MRCP 2nd Annual Meeting
The Mohn Research Center for Mental Disorders (MRCP) brought together researchers, clinicians and users for its second annual meeting on April 22, 2026 at the Scandic Hotel Norge in Bergen - and it was a great success. The event gathered over 65 participants, with the goal of sharing new knowledge and promoting collaboration across disciplines to improve the treatment of people with mental disorders - a patient group with complex health challenges and significantly reduced life expectancy.
Opening of the MRCP's second annual meeting
The conference was opened with warm greetings from Division Director Randi-Luise Møgster at the Division of Psychiatry/HUS, and Nicholas Nunn, CEO of the Trond Mohn Research Foundation (TMF).
Head of the MRCP Erik Johnsen welcomed all participants, and referred to the centre’s slogan: ''Everyone talks about the dramatic excess mortality of psychotic disorders, but few do anything about it – we want to change this''.
He also marked the establishment of MRCP’s Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). The board consists of internationally recognised researchers in the field of psychotic disorders: Professor Iris E. Sommer (University Hospital Groningen, The Netherlands), Professor Bruno Etain (University of Paris, France) and Professor Thomas Werge (University of Copenhagen, Denmark).
The keynote speech was given by Professor Bruno Etáin from the University of Paris, also a member of the MRCP's scientific advisory board, on the topic ''Sleep and circadian rhythms in bipolar disorder''.
One of the center's deputies, Professor Ingrid Melle, gave a presentation on ''Long-term mortality in first-episode psychosis''.
Furthermore, postdoc Kristin Fjelnseth Wold held 2 presentations ''Long-term outcomes in first-time psychosis and ''Gender differences in side effects from antipsychotics''; senior researcher and center coordinator Farivar Fathian on ''Association between C-reactive protein levels and natural death in schizophrenia spectrum disorders''; Anne Alnes Blindheim, head of Psychosis Research with Experience (PEK), on ''A theoretical approach for understanding lived experience competence''; Senior researcher Jordi Requena Osete on ''Identification of clozapine mechanisms in schizophrenia iPSC-derived cortical organoids''; senior researcher and psychiatrist Jørn Henrik Vold on ''Bergen Addiction Research group(BAR) – overview of active research projects''.
The lectures concluded with a plenary discussion, where Anne Alnes Blindheim and Anja Torsvik discussed: ''User participation across clinical and laboratory research, qualitative and quantitative methods: Is it possible?''
Erik Johnsen thanked the Trond Mohn Research Foundation, Haukeland University Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, the University of Bergen and everyone who contributed professionally and socially to yet another successful MRCP annual meeting!