Projects

Genetic Research Projects

Exploring the role of the individual’s genetic profile on the susceptibility to COVID-19
– started in March 2020
Clinical Responsible: Shain Gaini, MD, National Hospital of the Faroe Islands
Researcher: Noomi O. Gregersen, PhD

Variance of genetics and serum antibodies in SARS-CoV-2 positive patients in the entire population of the Faroe Islands
– started in March 2020
Clinical Responsible: Shain Gaini, MD, National Hospital of the Faroe Islands
Research Manager: Marnar F. Kristiansen

Improvement of neonatal screening for treatable genetic conditions and evaluation of carrier frequency for seven lethal disorders in the Faroe Islands
– started in july 2019
Clinical Reponsible: Ulrike Steuerwald, MD, DFAA
Research Manager: Katrin Eivindardóttur Danielsen, PhD

Impact of angiotensin converting enzyme activity on exercise training sensitivity
– started in May 2019
Clinical Responsible: Pál M. Weihe, Chief Physician, MD, DFAA
Project Manager: Nikolai Baastrup Nordsborg, Københavns Universitet.
Researcher: Tórur Sjúrðarson”

Faroe knee cohort
– started in December 2019
Clinical Responsible: Elinborg Morensen, MD, National Hospitla of the Faroe Islands
Researcher: Niclas Eysturoy, MD

Heritability of dermatological disorders in the Faroe Islands
– started in February 2018
Clinical Responsible: dr. med. Gregor Jemec, MD, National Hospital of the Faroe Islands

A statistical pre-investigation of variation in whole-genome DNA-sequence data from a small subset of the Faroese population
Clinical Responsible: Bjarni á Steig, MD, National Hospital of the Faroe Islands

FarGen II. Genome Faroe Islands
– started in September 2016
Clinical Responsible: Bjarni á Steig, MD, National Hospital of the Faore Islands
Project Manager: Noomi O. Gregersen Phd

Glaukom in the Faroese population
– started in May 2015
Clinical Responsible: Elin Holm, MD, National Hospital of the Faroe Islands
Project Manager: Professor Thomas Rosenberg, MD, University of Copenhagen

Defining the genetic etiology of dementia/Alzheimer’s disease in the Faroe Islands
– started in July i 2015
Clinical Responsible: Pál M. Weihe, MD
Project Manager: Maria Skaalum Petersen, PhD

Multifactorial modelling of Parkinson’s disease in the Faroe Islands – a longitudinal study
– started in July 2015
Clinical Responsible: Pál M. Weihe, MD
Project Manager: Maria Skaalum Petersen, PhD

Characterizing Spondylarthritis Subtypes in the Faroese population
– started in November 2014
Clinical Responsible: Pero Sore, MD, National Hospital of the Faroe Islands

Genetic variations in mental disorders in Faroese population
– Started in September 2012
Clinical Responsible: Tórmóður Stórá, MD, National Hospital of the Faroe Islands
Research Manager: August Wang, MD

Glycogen Storage Disease III Family Study
– started in December 2011
Clinical Responsible: Bjarni á Steig, MD, National Hospital of the Faroe Islands

Schizophrenia
– started in August 2008
Clinical Responsible: Tórmóður Stórá, MD, National Hospital of the Faroe Islands
Research Manager: dr. August G. Wang, MD, Hospital Amager
Concluded

Risk Genes for ADHD (Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) on the Faroes
– started in July 2017
Clinical Responsible: Tórmóður Stórá, MD, National Hospital of the Faroe Islands
Project Manager: August G. Wang
Concluded

Monitoring and quality studies of AK treatment
– started in March 2014
Clinical Responsible: Rudi Kollslíð, MD, National Hospital of the Faroe Islands
Concluded

Health status of heterozygous glycogen storage disease type IIIa (GSD3a) cases in the Faroe Islands
– started in 2012
Clinical Responsible: Bjarni á Steig, MD, National Hospital of the Faroe Islands
Research Manager: Rúna Olsen
Concluded

Multiple Sclerosis
– started in March 2012
Clinical responsible: Bjarni á Steig, MD, National Hospital of the Faroe Islands
Research Manager: Egon Stenager, MD, Kirsten Kyvik and Ph.D. student Stefanie Binzer, Sydvestjysk Skleroseklinik, Denmark and Jan Hillert, Professor, Karolinska Institut, Sweden and Kerstin Imrell, doktor within experimental neurology at the Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm.
Concluded

Gene-Environment Interaction in Autism
A Population Study of Risk Factors for Autism Spectrum Disorders in the Faroe Islands
– Started in December 2012
Clinical Responsible: Tórmóður Stórá, MD, National Hospital of the Faroe Islands
Research Team: Christoffer Gillberg, professor, Eva Kocovská, psychologist, Elsubeth M. Fossadal, MD, National Hospital of the Faroe Islands, Jónrit Halling, Researcher, DFAA and Rannvá Biskopsstø, psychologist          Concluded

Progredierende encefalopati on the Faroe Islands
– started in April 2011
Clinical Responsible: Fróði Joensen, MD, National Hospital of the Faroe Islands
Research Manager: Elsebet Østergaard, ph.d., MD, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen
Completed

Hereditary Myeloproliferative Disease in the Faroe Islands
– started in October 2011
Clinical Responsible: Bjarni á Steig, MD, National Hospital of the Faroe Islands
Concluded

Psoriasis
– started in 2011
Clinical Responsible: dr. med. Gregor Jemec, Senior Hospital Physician, National Hospital of the Faroe Islands
Research Mangaer: Ole Birger V. Pedersen, PhD., Senior Hospital Physician Rigshospitalet, scientist at Copenhagen University
Concluded

The influence of genetic and environmental factors on Parkinson’s disease in the Faroe Islands
– started in January 2011
Clinical Responsible: Pál M. Weihe, MD
Research Manager: Maria Skaalum Petersen, PhD
Concluded

Genetic basis for Idiopathic Generalized Epilepsy within the Faroese population
– started in October 2010
Clinical Responsible: Absalon Eysturoy, MD, National Hospital of the Faroe Islands
Research Manager: Helle Hjalgrim, MD, PhD, Epilepsihospitalet Dianalund, Denmark
Concluded

Screening of 9 grade students for type 2 diabetes risk
– started in 2010
Clinical Responsible: Jens Andreassen, MD, National Hospital of the Faroe Islands
Researcher: May-Britt Skoradal
Concluded

Therapy for patients with SUCLA2-deficiency in the Faroe Islands
– started in 2009
Clinical Responsible: Ulrike Steuerwald, MD, DAFF
Concluded

Health status of heterozygote carnitine transporter deficiency (CTD) cases in the Faroe Islands with special focus on arrhythmias
– started in Desember 2009
Clinical Responsible: Jan Rasmussen, MD, National Hospital of the Faroe Islands
Research Manager: Jóna Hansen, MD
Concluded

Health status of heterozygous carnitine transporter deficiency (CTD) cases in the Faroe Islands with special focus on arrhythmias
– started in December 2009
Clinical Responsible: Bjarni á Steig, MD, National Hospital of the Faroe Islands
Researcher: Jan Rasmussen, MD
Concluded

Anosmia
– started in March 2009
Clinical Responsible: Bjarki Ellefsen, MD, National Hospital of the Faroe Islands
Research Manager: Helena Gásdal Sørensen, cand. scient, Wilhelm Johansen Centret, Panum Institutet, Denmark
Concluded

Lethal Familial Syndrome
– started in October 2008
Clinical Responsible: Ulrike Steurwald, lækni, MPH, DFAA
Research Manager: Pr Stanislas Lyonnet, MD, PhD, Université Paris Decartes/Hopital Necker-Enfants Malades, France
Concluded

Autism
– started in Mai 2008
Clinical Responsible: Tórmóður Stórá, MD, National Hospital of the Faroe Islands
Research Manager: Christopher Gillberg, Professor, University of Gøteborg, Sweden
Concluded

Sucla
– started in 2007
Clinical Responsible: Ulrike Steuerwald, MD, DFAA
Concluded

Panic Disorder
– Started in November 2007
Clinical Responsible: Tórmóður Stórá, MD, National Hospital of the Faroe Islands
Research Manager: dr. August G. Wang, MD, Amager Hospital
Concluded

Retinitis pigmentosa, Nanoftalmus, Albinismus oculi og Bardet-Biedl syndrom
– started in 2007
Clinical Responsible: Kaj Vilhelmsen, MD, National Hospital of the Faroe Islands
Research Manager: dr. med. Thomas Rosenberg, KISØ, Denmark
Concluded

Other Projects

Effect of long-term exercise on haemostasis and inflammation compared with standard care in patients with stable coronary artery disease: a randomised clinical trial
– byrjaði í 2019

Supervisors: Magni Mohr, Anne Mette Hvas, Steen Dalby Kristensen, Erik Lerkevang Grove

Clinical Responible: Jan Rasmussen, MD, Landssjúkrahúsið

Researcher: Jacobina Kristiansen

Malnutrition in surgical patients in the Faroe Islands – Screening and post-discharge nutrition and resistance training
started in 2017
Poula Patursson, Cand.scient., Ph.D. stud. National Hospital of the Faroe Islands and University of Copenhagen

Epidemiology & Preparatory Projects

COVID-19 cases in the Faroe Islands
– started in March 2020
Responsible Clinician: Shahin Gaini, MD, National Hospital of the Faroe Islands

Outlining pathology – SNOMED codes
– started in 2019
Responsible Clinician: Marnar Fríðheim Kristiansen, MD, National Hospital of the Faroe Islands 

Epidemiology project within cancer in the Faroe Islands
– started in 2019
Responsible Clinician: Bjarni á Steig, MD, National Hospital of the Faroe Islands
Researcher: Marnar F. Kristiansen

Incidence of Thyroid Diseases in the Faroe Islands
– started in November 2018
Responsible Clinician: Jens Andreassen, MD, National Hospital of the Faroe Islands
Researcher: Herborg Johannesen

Identifying breast cancer susceptibility genes in the Faroese population and its relation to hereditary breast ovarian cancer syndrome
– started in September 2016
Responsible Clinician: Bjarni á Steig, MD, National Hospital of the Faroe Islands
Research Manager: Noomi O. Gregersen, PhD

AMYOTROPHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS ON THE ISLANDS
– started in June 2015
Responsible Clinician: Bjarni á Steig, MD, National Hospital of the Faroe Islands

Celiac Disease in the Faroe Islands
– started in December 2014
Responsible Clinician: Kári Rubek Nielsen, MD, National Hospital of the Faroe Islands

A preclinical study of phosphodiesterase 8A as a therapeutic target for Inflammatory Bowel Disease
– started in February 2014
Responsible Clinician: Bjarni á Steig, MD, National Hospital of the Faroe Islands

An epidemiological study of Chron’s disease, ulcerative colitis and indeterminate colitis in the Faroes
– started in July 2019
Responsible Clinician: Kári Rubek Nielsen, MD, National Hospital of the Faroe Islands

Renewing old data. Lomholdt’s 1948 research on psoriasis
– started in 2019
Researcher: Anna Katrin Matras
Concluded

An epidemiological study of Chron’s disease, ulcerative colitis and indeterminate colitis in the Faroes
– started in 2018
Responsible Clinician: Kári Rubek Nielsen, MD, National Hospital of the Faroe Islands
Concluded

Identifying and analysing genetic risk variants for panic disorder in the isolated population of the Faroe Islands
– started in October 2016
Responsible Clinician: Bjarni á Steig, MD, National Hospital of the Faroe Islands                                                  Concluded

Prenatal methyl mercury exposure and vitamin D levels in relation to autism
– started in June 2015
Responsible Clinician: Tormóður Stórá, MD, National Hospital of the Faroe Islands
Researcher: Jónrit Halling, PhD, DFAA
Concluded

Cancer mammae and PCB in umbilical cord blood
– started in November 2014
Responsible Clinician: Bjarni á Steig, MD, National Hospital of the Faroe Islands                                                Concluded

Glaucoma on the Faroe Islands
– started in March 2014
Responsible Clinician: Kaj Vilhelmsen, MD, National Hospital of the Faroe Islands                                                  Concluded

3MCC in the Faroe Islands
– started in April 2013
Responsible Clinician: Bjarni á Steig, MD, National Hospital of the Faroe Islands
Research Team: Jan Rasmussen, MD and Jákup Andrias Thomsen, MD, National Hospital of the Faroe Islands
Concluded

The influence of genetic and environmental factors on Parkinson’s disease in the Faroe Islands
– started in July 2013
Responsible Clinician Pál M. Weihe, MD, DFAA
Research Manager: Maria Skaalum Petersen, PhD Concluded”

Carnitine level during pregnancy – symptoms during pregnancy and complications during childbirth
started in 2013
Responsible Clinician: Katrin Kallsberg, MD, National Hospital of the Faroe Islands                                                  Concluded

Hereditary Myeloproliferative Disease in the Faroe Islands
– started in 2011
Responsible Clinician: Bjarni á Steig, MD, National Hospital of the Faroe Islands                                                           Concluded

Hallux Valgus
– started in January 2011
Responsible Clinician: Jákup Midjord, MD, National Hospital of the Faroe Islands
Concluded

An epidemiological study of suspected Neuronal cerioid lipofusinosis cases (NCL)
– started in November 2010
Responsible Clinician: Ulrike Steuerwald, DfAA Concluded

Alopecia Areata Family Study
– started in July 2010
Responsible Clinician: Lars Erik Bryld, MD, National Hospital of the Faroe Islands                                                  Concluded

Incidence of Thyroid Disease in the Faroe Islands
– started in November 2009
Responsible Clinician: Amalia Danielsen, MD, National Hospital of the Faroe Islands
Supervisor: Jens Andreasen, MD, National Hospital of the Faroe Islands, Hans Perrild, MD and Nils Knudsen, MD, Bispebjerg Hospital
Concluded

  1. mammae cases in the Faroe Islands from 1984-2009
    – started in November 2009
    Responsible Clinician: Tordis Chistiansen, MD, National Hospital in the Faroe Islands
    Supervisor: Anne Marie Gerdes, MD, Rigshospitalet Copenhagen
    Concluded

Pendred Syndrome
– started in February 2009
Responsible Clinician: Bjarki Ellefsen, MD, National Hospital in the Faroe Islands                                                   Concluded

Landau-Kleffner Syndrome
– started in October 2008
Responsible Clinician: Absalon Eysturoy, MD, National Hospital of the Faroe Islands                                                   Concluded

Ovarian cancer
– started in October 2008
Responsible Clinician: Steintóra Samuelsen, MD and Diana Reynstind, MD, National Hospital of the Faroe Islands
Concluded

Pathology register project
– started in December 2007
Responsible Clinician: Maciej Kaminski, MD, National Hospital of the Faroe Islands                                  Concluded

Malignant Hematological Disorders
– started in September 2007
Responsible Clinician: Bjarni á Steig, MD, National Hospital of the Faroe Islands
Research Manager: Viggo Jonsson, Professor, University Oslo, Norway
Concluded

PhD Research Projects

Elucidating the genetic variability within the Faroese population
– started in October 2018
Clinical Responsible: Bjarni á Steig, MD, National Hospital of the Faroe Islands
Research Manager: Noomi O. Gregersen, PhD
Researcher: Ólavur Mortensen

Epidemiology project within cancer in the Faroe Islands
– started in 2019
Clinical Responsible: Bjarni á Steig, MD, National Hospital of the Faroe Islands
Researcher: Marnar F. Kristiansen

Malnutrition in surgical patients in the Faroe Islands – Screening and post-discharge nutrition and resistance training
started in 2017
Poula Patursson, Cand.scient., Ph.D. stud. National Hospital of the Faroe Islands and University of Copenhagen

Psoriasis – Phenotypes and genotypes – within the Faroese population
– started in 2017 Clinical Responsible dr. med. Gregor Jemec
Researcher: Ester Weihe Jacobsen, MD., Ph.D. student National Hospital of the Faroe Islands and Copenhagen University

Family hypercholesterolemia in the Faroe Islands
– started in March 2014
Clinical Responsible: Bjarni á Steig, MD, National Hospital of the Faroe Islands                                                         Researcher: Sanna á Borg, MD

The Genetic and Functional Analysis of Faroese Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Families
– started in May 2015
Clinical Responsible: Bjarni á Steig, MD, National Hospital of the Faroe Islands
Research Manager Professor Lars Fugger, MD, Oxford university
PhD project: Søren Færgemann, MD
Concluded

Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases in the Faroe Islands: Pathogens, Resistance and Clinical Infections (FAPRI study)
– started in October 2013
Clinical Responsible: Shahin Gaini, MD, National Hospital of the Faroe Islands
Researcher: Marija T. Markovic, Cand.med., Ph.D. student, National Hospital of the Faroe Islands/Syddansk Universitet
Concluded

Psoriasis
– started in February 2012
Clinical Responsible: dr. med. Gregor Jemec, MD, National Hospital of the Faroe Islands
Research Manager: Ole Birger V. Pedersen, PhD., MD, Rigshospitalet                          Concluded

Multiple Sclerosis
– started in August 2008
Clinical Responsible: Bjarke á Rógvi-Hansen, MD, National Hospital of the Faroe Islands
Research Manager: Stefanie Binzer. stud.med, Brigthon & Sussex Medical School, UK in cooperation with Egon Stenager, MD, Sydvestjysk Skleroseklinik, Denmark and Jan Hillert, Professor, Karolinska Institut, Sweden             
Concluded