Jørgen Kurtzhals

Jørgen Kurtzhals is Professor of Clinical Parasitology and International Health at the Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, and serves as Vice Dean for Education at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences since July 2022. He is also a Consultant in Clinical Microbiology at Rigshospitalet since November 2009. His academic career spans over three decades with significant contributions to malaria research and international health.

Dr. Kurtzhals completed his MD at the University of Copenhagen in 1987, followed by a Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene in 1993, and a PhD in 1994. He became a Specialist in Clinical Microbiology in 2003. His clinical experience includes 11 years in Clinical Microbiology across Rigshospitalet, Statens Serum Institut, and Hvidovre Hospital, and 4.5 years as a visiting scholar at the University of Ghana and research officer at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.

His primary research interests include malaria pathogenesis and experimental treatment, the interplay between infection and nutrition, clinical and diagnostic parasitology, and antimicrobial resistance in low-income countries. He has established a mass spectrometric method for hepcidin quantification and develops new diagnostic methods for parasitic diseases, primarily in Ghana with the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, and in Ethiopia.

His recent publications (2016-2025) demonstrate a strong focus on malaria diagnostics, digital health competencies in medical education, antimicrobial resistance in low-income countries, and infection-nutrition relationships. His work shows translational potential with applications in resource-limited settings, particularly in Africa.

• Leadership in World Federation of Parasitologists
• Administration of over 20 research grants
• Patents on malaria treatment and detection devices
• Collaborations with international health organizations

As an educator, Dr. Kurtzhals has supervised 16 PhD projects and over 40 master's and bachelor's projects across multiple international institutions. He oversees approximately 8000 students across six schools at the University of Copenhagen as Vice Dean for Education. His collaborative work includes partnerships with Grundfos, Unisensor, Danish Technical University on water safety devices, and with Vifor Pharma International and Novo Nordisk on drug development.