Lars Andreas Akslen

Lars Andreas Akslen is a Professor of Pathology at the University of Bergen and Director of the Centre for Cancer Biomarkers (CCBIO), a Norwegian Centre of Excellence established in 2013. He has held these roles for decades and also serves as Senior Consultant in Surgical Pathology at Haukeland University Hospital since 1988. With over 367 publications (H-factor=77) and 35,000+ citations, Akslen is a leading figure in molecular tumor pathology.

• Professor of Pathology, University of Bergen (since 1993)
• Director, CCBIO (Norwegian Centre of Excellence, since 2013)
• Senior Consultant, Surgical Pathology, Haukeland University Hospital (since 1988)

Akslen's research focuses on the tumor microenvironment, cancer biomarkers, and molecular tumor pathology. His work has pioneered understanding of prognostic markers, gene expression signatures, and tumor-associated angiogenesis, particularly in breast, endometrial, and prostate cancers. He established the CCBIO Research School for Cancer Studies (2013) to mentor future scientists through international courses and masterclass programs.

His scientific contributions include groundbreaking studies on breast cancer dormancy via heat shock protein suppression, PI3 kinase activation in endometrial cancer, and protease-mediated tumor progression. Current research trends emphasize tumor-stroma interactions, metastasis mechanisms, and proteomics in hypoxia-induced breast cancer responses.

• Honorary Member, Norwegian Society of Pathology (2018)
• Elected Member, Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters (2013)
• King Olav V’s Cancer Research Award (2009)

Akslen has supervised 36 PhD candidates and founded SCANPATH (2016), a Nordic academic pathology network. He has served as National Editor of APMIS (2000-2013), President of the Norwegian Society of Pathology (2008-2012), and Board Member of the Norwegian Cancer Society (2010-2018).