Morten Agertoug Nielsen

Morten Agertoug Nielsen is Professor of Translational Immunology at the Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen. He also serves as Chief Operating Officer at AdaptVac since September 2023 and holds leadership positions at several biotechnology companies he co-founded.

His educational background includes:

• PhD in Health Sciences from Institute for Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Copenhagen (2005)
• Master in Biology from Department of Infectious Diseases at Copenhagen University Hospital (2001)
• Bachelor degree in Biology from Department of Biology, Section for Microbiology, University of Copenhagen (1999)
• Mathematical Exams from Vordingborg Gymnasium (1993)

Nielsen's research focuses on translational immunology with emphasis on vaccine development against malaria and cancer. His work has pioneered the identification of VAR2CSA as the antigen causing placental malaria and developed high-throughput binding-inhibition assays for vaccine candidate assessment. He co-founded research groups that identified versatile capsid virus-like particle vaccine platforms, leading to significant advancements in vaccine technology. His current research explores the use of oncofetal chondroitin sulfate as a tumor-associated antigen for cancer immunotherapy using bispecific antibodies and mRNA technology.

Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong focus on applying novel vaccine platforms (particularly capsid virus-like particles and mRNA technologies) to diverse disease targets including malaria, cancer, and infectious diseases in both humans and animals. His work demonstrates a consistent translational approach from basic discovery to clinical application.

Among his notable recognitions is the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Award (2022).

Nielsen has supervised more than 14 PhD, 15 MSc, 6 BSc and two OSwal students since 2008. He has secured substantial external funding, serving as Principal Investigator in major EU grants totaling over €20 million, including PlacMalVac (€7M), Prevent-nCoV (€3.4M), and Advance VAC4PAM (€10M). His entrepreneurial activities have generated more than €200 million through co-founded companies AdaptVac, NextGen Vaccines, VAR2 Pharmaceuticals, and VARCT.

He leads the Advance VAC4PM project (2021-2026) which aims to transfer the second-generation PAMVAC-cVLP vaccine from preclinical through phase 2 studies in the Netherlands and Sub-Saharan Africa. His laboratory work has been instrumental in relocating to the Mærsk Tower and establishing advanced research facilities for the Centre for Medical Parasitology.