Thomas Bjarnsholt

Thomas Bjarnsholt is a Professor at the Department of Immunology and Microbiology within the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences at the University of Copenhagen. He leads research at the Costerton Biofilm Centre and serves as Editor-in-Chief of APMIS (Journal of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology). His work involves close collaboration with clinicians across major Danish hospitals and extensive international partnerships.

• MSc in Chemistry (Civil engineer), DTU (2001)
• PhD: 'Experimental investigation of quorum sensing and biofilms of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in relation to lung infection in cystic fibrosis patients', DTU (2005)
• Doctor of Medicine 'The Role of Bacterial Biofilms in Chronic Infections', University of Copenhagen (2013)

Bjarnsholt's research focuses on bacterial and fungal biofilms in chronic infections, investigating why biofilm-based infections exhibit extreme resistance to antibiotics and evade host defenses. His work spans from fundamental biofilm biology to clinical applications, with particular interest in diagnostic development and therapeutic approaches for chronic wound management, orthopedic infections, and cystic fibrosis-related infections. He has pioneered research on the role of biofilms in various clinical settings and developed novel methods for biofilm detection and treatment.

His publication record shows a strong emphasis on translational research connecting basic biofilm science with clinical applications. The recent articles demonstrate growing focus on interdisciplinary approaches to bone and joint infections, advanced diagnostic limitations, tri-species infection models, and bridging environmental biofilm research with clinical solutions. His work increasingly incorporates advanced methodologies including transcriptomics, sophisticated animal models, and spatial microbiome analysis.

• 2015 Award and Honorary Lecture at Danish Society for Orthopedic Surgery annual meeting
• 2015 Journal of Wound Care 'Best Laboratory/Pre-Clinical Study' Award
• 2013 ESCMID Young Investigator Award
• 2013-2017 Lundbeck Foundation Junior Group Leader Fellowship (EUR 1,34 Mill)

Bjarnsholt supervises an active research group including 7 Postdocs (4 current), 12 PhD students (9 current plus 5 co-supervised), and numerous Master's and Bachelor's students. His research is supported by significant funding totaling DKK 30,524,264 (4.1 million Euro) as Principal Investigator, with additional contract research funding of approximately 12 DKK million. Major funders include the Lundbeck Foundation, RegionHovedstadens Udviklingsfond, Faculty of Health Sciences, Gerda og Aage Haenschs Fond, and Human Frontier Science Project.

He founded and serves on the advisory board of the Biofilm Test Facility, participates in the Copenhagen Microbiology Center, and is a member of the SUND-UCPH and UCPH Innovation Board. His international collaborations span institutions in the USA, UK, Sweden, and beyond, focusing on biofilm behavior, host defense mechanisms, and clinical applications.