Tune H Pers

Tune H Pers is an Associate Professor at the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research (CBMR) within the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences at the University of Copenhagen. He leads the Pers Group, which focuses on human genomics and metagenomics in metabolism, integrating systems biology approaches to understand metabolic diseases and their underlying mechanisms.

Dr. Pers earned his PhD in Integrative Systems Biology from the Technical University of Denmark in 2011, supervised by Søren Brunak and Thorkild I.A. Sørensen. He completed both his MSc in Bioinformatics (2008) and BSc in Computer Science (2005) at the University of Copenhagen, establishing a strong foundation at the intersection of computer science and biological sciences.

His research spans metabolism, genomics, metagenomics, diabetes, obesity, gut microbiome, and systems biology. Dr. Pers' work uniquely bridges computational approaches with experimental validation, investigating how gut bacteria influence host metabolism and how neural circuits regulate energy balance. His group employs advanced genomic, transcriptomic, and high-dimensional profiling techniques to unravel the complex relationships between microbiome composition, host genetics, and metabolic health.

Analysis of Dr. Pers' recent publications reveals a strong trajectory in understanding the molecular mechanisms of metabolic disorders, with particular emphasis on the gut-brain axis, microbial contributions to metabolism, and novel therapeutic targets for obesity and diabetes. His work frequently appears in high-impact journals including Nature, Nature Metabolism, and Nature Microbiology, demonstrating both scientific rigor and translational relevance.

• Sapere Aude Scholarship, Danish Research Council for Independent Research (2011)
• Lundbeck Foundation Fellowship (2015)
• Honorary Medal for Researchers below 40 Years, Jakobiner Society (2017)
• Sapere Aude Starting Grant, Danish Research Council for Independent Research (2019)
• Young Investigator Award, Danish Diabetes Academy (2019)

Dr. Pers maintains significant research collaborations across institutions, evidenced by his previous positions as Senior Scientist at Statens Serum Institut (2015-2018) and Senior Research Fellow at Boston Children's Hospital (2011-2015). His research program is supported by multiple Danish research councils and foundations, enabling comprehensive investigations into metabolic disease mechanisms. The Pers Group actively mentors students and collaborates with both computational and experimental researchers to advance understanding of metabolic health.

The Pers Group operates at CBMR, a world-leading center for metabolic research, where they investigate the complex interplay between human genomics, gut metagenomics, and metabolic regulation. Their work combines cutting-edge computational approaches with physiological validation to identify novel mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets for metabolic disorders.