Bilde av Hegstad, Kristin
Bilde av Hegstad, Kristin
Department of Medical Biology kristin.hegstad@uit.no +4777646351 97593783 You can find me here

Kristin Hegstad


Professor

Job description

Part-time post as professor at Research Group for Host-Microbe Interactions, Department of Medical Biology, UiT the Arctic University of Norway

Main position as Senior Researcher at the Norwegian National Advisory Unit on Detection of Antimicrobial Resistance (K-res), Department of Microbiology and Infection Control, University Hospital of North Norway

 


  • Theresa Wagner, Jessin Janice, Marc Schluz, Susan Ballard, Anders da Silva, Geoffrey W Coombs et al.:
    Reversible vancomycin susceptibility within emerging ST1421 Enterococcus faecium strains is associated with rearranged vanA-gene clusters and increased vanA plasmid copy number
    International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents 2023 ARKIV / DOI
  • Mushtaq al Rubaye, Jessin Janice, Jørgen Vildershøj Bjørnholt, Oliver Kacelnik, Bjørg C. Haldorsen, Randi M. Nygaard et al.:
    The population structure of vancomycin-resistant and -susceptible Enterococcus faecium in a low-prevalence antimicrobial resistance setting is highly influenced by circulating global hospital-associated clones
    Microbial Genomics 19. December 2023 ARKIV / FULLTEKST / DOI
  • Jessin Janice, Theresa Maria Wagner, Karina Olsen, Joachim Hegstad, Kristin Hegstad :
    Emergence of vancomycin-resistant enterococci from vancomycin-susceptible enterococci in hospitalized patients under antimicrobial therapy
    Journal of Global Antimicrobial Resistance 2023 ARKIV / DOI
  • Guido Werner, Natacha Couto, Edward J. Feil, Angela Novais, Kristin Hegstad, Benjamin P. Howden et al.:
    Taking hospital pathogen surveillance to the next level
    Microbial Genomics 2023 ARKIV / DOI
  • Theresa Wagner, Benjamin P Howden, Arnfinn Sundsfjord, Kristin Hegstad :
    Transiently silent acquired antimicrobial resistance: an emerging challenge in susceptibility testing
    Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy 2023 ARKIV / DOI
  • Theresa Maria Wagner, Felipe Romero-Saavedra, Diana Laverde, Mona Susan Johannessen, Johannes Hübner, Kristin Hegstad :
    Enterococcal Membrane Vesicles as Vaccine Candidates
    International Journal of Molecular Sciences 2023 ARKIV / DOI
  • Kristin Hegstad, Anna Kaarina Pöntinen, Jørgen Bjørnholt, Else Quist Paulsen, Arnfinn Ståle Sundsfjord :
    The first tigecycline resistant Enterococcus faecium in Norway was related to tigecycline exposure
    Journal of Global Antimicrobial Resistance 2023 ARKIV / DOI
  • Mushtaq Talib Shawi al Rubaye, Jessin Janice, Jørgen Bjørnholt, Iren Høyland Löhr, Arnfinn Ståle Sundsfjord, Kristin Hegstad :
    The first vanE-type vancomycin resistant Enterococcus faecalis isolates in Norway – phenotypic and molecular characteristics
    Journal of Global Antimicrobial Resistance 2023 ARKIV / DOI
  • Amalie Von Barner Tvedegaard Heim, Jessin Janice, Jørgen Bjørnholt, Bjørn Tore Lunestad, Kristin Hegstad, Cecilie Smith Svanevik :
    Genomic insights into Enterococcus faecium isolates from marine bivalves highlight One Health concerns and healthcare linkages
    Microbial Genomics 2023 ARKIV / DOI
  • Caillan Crowe-McAuliffe, Victoriia Murina, Kathryn Jane Turnbull, Susanne Huch, Marje Kasari, Hiraku Takada et al.:
    Structural basis for PoxtA-mediated resistance to phenicol and oxazolidinone antibiotics
    Nature Communications 2022 ARKIV / DOI
  • Sebastiaan J van Hal, Rob J L Willems, Theodore Gouliouris, Susan A Ballard, Teresa M Coque, Anette M Hammerum et al.:
    The interplay between community and hospital Enterococcus faecium clones within health-care settings: a genomic analysis
    Lancet Microbe 2022 ARKIV / DOI
  • Helene Johannessen, Inger Lill Anthonisen, Nermin Zecic, Kristin Hegstad, Trond Egil Ranheim, Dagfinn Skaare :
    Characterization and Fitness Cost of Tn7100, a Novel Integrative and Conjugative Element Conferring Multidrug Resistance in Haemophilus influenzae
    Frontiers in Microbiology 2022 ARKIV / DOI
  • Mushtaq T.S. Al-Rubaye, Jessin Janice, Jørgen Vildershøj Bjørnholt, Aleksandra Jakovljev, Maria Elisabeth Hultström, Arnfinn Sundsfjord et al.:
    Novel genomic islands and a new vanD-subtype in the first sporadic VanD-type vancomycin resistant enterococci in Norway
    PLOS ONE 2021 ARKIV / DOI
  • Tommi Mäklin, Teemu Kallonen, Jarno Alanko, Ørjan Samuelsen, Kristin Hegstad, Veli Mäkinen et al.:
    Bacterial genomic epidemiology with mixed samples
    Microbial Genomics 2021 ARKIV / DOI
  • Sebastiaan J. van Hal, Rob J.L. Willems, Theodore Gouliouris, Susan A. Ballard, Teresa M. Coque, Anette M. Hammerum et al.:
    The global dissemination of hospital clones of Enterococcus faecium
    Genome Medicine 2021 ARKIV / DOI
  • Bishnu Joshi, Bhupender Singh, Aftab Nadeem, Fatemeh Askarian, Sun Nyunt Wai, Mona Johannessen et al.:
    Transcriptome profiling of staphylococcus aureus associated extracellular vesicles reveals presence of small RNA-cargo
    Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences 13. January 2021 ARKIV / DOI
  • Monika Kumaraswamy, Kamilla Wiull, Bishnu Joshi, George Sakoulas, Armin Kousha, Gustav Vaaje-Kolstad et al.:
    Bacterial membrane-derived vesicles attenuate vancomycin activity against methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus
    Microorganisms 2021 ARKIV / DOI
  • Theresa Wagner, Jessin Janice, Audun Sivertsen, Ingegerd Sjögren, Arnfinn Sundsfjord, Kristin Hegstad :
    Alternative vanHAX promoters and increased vanA-plasmid copy number resurrect silenced glycopeptide resistance in Enterococcus faecium
    Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy 2020 ARKIV / DOI
  • Kristin Hegstad, Haima Mylvaganam, Jessin Janice, Ellen Haldis Josefsen, Audun Sivertsen, Dagfinn Skaare :
    Role of Horizontal Gene Transfer in the Development of Multidrug Resistance in Haemophilus influenzae
    mSphere 2020 ARKIV / FULLTEKST / DOI
  • Petter Elstrøm, Elisabeth Astrup, Kristin Hegstad, Ørjan Samuelsen, Hege Enger, Oliver Kacelnik :
    The fight to keep resistance at bay, epidemiology of carbapenemase producing organisms (CPOs), vancomycin resistant enterococci (VRE) and methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in Norway, 2006-2017
    PLOS ONE 2019 ARKIV / DOI
  • Theresa Wagner, Felipe Romero-Saavedra, Diana Laverde, Mona Johannessen, Johannes Hübner, Kristin Hegstad :
    Enterococcal Membrane Vesicles as Vaccine Candidates
    2023
  • Theresa Wagner, Anna Kaarina Pöntinen, Carolin Kornelia Fenzel, Daniel Engi, Jessin Janice, Ana Almeida-Santos et al.:
    Competition between commensal Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus lactis and clinical isolates of E. faecium
    2023
  • Ingeborg Mathiesen, Anna Kaarina Pöntinen, Mona Johannessen, Kristin Hegstad, Theresa Wagner :
    Characterization of Putative Virulence Factors in Enterococcus faecium
    2023
  • Ingeborg Mathiesen, Theodor Anton Ross, Anna Kaarina Pöntinen, Einar Holsbø, Michael Kampffmeyer, Mona Johannessen et al.:
    Characterization of Putative Virulence Factors in Enterococcus faecium
    2023
  • Carolin Kornelia Fenzel, Anna K. Pöntinen, Mona Johannessen, Kristin Hegstad, Theresa Wagner :
    Characterization of competition between commensal and clinical strains of Enterococcus faecium​
    2023
  • Jonathan Hira, Bhupender Singh, Theresa Maria Wagner, Kristin Hegstad, Mona Susan Johannessen, Christian Stephan Lentz :
    A high-throughput platform for phenotypic profiling of bacteria coupled to single cell-derived growth analysis
    2023
  • Theresa Maria Wagner, Jan Fredrik Frantzen, Kristin Hegstad :
    Utvikler potensiell vaksine mot antibiotikaresistent sykehusbakterie
    NTB 2023 FULLTEKST
  • Trygve Grønning, Kristin Hegstad, Theresa Maria Wagner :
    Ny forskning kan stoppe fryktet sykehus-bakterie
    NRK Troms og Finmark 2023 FULLTEKST
  • Espen Morten Viklem Eidum, Theresa Maria Wagner, Kristin Hegstad :
    Researchers develop potential vaccine against antibiotic-resistant enterococci
    EurekAlert! 2023 FULLTEKST
  • Jan Fredrik Frantzen, Theresa Maria Wagner, Kristin Hegstad :
    Utvikler potensiell vaksine mot hissig sykehusbakterie
    www.forskning.no 2023 FULLTEKST
  • Kristin Hegstad :
    Linezolidresistens hos enterokokker – mekanismer og diagnostikk
    2023
  • Theresa Maria Wagner, Anna Kaarina Pöntinen, Mushtaq T.S. AL Rubaye, Arnfinn Ståle Sundsfjord, Kristin Hegstad :
    Adaptive cell wall thickening in Enterococcus faecalis is associated with decreased vancomycin susceptibility
    Clinical Microbiology and Infection (CMI) 2023 DOI
  • Julie Kalveland, Kristin Hegstad, Torni Kristin Myrbakk :
    UNN-forskere oppdaget ny mekanisme for antibiotikaresistens
    18. November 2022 FULLTEKST
  • Amalie von BT Heim, Bjørn Tore Lunestad, Jessin Janice, Jørgen Bjørnholt, Kristin Hegstad, Cecilie Smith Svanevik :
    Enterococci in marine bivalves from Norway – where do they come from and should we be concerned?
    2022
  • Kristin Hegstad :
    Vancomycin variable resistant enterococci
    2022
  • Kristin Hegstad :
    Tigesyklinresistens hos enterokokker i Norge
    2022
  • Ingeborg Mathiesen, Mona Johannessen, Kristin Hegstad, Theresa Wagner :
    Characterisation of putative virulence factors in Enterococcus faecium
    2022
  • Ingeborg Mathiesen, Mona Johannessen, Kristin Hegstad, Theresa Wagner :
    Characterisation of putative virulence factors in Enterococcus faecium
    2022
  • Theodor Anton Ross, Anna Kaarina Pöntinen, Jessin Janice, Einar Holsbø, Jukka Corander, Kristin Hegstad et al.:
    Leveraging machine learning for finding novel putative virulence factors in Enterococcus faecium
    2022
  • Bjørg C Haldorsen, Erika Matuschek, Jenny Åhman, Gunnar Kahlmeter, Arnfinn Sundsfjord, Kristin Hegstad :
    Performance of the EUCAST disc diffusion method and gradient tests in detection of linezolid susceptibility in Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium
    2021
  • Theresa Wagner, Kristin Hegstad :
    Transiently silenced acquired antimicrobial resistance – an increasing challenge in antimicrobial susceptibility testing
    2021
  • Theresa Wagner, Jessin Janice James Peter, Marc Schulz, Susan A. Ballard, Anders Goncalves da Silva, Geoffrey W Coombs et al.:
    Australian vancomycin variable E. faecium ST1421 revert to resistance by the use of an alternative vanHAX promoter and increased vanA-plasmid copy number
    2021
  • Theresa Wagner, Mona Johannessen, Kristin Hegstad :
    Towards a vaccine based on enterococcal membrane vesicles
    2020
  • Theresa Wagner, Clement Ajayi, Mona Johannessen, Kristin Hegstad, Gro Grimnes, Ingrid Hemmingsen :
    Brukermøte 2020
    2020
  • Theresa Wagner, Clement Ajayi, Kristin Hegstad, Mona Johannessen, Gro Grimnes, Ingrid Hemmingsen :
    Brukermøte 2019
    2019
  • Bishnu Joshi, Sun Nyunt Wai, Mona Johannessen, Kristin Hegstad :
    Extracellular vesicle -associated small RNA released by Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA476) grown under stress condition
    2019
  • Theresa Wagner, Mona Johannessen, Kristin Hegstad :
    Investigating the immune response towards enterococcal membrane vesicles
    2019
  • Theresa Wagner, Jessin Janice, Audun Sivertsen, Ingegerd Sjögren, Arnfinn Sundsfjord, Kristin Hegstad :
    The bag of tricks of vancomycin variable enterococci: an alternative constitutive vanHAX-promoter, varying copy numbers and transferable resistance
    2019
  • Mushtaq Talib Shawi Al-Rubaye, Jessin Janice, Iren Høyland Löhr, Arnfinn Sundsfjord, Kristin Hegstad :
    THE FIRST VANE VANCOMYCIN RESISTANT ENTEROCOCCUS FAECALIS IN NORWAY
    2019
  • Mushtaq Talib Shawi Al-Rubaye, Jessin Janice, Jørgen Vildershøj Bjørnholt, Oliver Kacelink, Biørg C. Haldorsen, Randi M. Nygaard et al.:
    POPULATION STRUCTURE OF THE NORWEGIAN VANCOMYCIN RESISTANT AND SENSITIVE ENTEROCOCCI 2010-2015
    2019

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    Research interests

    Main research topics: Antimicrobial resistance - Mobile genetic elements and horizontal gene transfer of antimicrobial resistance - Mechanisms for antimicrobial resistance - Detection of antimicrobial resistance - Novel virulence factors as targets for disarmament of pathogens - Membrane vesicles

    Member of Centre for New Antibacterial Strategies (CANS)

    For publications see: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1314-0497

    Main research project: New strategies to combat multidrug resistant enterococci

    Infections caused by multi-resistant bacteria are very difficult to treat and pose a serious threat to human health as well as medical advances. Enterococcus faecium is a leading cause of nosocomial infections, especially in severely ill and immunocompromised patients. Vancomycin resistant E. faecium is ranked as number four on the WHO’s priority pathogens list in antimicrobial research and development due to public health concerns. While in Norway only 0-10 cases of Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci (VRE) were reported annually before 2010, this number increased to 384 in 2017. Novel therapeutic approaches and alternatives for infection control are desperately needed to combat VRE.

    Sub-projects
    1. The Norwegian VRE study. The aims of this study are to gain new insights in to the spread of antimicrobial resistance in enterococci, identify new targets for antimicrobial treatment and containment of infections caused by multidrug resistant enterococci, and define novel infection control interventions for VRE. The study takes advantage of an on-going national epidemiological study of VRE in Norway and will use collections of non-VRE isolates from the Norsk Overvåkningssystem for antibiotikaResistens hos Mikrober (NORM) registry and from a general population sample (Tromsø 7). Combining clinical epidemiological information about the VREs and genomic data from the different strain collections we can identify determinants best suited for anti-virulence targeting of E. faecium, reveal unknown transmission patterns and de novo generation of VRE as well as relate the Norwegian epidemiology to the global epidemiology of VRE.

    2. Alternative Strategies to Combat VRE. With this project we aim to find treatment alternatives in the fight against E. faecium infections, to lead way for novel therapy and eventually slow down the increase of VRE incidences in Norway. First, immunization with MVs derived from E. faecium is a promising alternative for prevention and/ or treatment of enterococcal infections. Second, by exploring mobile genetic elements as putative modes of dissemination of resistance gene, we will gain knowledge, which will help to find target points to interfere with the spread of resistance genes. Third, investigating the interactions of commensal and nosocomial E. faecium will help our understanding of VRE and their contribution to dysbiosis. Overall, this project provides knowledge to develop novel drugs against VRE, which are urgently needed to shorten hospital stay, infection associated costs and discomforts.

    3. New targets for prevention and treatment of infections by the Gram-positive ESKAPE bugs. New strategies for future infection treatment and prophylaxis are urgently needed. Classical antibiotics kill or supress bacterial growth, and cause high selective pressure for antibiotic resistance development. Another approach is to interfere directly with targets involved in host-microbe interaction, without killing the microbe or disturbing the normal flora creating dysbiosis. Our strategy is to find new targets for future intervention using two approaches a) machine learning to identify relevant target genes more prevalent in clinical E. faecium isolates compared to commensals and b) activity-based probes to identify enzymes in E. faecium and S. aureus involved in the meeting with host. The most interesting and prevalent target(s) will be validated by functional assays. 


    Member of research group


    CV

    Education

    • 2000 : PhD degree in Medical Microbiology – University of Tromsø
    • 1995 : Master degree in Marine biotechnology/microbiology – Norwegian Fishery College

    Employment

    • Since 2004: Research Scientist, Norwegian National Advisory Unit on Detection of Antimicrobial Resistance, University Hospital of North Norway, Tromsø
    • Since 2017: Professor II, Research group of Host Microbe Interaction, Dept. of Medical Biology, UiT – The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø
    • 2008-2010 + 2015-2017: Section manager, Norwegian National Advisory Unit on Detection of Antimicrobial Resistance, Dept. of Microbiology and Infection Control, University Hospital of North Norway, Tromsø.
    • 2006 - 2016: Associate Professor II, Dept. of Medical Biology, University of Tromsø
    • 2001 - 2004: Post-doctoral position, Dept. of Medical Biology, University of Tromsø
    • May 2001 - May 2002: Post-doctoral position/visiting Research Fellow, Patrice Courvalin lab, Unité des Agents Antibactériens, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.