Tromsø, 3-5th of june 2026
Every eight years, we, the Norwegian Epidemiological Association (NOFE), had the pleasure of hosting the Nordic Conference of Epidemiology and Register-Based Health Research (NordicEpi). In 2026, it was our turn, and we presented the first joint NordicEpi & NorPEN Conference in Tromsø with 380 participants. This unique meeting combined epidemiology and pharmacoepidemiology into a rich, collaborative scientific programme. The NordicEpi & NorPEN Conference replaced the annual national NOFE conference for 2026.
Nestled within Tromsø’s impressive arctic landscape and 24-hour sunlight, the conference gathered researchers, clinicians, and public health practitioners from across the Nordic countries and internationally. Over this three-day conference, attendees shared original research in pharmacoepidemiology and other epidemiologic fields, took part in methodological discussions, and formed new collaborations.
On the 2nd of June, three pre-conference workshops was arranged, open to all participants, providing an opportunity to deepen methodological knowledge in different fields before the main programme.
Visit the NordicEpi & NorPEN conference website for details here.
Confirmed Keynote Speakers for 2026
Frode Forland,MD, PhD
Scientific Director at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. He previously served as Policy Director at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He is recently back from 2,5 years in Addis Ababa serving as a seconded Senior Advisor to Africa CDC in the areas of Evidence, Health Security and NCDs.
Dr Forland has more than 30 years of working- and leadership experience in the field of Public Health and Infectious Diseases. He has led several organizations at the national and international level on Public Health and Primary Health Care.
Dr Forland has been a lead for three WHO Joint External Evaluations on Health Security. He is a Scientific Board Member of the Global Health Unit of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) in Germany, the Health Information Systems Program (HISP) at the University of Oslo, he was a Board Member of Gavi (the Vaccine Alliance) and the Pandemic Fund, and was the Norwegian Advisory Forum Member to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) for six years. During the COVID-19 pandemic he was part of the leadership group of the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH), and he was frequently used as a spokesperson in the media.
He holds an MD from the University of Oslo with a specialty in Public Health and General Practice. He previously worked as an Associate Professor in Public Health at the University of Tromsø. He has more than 25 years of experience in Evidence Synthesis and application of Evidence Based Methods for Public Health. He has published widely in areas related to use of Evidence, Public Health, and Global Health.
Yu-Han Chu, MD, ScD
Assistant Professor, Department of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health
Yu-Han Chu’s work focuses on the development and application of advanced causal inference methods, including target trial emulation and transportability, with particular emphasis on pregnancy and cardiovascular health.
Anton Pottegård, PhD
Professor of Pharmacoepidemiology, University of Southern Denmark
Anton Pottegård leads a large pharmacoepidemiology research group and specializes in applied pharmacoepidemiology, with a focus on research infrastructure, methodological best practices, and the transparent use of secondary health data.
Unnur Anna Valdimarsdóttir, PhD
Professor of Epidemiology and Dean, School of Health Sciences, University of Iceland
Unnur Anna Valdimarsdóttir’s research investigates the complex relationships between psychological trauma, mental disorders, and somatic diseases. Her work draws on Nordic registry, cohort, and biobank data and is supported by major international funding bodies.
Walter Ricciardi, MD, Hon PhD
Full Professor of Hygiene and Public Health at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome. European Parliament.
Walter Ricciardi currently serves as Chair of the European Commission’s Mission Board for Cancer and Chair of the Scientific Committee of the Human Technopole Foundation. He has held advisory roles for public health policy, including for the Italian Ministry of Health during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Previous conferences
NordicEpi 2024, the 11th Nordic Conference on Epidemiology and Register-Based Health Research (NordicEpi), June 12–14, Copenhagen.
NordicEpi 2022, the 10th Nordic Conference on Epidemiology and Register-Based Health Research, August 18–19, 2022, Reykjavik, Iceland.
NordicEpi 2019, the 9th Nordic Conference on Epidemiology and Register-Based Health Research, September 18–20, 2019, Tampere, Finland.
NordicEpi 2017, the 8th Nordic Conference on Epidemiology and Register-Based Health Research, September 13–15, 2017, Lund, Sweden.
NordicEpi 2015, the 7th Nordic Conference on Epidemiology and Register-Based Health Research, September 21–23, 2015, Oslo, Norway.
NordicEpi 2013, the 6th Nordic Conference on Epidemiology and Register-Based Health Research, August 11–14, 2013, Århus.