Henrik Jørn Ditzel

Henrik Jørn Ditzel is Professor and Head of Research at the Cancer and Inflammation Research Unit, Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark. He is also Professor of Precision Medicine and Senior Consultant at the Department of Oncology, Odense University Hospital, and Institute of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark. Additionally, he holds adjunct and visiting professorships at The Scripps Research Institute, USA, and Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, China.

Education:

• MD, University of Odense (1987)
• PhD in Cancer Immunology (1992)
• DMSc (Doctor Medicinae), University of Odense (1999)
• Clinical Training in Clinical Immunology, UCSD Medical Center
• Board Certified in Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics (ABHI, 2001)
• California State License (2002)

Research Interests: Dr. Ditzel’s primary research focuses on breast cancer, precision medicine, drug resistance mechanisms, predictive and prognostic biomarkers, cancer immunity, cancer stem cells, metastasis, and targeted therapies. His work is highly translational, integrating molecular oncology with clinical applications. He leads a large research group (20+) and plays a key role in the genomic precision oncology program at Odense University Hospital.

Publication Trends: His recent publications emphasize epigenetic regulation in cancer, T-cell immunity, mitochondrial dynamics in tumor models, and adoptive immunotherapies. These works appear in top journals such as Cancer Cell, Cell Reports, and Molecular Cancer, reflecting a strong trend toward immunotherapy and molecular mechanisms of treatment resistance.

Scientific Awards:

• Danish Society for Cancer Research Honorary Prize (2011)
• Research Result of the Year (2014)
• Knight of the Order of Dannebrog (2015)
• Elected Member, American Society of Clinical Investigation (2003)

Grants and Leadership: Dr. Ditzel has led multiple NIH grants during his tenure at The Scripps Research Institute. He currently manages a research project on biomarkers for endocrine therapy and CDK4/6 inhibitors in ER+ breast cancer. He has served on NIH study sections, the American Arthritis Foundation Grant Review Board, and the Biomedical Panel of the Irish Science Foundation. He chaired the Danish Cancer Society Scientific Committee (2013–2015) and the Danish Cancer Research Foundation (2013–2015), and served as a member for additional years. He has reviewed grants from numerous public and private foundations in the US and Europe.

Labs and Teams: He leads a large (20+) translational cancer research group at the University of Southern Denmark, focused on breast cancer and precision oncology. His team is actively involved in both basic and clinical research, contributing significantly to the genomic precision oncology program at Odense University Hospital.