Øivind Torkildsen

Professor Øivind Torkildsen is a neurologist at Haukeland University Hospital and a professor at the University of Bergen's Department of Clinical Medicine in Norway. He is a principal investigator in the pioneering EU-funded research initiative, EBV-MS, which explores the role of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in the onset and progression of multiple sclerosis (MS). The EBV-MS project, led by Torkildsen and Professor Kjell-Morten Myhr, aims to understand why only a subset of EBV-infected individuals develop MS and to investigate whether antiviral treatments targeting EBV can alter disease progression. The project is funded by the EU's Horizon Europe program for the period 2024–2028. Torkildsen's leadership extends to the TAF-MS 1 study, an interventional trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of tenofovir alafenamide (TAF), an antiviral agent, in patients with relapsing-remitting MS. This study is among the first to assess an EBV-targeted therapy in MS patients and could represent a paradigm shift in MS treatment. His research is conducted within Neuro-SysMed, Norway's first center for clinical treatment research on neurological diseases, established in 2019 at Haukeland University Hospital and the University of Bergen. Torkildsen is also committed to patient-centered research, actively engaging with the European MS Platform (EMSP), MS International Federation (MSIF) and the Norwegian and Italian MS society to ensure that clinical trial designs reflect the needs and perspectives of those affected by MS. His work is instrumental in advancing our understanding of MS and exploring innovative treatment strategies targeting its underlying causes