About

The Norwegian Centre for Clinical Cancer Research has an overall ambition to extend the lives and improve the quality of life of patients with hard-to-treat cancers. Matrix will develop and test new precision diagnostic and treatment options, and the aim is for patients to be able to participate in clinical trials as close as possible to their homes.
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Matrix will contribute to increase the volume of precision medicine, patient-centred treatment and cell therapy studies in Norway. The goal is that the design of the Centre will benefit more patients with aggressive cancer by allowing inclusion in clinical trials in earlier treatment lines. Furthermore, as a result of advanced diagnostics, one can provide an even more precise treatment than is currently the case.

The Centre collaborates with and builds on already ongoing initiatives in precision cancer medicine and patient-centred care, and the aim is to make Norway world-leading in precision cancer research, treatment and care.

Oslo University Hospital is the host institution of Matrix.

Centre Management Team

The Centre Management Team takes care of the day-to-day running of Matrix and consists of:

The Extended National Management Team coordinates activities in the five work packages in Matrix and ensures national participation and engagement. The members of this team must therefore represent all four health regions in Norway. Among the tasks of the national management team is assessment of trial proposals and approving the initiation of new clinical trials within Matrix.

The extended national management team consists of:

Matrix Board

The board is, in collaboration with the Centre Management, responsible for the Centre’s overall coordination and progress. Furthermore, the board must ensure that the interactions between the project management and collaboration partners works well.

The chair of the Matrix board is Sigbjørn Smeland, Head of the Cancer Clinic at Oslo University Hospital. All consortium participants can appoint one member each to the board. In addition, relevant patient organizations are also represented. Furthermore, the centre director and deputy director participate in board meetings.

Scientific Advisory Board (SAB)

The main mission of the Matrix Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) is to offer academic and strategic advice as well as benchmark the performance of the Centre internationally. The SAB consists of internationally renowned clinicians and researchers with expertise in precision medicine and cancer research.

The following experts constiute the MATRIX SAB:
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Professor Irene Higginson, PhD, Kings College London, UK
Professor Janne Lehtiö, PhD, Karolinska Institut, Sweden
‍Professor Sonja Loges, MD, PhD, University Medical Center Mannheim/German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
‍Peter Hall, PhD, Reader, Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre, The University of Edinburgh, UK
Professor Ahmad H. Awada, Jules Bordet Cancer Insitute, Brussels, Belgium

Consortium Participants

In addition to Oslo University Hospital as host institution, Matrix consists of sixteen consortium participants: