Hanne Cathrine Bisgaard

Hanne Cathrine Bisgaard is an Associate Professor at the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen. Her research focuses on cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in foetal and adult programming of the mammalian liver, with specific emphasis on stem/progenitor cell differentiation into hepatocytes and cholangiocytes. She also administers the 'Chemical Components of the Cell' course for medical and odontology students.

Education:

• M.Sc. in Biochemistry (1985)
• Ph.D. (Lic.Scient) in Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark (1990)

Research Interests: Dr. Bisgaard's primary research investigates the characterization of cellular and molecular mechanisms in liver development and regeneration. Her work includes in vitro programming and differentiation of human hepatic progenitor cells, human embryonic stem cells, and induced pluripotent stem cells along hepatic cell lineages. She specifically examines nutritional effects of the microenvironment on differentiation processes and identifies novel molecular mechanisms involved in repair and regeneration of injured liver using experimental animal models in mouse and rat. Current investigations focus on hexose-induced changes in mitochondrial phenotype during liver cell differentiation and developing in vitro systems for studying hepatic differentiation and associated diseases using induced pluripotent stem cells and gene editing.

Scientific Awards:

• Fogarty International Postdoctoral Fellowship, National Institutes of Health, USA (1990-1994)
• Fellowships from the Danish Cancer Society (1992-1993 and 1994-1995)
• Fellowship from the Danish Research Academy (1989-1990)

Advising and Grants: Dr. Bisgaard has supervised 2 post docs, 12 Ph.D. students, and 14 master students since 1995. She serves as a referee for grant agencies including Welcome Trust, Hungarian Scientific Research Fund (OTKA), and The Danish Multiple Sclerosis Society. Her research has been supported by various fellowships and grants throughout her career.

Laboratory and Collaborations: Dr. Bisgaard's laboratory collaborates with researchers including Bjørn Quistorff (Department of Biomedical Sciences), Lene Juel Rasmussen (Center for Healthy Aging), Lisbeth Birk Møller (Medical Genetics Laboratory), and international collaborators like Peter Nagy at Semmelweis University in Budapest. She is actively involved in the Morphogenesis and Differentiation Program at the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine.