Main scientific interests:

Arctic health problems, infectious diseases, contaminants and pregnancy outcome, development of pregnancy care programs in different cultures, use of epidemiological methods in public health services, global environmental health problems.

Selected papers:

• Odland JO, Tchachtchine VP, Bykov V, Fiskebeck PE, Lund E, Thomassen Y, Nieboer E. Critical Evaluation of Medical, Statistical and Occupational Data Sources in the Kola Peninsula of Russia Pertinent to Reproductive Health Studies. Arch Environ Occup Health 1999; 72: 151-60.
   
• Odland JO, Nieboer E, Romanova N, Thomassen Y, Hofoss D, Lund E. Factor analysis of essential and toxic elements in human placentas from deliveries in artic and subarctic areas of Russia and Norway. J Environ Monit 2001; 3: 177-184.
   
• J.O. Odland, E. Nieboer, N. Romanova, D. Hofoss and Y. Thomassen. Intercommunity and temporal variation of eleven essential and five toxic elements in human placentas from deliveries in thirteen arctic and sub-arctic areas of Russia and Norway. J. Environ. Monit., 2003, 1, 166-74.
   
• Odland JØ, Hansen JC, Deutch B, Burkow IC. The importance of diet on exposure and effects of persistent organic pollutants on human health in the Arctic. Acta Pædiatr 2003; 92: 1255-66.
   
• Odland JO, Nieboer E, Romanova N, Thomassen Y. Elements in placenta and pregnancy outcome in arctic and subarctic areas. Int J Circumpolar Health 2004; 63: 169-187.

Editorial work:

• Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP). Eds. Hansen JC, Gilman A, Klopov V, Odland JO. Assessment Report: Arctic Pollution Issues. Oslo: AMAP Secretariate, 1998: 775-844.
   
• AMAP, 2003. AMAP Assessment 2002: Human Health in the Arctic. Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP), Oslo, Norway. Eds. Hansen JC, Gilman A, Klopov V, Odland JO. xiv + 137 pp. Main author of chapter 6, coauthor of three other chapters.

Other activities and international cooperation:

• Scientific editor, International Journal of Circumpolar Health (IJCH).
• Coeditor of procedure books in obstetrics and gynecology in North-West Russia and Lithuania. - Author of a pregnancy calendar for women in the North West Russia. 
• Leader of the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC), Human Health Group.
• Member of two program boards of the Norwegian Research Council; Program for International Scholarships; Environment, Genom and Health.
• Member of the Board, Forum for Global Health, Norway
• Ongoing projects in all arctic countries through the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP), special projects in Russia, Vietnam, South Africa and Brazil on reproductive health and persistent organic pollutants (PTS).
• Project leader: Pregnancy care and development of procedures of obstetric care in the Barents Region, with support from the Norwegian Health Program of the Barents Region.
• Responsible for development of a birth registry for the Russian Federation.

Other activities:

• Educated as a classical pianist/conductor.
• Chairman of the board of different cultural programs; Nordland Music Festival, Music Theatre of Bodø, an art museum.
• Member of Bodø City Parliament.
• Leader of the Committee for City Planning and Environment, Bodø.
• Member of the Central Board, the Norwegian Central Party.
• Deputy member, the Norwegian Parliament.