Originally from Fredrikstad, Helene Rygvold Haugsten is a trained dentist from the University of Oslo (UiO). She has worked in both public and private practice and is now a PhD candidate at the Institute of Oral Biology at UiO.

– “I’m in the final stages of my PhD, where we’ve studied bacterial extracellular vesicles from Porphyromonas gingivalis and their role in the development of periodontitis,” she says.

New focus on peri-implantitis

At NIOM, Haugsten continues in a similar research direction.

– “We will investigate the role of bacterial vesicles in the development of peri-implantitis,” she explains.

The project involves culturing Porphyromonas gingivalis, isolating the vesicles, and exposing them to oral fibroblasts and titanium. The materials will then be analyzed in depth.

Longstanding interest in NIOM

Haugsten has followed NIOM’s work for many years. After attending a networking conference, she learned about the opportunity to apply as a visiting researcher.

– “When I realized I could continue my PhD research here, the decision was easy,” she says.

She will be at NIOM for six months and looks forward to building both knowledge and new collaborations.

– “I hope to grow methodologically and scientifically, and to gain fresh perspectives,” Haugsten concludes.