Prof. Rolf Bjerkvig, director of the Department of Oncology at the Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH) and simultaneously director of KG Jebsen Centre for Brain Tumour Research as well as two research teams at the University of Bergen in Norway, was awarded the most prestigious scientific award in Norway for his research on malignant brain tumors.
His Majesty King Harald V of Norway in person handed him the King Olav V Cancer Research Prize 2015 at a ceremony in Oslo on 8 June.
For nearly 30 years, Prof. Rolf Bjerkvig, from Norway, has dedicated research on brain tumors and has achieved great success. He heads the Department of Oncology of LIH with more than 70 employees, the KG Jebsen Centre for Brain Tumour Research in Bergen and another two research teams at the Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen. So far he has published nearly 200 scientific articles and received numerous awards. For his research field, the King Olav V Price Cancer Research Prize is the most prestigious of Norway. It is awarded annually since 1992 to outstanding scientists by the Norwegian Cancer Society. The award is given personally by the King of Norway and consists of the sum of one million kroner, corresponding to about €113,000.
Prof Bjerkvig is proud of this distinction being recognised within the international community of cancer researchers. "I started thirty years ago with a small research team," he said during his speech at the award ceremony held at the University of Oslo. "Now I run one of the biggest teams in Europe in the field of research on brain tumors. Research is always a work in teams. The recognition goes to all my team and in Bergen in Luxembourg". In his speech, Prof. Bjerkvig also expressed his gratitude to the Norwegian Cancer Society. "Building this large research team was made possible through the continued support of the organisation for over 20 years. The Norwegian Cancer Society really means a lot to me," he said.
