Annette Burkhart Larsen

Annette Burkhart Larsen is an Associate Professor at the Department of Health Science and Technology, affiliated with The Faculty of Medicine at Aalborg University. Her research focuses on gene therapy at the blood-brain barrier (BBB) to deliver therapeutic proteins for neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Niemann Pick Type C2. She also investigates iron transport mechanisms across the BBB and develops in vitro BBB models for drug delivery studies.

Teaching obligations include case facilitation, module coordination, and project supervision for medical bachelor and master programs. She lectures on molecular pathogenesis and neurobiology across multiple semesters. Her expertise aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goals related to health and innovation.

Education: PhD in Neurobiology, Cand Scient Med (Master’s in Medicine with Industrial Specialisation), and a Bachelor’s in Molecular Biology from Aarhus University. She completed an Assistant Professor course in 2019.

Research Output: 45 publications (2011–2025), including studies on AAV-BR1 gene therapy, BBB transport mechanisms, and iron deficiency effects. Notable 2023-2025 articles explore AAV-mediated protein delivery, glial cell effects on BBB inflammation, and mouse models of Niemann Pick disease.

Grants/Projects: Led a 2017–2019 project on ferroportin epigenetics at the neurovascular unit funded by Scleroseforeningen.

Labs/Teams: Engaged in Neurobiological Research and Drug Delivery initiatives at her department.