology concepts in the life sciences at NTNU.