Born: Tydal, Norway, February 14. 1948
Nationality: Norwegian
Present position: Head of Neuro-division (Neurosurgery and Neurology) St Olav University Hospital, Professor in Neurosurgery, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway
Degrees: MD (1974), PhD (1979)
Clinical experience:
Specialist in Neurosurgery, Norway, 1987
Chief of Neurosurgical Department, University Hospital of Trondheim, 1996.
The last decade the surgical experience has been mostly in tumour surgery, scull base surgery and vascular surgery.
Academic experience:
Professor in Neurosurgery, University of Trondheim 1989
Dean of the Medical Faculty from 1993 to 1998. During this period the number of students were increased threefold and a new study model based on modern educational principles was introduced. A new integrated University Hospital with the basic sciences integrated into the clinical buildings was planned and financed during the same period.
Innovation:
Clinical partner in the gründer team that developed the ultrasound based navigation and intraoperative imaging system, SonoWand. Member of the Board of the medical technology company Mison A/S (producing SonoWand) since the start in 1998.
Political experience:
Member of the City Council of Trondheim 1987 – 1994
Research activities and fields of interest
Research profile: Cell biology and medical technology.
In early period studied cell immunology and tumour immunology. Later MR technology was used to study cell metabolism and tissue changes due to cerebral ischemia. In the last 10 years the research activity has been focused on using three-dimensional ultrasound to guide neurosurgical operations. This research has been funded from the Ministry of Health through the National Centre of Competence for 3D Ultrasound in Surgery, where Neurosurgery is one of three clinical areas.
Membership in academic and professional committees:
Entrusted different positions in National, Scandinavian and European neurosurgical organizations:
Chairman Norwegian Neurosurgical Association (NNA), chairman NNAs quality committee, treasurer Scandinavian Neurosurgical Association, Scandinavian representative in Research Committee of European Association of Neurosurgical Societies (EANS), Norwegian representative in Training Committee of EANS, Vice President of EANS
Entrusted different professional advisory positions by the National Government:
Member of the Health Ministers committee for evaluating organization and ownership of Norwegian Hospitals, Member of the National Council for specialist education of medical doctors, Member of the Health Ministers Committee to investigate unethical research in the post-war period (1950-1975)
Honorary positions:
Member of the Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and Letters,
Member of the Norwegian Academy of Technological Sciences
Supervision of doctoral students
Supervised 9 PhD students
Training of specialists
During my period as a chief of the Neurosurgical Department, we have trained 6 specialists in neurosurgery.
Selected academic and professional publications 2000-2005
All together 122 peer reviewed papers since start of academic career.
1 Håberg A, Qu H, Haraldseth O, Unsgård G, Sonnewald U. In vivo effects of adenosine A1 receptor agonist and antagonist on neural and astrocytic intermediary metabolism studied with ex vivo 13C NMR spectroscopy. J Neurochem 74:327-333, 2000.
2 Gronningsaeter A, Kleven A, Ommedal S, Aarseth TE, Lie T, Lindseth F, Langø T, Unsgård G. SonoWand, An ultrasound-based neuronavigation system. Neurosurgery,47:6:1373-1380, 2000.
3 Qu H, Waagepetersen HS, van Hengel M, Wolt S, Dale O, Unsgård G, Sletvold O, Schousboe A and Sonnewald U. Effects of thiopental on transport and metabolism of glutamate in cultured cerebellar granule neurons. Neurochem Int 37:207-215, 2000.
4 Qu H, Håberg A, Haraldseth O, Unsgård G, Sonnewald U. 13C MR spectroscopy study of lactate as substrate for rat brain. Dev Neurosci 22: 429-436, 2000.
5 Qu H, Eloqayli H, Unsgård G and Sonnewald U. Glutamate spares glucose as energy substrate and decreases pyruvate carboxylase activity in cultured cerebellar astrocytes. J Neurosci Res 66:1127-1132, 2001.
6 Håberg A, Qu H, Sæther O, Haraldseth O, Unsgård G, Sonnewald U. Differences in neurotransmitter synthesis and intermediary metabolism between glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons during 4 hours of MCAO in the rat. The role of astrocytes in neuronal survival. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 21:14551-1463, 2001.
7 Eloqayli H, Qu H, Unsgård G, Sletvold O and Sonnewald U. Effect of pentylenetetrazole and glutamate on metabolism of (U-13C)glucose in cultured cerebellar granule neurons. Neurochem Int 40:181-187, 2002.
8 Unsgaard G, Ommedal S, Müller T, Grønningsæter Å, Nagelhus Hernes T. Neuronavigation by intraoperative Three-dimentional Ultrasound: Initial Experience during Brain Rumor Resection. Neurosurgery 50: 804-812, 2002.
9 Unsgaard G, Groenningsaeter A, Ommedal S, Hernes TAN. Brain Operations Guided by Real-time Two-dimensional Ultrasound: New Possibilities as a Result of Improved Image Quality. Neurosurgery 51:402-412, 2002.
10 Hammer J, Qu H, Hårberg A, Haraldseth O, Unsgård G and Sonnewald U. 2001. Effect of adenosine A2 receptor agonist and antagonist on cerebral metabolism of 1-¹³C glucose and 1,2- ¹³C acetate in rats. J Neurochem 79:885-892.
11 Lindseth F, Kaspersen J H, Ommedal S, Langø T, Unsgård G, Hernes T A N. Multimodal image fusion in ultrasound-based neuronavigation: improving overview and interpretation by integrating preoperative MRI with intraoperative 3D ultrasound. Comp Aided Surg, 2002:7:4:197-222
12 Hernes T A N, Ommedal S, Lie T, Lindseth F, Langø T, Unsgård G. Steroscopic navigation-controlled display og preoperative MRI and intraoperative 3D ultrasound in planning and guidance of neurosurgery New technology for minimally invasive image guided surgery approaches, Minim Invasive Neurosurg, 2003;25:209-212
13 Helseth E, Due-Tønnesen J, Lundar T, Scheie D, Skullerud K, Wesenberg F, Lote K, Cappelen J, Unsgård G, Stokland T, Wester K. Intrakraniale svulster hos barn. Tidsskr Nor Lægeforen 4: 451-455, 2003.
14 Helseth E, Meling T, Lundar T, Scheie D, Skullerud K, Lote K, Unsgård G, Kloster R, Langmoen I A, Wester K. Intrakraniale svulster hos voksne. Tidsskr
Nor Lægeforen 4: 456-461, 2003.
15 Hernes T A N, Lindseth F, Ommedal S, Unsgård G. Neuronavigation with intraoperative 3D ultrasound;Multimodal 2D and 3D display techniques and interactive stereoscopic visualization for guiding surgical procedures. In: Proceedings of Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery (CARS), Paris, France June 26-29.2002
16 Eloqayli H, Dahl C B, Gøtesatam G, Unsgård G, Hadidi H, Sonnewald U.
Pentylentetrazole decreases metabolic glutamate turnover in rat brain. J Neurochem. (2003) 85, 1200-1207.
17 Håberg A, Kvistad K A, Unsgård G, Haraldseth O. Preoperative Blood Oxygene Level-dependent Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Patients with Primary Brain Tumors: Clinical Application and Outcome. Neurosurgery 54:902-915, 2004.
18 Selbekk T, Bang J, Unsgaard G. Strain processing of intraoperative ultrasound images of brain tumours: initial results. J Ultrasound Med Biol: 31:1:45-51,2005.
19 Unsgaard G, Ommedal S, Rygh O, Lindseth F. Operation of Arteriovenous Malformations Assisted by Stereoscopic Navigation-controlled Display of Preoperative Magnetic Resonance Angiogrphy and Intraoperative Ultrasound Angiogrphy. Neurosurgery 56(4) Operative Neurosurgery Suppliment 2:281-290, April 2005.
20 Unsgaard G, Selbekk T, Müller TB, Ommedal s, Torp SH, Myhr G, Bang J, Hernes TAN. Ability of Navigated 3D Ultrasound to Delineate Gliomas and Metastaes – Comparison of Image Interpretations with Histopathology. Acta Neurochir (2005) ISSN: 0001-6268 (paper) 0942-0940 (online)
21 Unsgaard G, Rygh OM, Selbekk T, Müller TB, Kolstad F, Linseth F, Hernes TAN. Intra-operative 3D Ultrasound in Neurosurgery. Acta Neurochir ( in press)