Computer science student Espen Lønes has gone straight from a busy spring semester to new challenges - he is one of 48 students who receive a grant from UiO:Life Sciences to contribute to a research project this summer.
Espen Lønes has his summer project at the Department of Pharmacy at the University of Oslo. Photo: Jarli&Jordan/University of Oslo.
For six weeks, Espen will contribute to a project, which is a collaboration between the Department of Pharmacy at the University of Oslo and the start-up company Medthings. The Fredrikstad based company has developed a digital medicine dispenser, also called eDosett, which ensure safe medication of patients living at home.
Interdisciplinary collaboration contributes to the development of welfare technology
Professor and pharmacist Anne Gerd Granås represents the University of Oslo in the project and is Espen's supervisor. She has contributed with insight about the challenges the health service faces in the misuse of medicines and what an eDosett can solve. An example is preventing people from taking too many painkillers in a day, by programming minimum time intervals and maximum daily doses. Another example is that the eDosett sends a notification if someone has forgotten to take a blood thinner. In this way, the technology can, for example, prevent serious blood clots after operations, hospitalization and, in the worst case, death.
Master student Espen Lønes and professor and pharmacist Anne Gerd Granås. Photo: Jarli&Jordan/University of Oslo.
Others simply need help to be able to take their medicines at the right time and in the right dose. We are also looking at how the actual laying of the eDosett, with digitally assisted double control, can be developed. This is precisely what Espen will contribute to the project this summer, he will develop a code that enables, for example, the home nurse to access the eDosett with their mobile phone to carry out checks.
Relevant experience
Espen gets both experience from working on an interdisciplinary project and at the same time he gets real work experience from a company. As a graduating Master's student he had started the search for a job after completing his studies and to gain experience from a company was of importance for him.
Popular among students
To be accepted as a summer student, the candidate must apply early, the quota fills up quickly. A matchmaking seminar is then organized where the student and client rank each other. Not everyone who applies gets a summer project. Only students at the University of Oslo can apply for a summer project and there is a requirement that the candidate must be a student in the spring semester when admission takes place. A student can only get a summer project twice.
About the life science summer projects
This is the sixth year UiO:Life Science offers summer projects to students. One of the tasks of UiO:Life Science is to recruit, educate and develop talented students. The summer research project for students is part of this work.
The aim of the summer research projects is to provide the students with practical experience of real research that addresses a social challenge within health or environment. It is also desirable that the projects provide the students with insight into interdisciplinary research.
Read about the application process
