Poul Henning Jensen is a full Professor at Aarhus University , affiliated with both the Department of Biomedicine (Skou-building) and the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics (Neurobiology section). Research Interests : Neurobiology of synucleinopathies Molecular mechanisms in Parkinson's disease Protein aggregation and propagation Calcium signaling in neurodegeneration Neuroinflammatory responses Scientific Activities : His work focuses on α-synuclein biology, covering structural analysis, aggregation pathways, and their pathological consequences. Recent studies include novel detection methods for early α-synuclein pathology mechanisms of neurotoxicity sex-specific neuroprotective factors and protein interaction networks in disease models . Scientific Awards : Recipient of at least one significant research prize Collaborations : Works with international teams on clinical trials targeting α-synuclein and coordinates multiple studies on neurodegenerative disease mechanisms.
Vasileios Bekiaris is an Associate Professor and Groupleader at the Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, specializing in Experimental & Translational Immunology with a focus on T-Cell Signaling and Development. His research explores the roles of γδ T cells, cytokines, and immune regulation in health and disease. Research Interests: γδ T cell biology and immunotherapy Cytokine signaling (IL-17, IL-27, interferons) Immune checkpoint inhibitors in cancer and infection Aging-related immune barrier function Apoptosis regulation via cIAP ligases Translational immunology applications Supervision: Bekiaris mentors multiple PhD candidates in projects involving iPSC-T cell engineering, neonatal immunity, and small molecule immunotherapeutics. Key collaborations include researchers at DTU and international institutions.
Edzard Spillner is a Professor at the Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering Medical Biotechnology at Aarhus University. His research focuses on allergology, immunology, and antibody engineering, with applications in diagnostics and therapeutic development. He specializes in nanobody engineering, molecular targeting of allergens, and the structural analysis of antibodies involved in immune responses. Key research interests include the design of antibodies for Hymenoptera venom allergy, the role of modified N-glycans in T H 2 responses, and the development of bispecific antibodies for cancer therapy. His work bridges fundamental molecular biology with clinical applications, aiming to address unmet needs in allergy management and targeted cancer treatments. Selected publications highlight advancements in nanobody-based tools for allergen detection, structural insights into IgE epitopes, and the potential of engineered antibodies against tumor antigens. Current projects include the structural-functional characterization of anaphylactic IgE antibodies targeting the alpha-Gal epitope, with implications for allergy diagnosis and therapy. No scientific awards are explicitly mentioned in the provided text. His academic contributions are primarily reflected in his research output and collaborative projects within the Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering.
Santseharay Ramirez Almeida is an Associate Professor at the Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, where she has been employed since 2017. She is part of the Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP) and also affiliated with the Department of Infectious Diseases at Hvidovre Hospital. Dr. Ramirez Almeida is a prominent researcher in RNA virology with a focus on antiviral resistance mechanisms and viral evolution. Education: Ph.D. in Medicine, University of Barcelona (2010) MSc in Microbiology, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona (2007) BSc in Biotechnology, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain (2004) Dr. Ramirez Almeida's research primarily focuses on RNA viruses, particularly hepatitis C virus (HCV). She pioneered the development of efficient cell culture systems for studying HCV, which have been critical for groundbreaking studies on antiviral activity and resistance. Her work demonstrated that HCV can develop resistance against nucleotide analogs like sofosbuvir, challenging previous theories about the high barrier to resistance. Currently, she leads a research group studying the molecular mechanisms behind broad-spectrum nucleotide analogs across different RNA virus families (Flaviviridae, Coronaviridae, Togaviridae), with the goal of developing better antivirals to address emerging viral diseases. Her publication record shows a clear evolution from focused HCV research to broader studies on RNA viruses, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent work demonstrates significant contributions to understanding SARS-CoV-2 mechanisms, antiviral resistance, and vaccine development, while maintaining her expertise in HCV research. This interdisciplinary approach bridges traditional virology with emerging pandemic threats. Scientific Awards and Recognition: Læge Sofus Carl Emil Friis og Hustru Olga Doris Friis' Legat (2021) Ministry of Higher Education and Science coronavirus research funding (2020) Region H Research Fond for Medical Research 2019 Novo Nordisk Foundation: Distinguished Investigator Grant 2019 Danish Council for Independent Research grants (2011-2019) Lundbeck Foundation grant (2012) Dr. Ramirez Almeida has extensive experience mentoring students, having tutored 3 undergraduates, 3 Master's students, and 6 Ph.D. students. Currently, she serves as the main supervisor for 3 Ph.D. students and oversees a laboratory technician and 2 postdocs. Her research has been supported by numerous grants from prestigious organizations including the Novo Nordisk Foundation, Danish Council for Independent Research, and Lundbeck Foundation. She also serves as a reviewer for major journals including Gastroenterology, PLoS Pathogens, and Journal of Virology. Dr. Ramirez Almeida leads a research group within the Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP) that focuses on developing cell culture systems for studying viruses in vitro and investigating the molecular mechanisms of antiviral activity and resistance. Her team has made significant contributions to understanding viral evolution and resistance mechanisms, with applications to both hepatitis C and emerging viruses like SARS-CoV-2.
Barth F. Smets is a Professor in the Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering at Aarhus University, specializing in the intersection of Environmental Engineering and Life Sciences. His work focuses on bioprocess development for water and environmental applications, with a particular emphasis on microbial ecology and antimicrobial resistance management. He has led multidisciplinary research groups across Europe, the USA, and Asia, coordinating large-scale projects in sustainable biotechnology and environmental engineering. Education: Trained at the interface of Engineering (Environmental & Biochemical) and Life Sciences (Microbiology & Agronomic Sciences). Experience: Over 20 years of managing multi-institutional R&D projects and leading international research teams. Skills: Expertise in project management, innovation facilitation, and translational research. His research interests center on solving environmental challenges through mission-oriented R&D, including wastewater treatment optimization, microbial biotechnology for sustainability, and understanding resistance gene transfer dynamics in engineered systems. He actively promotes collaborative, purpose-driven research environments. Key research trends in his publications include antimicrobial resistance in wastewater systems, nitrogen cycle dynamics in engineered environments, and novel methods for quantifying gene transfer mechanisms. He emphasizes practical applications of fundamental science to achieve planetary and human benefits. Awards: No explicit awards listed, but his work has been recognized through peer-reviewed publications in top journals like Environmental Science & Technology and ACS ES&T Engineering . He advises on staff development and project management strategies, fostering professional growth aligned with organizational goals. His current focus includes advancing sustainable bioprocess technologies and improving emission monitoring in wastewater treatment plants. He is affiliated with AU Engineering at Aarhus University and has contributed to initiatives at the intersection of environmental engineering and microbial systems biology.
Katrine Lindholm Bøgh is a Professor and Head of the Research Group for Food Allergy at the National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark (DTU). Her work focuses on developing diagnostic, preventive, and therapeutic strategies for food allergies, with a specific emphasis on understanding how physicochemical properties of food proteins influence allergy development versus tolerance. She leads interdisciplinary research at the intersection of immunology, food science, and sustainable nutrition. Current affiliations: DTU National Food Institute, Research Group for Food Allergy Academic rank: Professor Her research integrates Food Allergy , Molecular Allergology , and Allergenicity Assessment to investigate immune mechanisms triggered by protein modifications (e.g., hydrolysis, heat treatment) and exposure routes. She has pioneered studies on Alternative Protein Sources like insect, rapeseed, and microalgae to evaluate allergenic risks in sustainable foods. Recent publications highlight trends in European Union novel food approvals (2025) and mechanistic insights into cow’s milk allergy models (2024). Key themes include Sublingual Immunotherapy , Brown Norway Rat Models , and Protein Processing Effects on allergenicity. She supervises PhD students Yue S.R. and Shafie B., and leads major projects like: ALLEVIATE2: Novel food allergy immunotherapy strategies ALLPreT: Allergenicity Prediction Toolbox for novel foods SAFEPRO: Sustainable protein sources for future diets Her work aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 2, SDG 3), and she actively participates in international conferences and media outreach about food allergy risks in innovative protein sources.
Özcan Met is an Associate Professor at the Department of Experimental & Translational Immunology within DTU Health Technology , Technical University of Denmark. His research focuses on bridging scientific discovery with clinical applications through adoptive cell therapy and gene editing technologies. Translational research T-cell immunology Dendritic cell reprogramming Cancer immunotherapy Gene editing Met's recent work explores functional heterogeneity of effector cells, myeloid cell targeting, and tumor microenvironment modulation. His publications highlight advancements in dendritic cell-based immunotherapy and precision medicine approaches. As main supervisor in the GEAR-T project (2025-2027), he mentors PhD student Madsen, C. Ø. His research has been cited 27 times and featured in 13 news outlets, with 210 Mendeley readers.
Paul Kempen is an Associate Professor at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), affiliated with the Department of Health Technology and the National Centre for Nano Fabrication and Characterization. His research focuses on nanotechnology applications in drug delivery, biomedical engineering, and materials science, with a particular emphasis on liposomes, gold nanoparticles, and nanozymes. He supervises multiple PhD students and has contributed over 60 peer-reviewed publications. His research interests span the development of nanocarriers for targeted drug delivery, characterization of biomaterials, and the design of sustainable nanotechnologies. Collaborations include studies on phycosphere microbiomes, ammonia electrosynthesis, and MRI tattoo interactions. He leads projects such as 'R2R ProBac' and 'Nanofluidic Electron Diffraction,' exploring biofilm formation and advanced microscopy techniques. Key achievements include the creation of cost-effective wound dressings using nanogels and advancements in mRNA lipid nanoparticle delivery via gastrointestinal devices. His work aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in affordable and clean energy and good health and well-being. Paul advises PhD students in nanofluidics, polymer surface engineering, and electron microscopy applications. His lab, Nanolab , specializes in nanocharacterization and fabrication. Future directions include expanding nanomedicine applications and sustainable nanomaterials.
Esperanza Rivera de Torre is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark. Her research focuses on antibody engineering, venomics, and protein design, particularly in neutralizing venom toxins and cancer therapy. Current affiliation: Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine (DTU) Academic rank: Assistant Professor Research Interests Specializing in antibody engineering to develop synthetic antivenoms using de novo protein design. Investigating snake venom toxins and their neutralization mechanisms via VHH antibodies. Contributing to protemics and peptide sequencing through AI-driven tools like InstaNovo. Studying structural biology of actinoporins and their interactions with lipid membranes. Active in cross-neutralizing antibodies for tropical diseases and allergens. Advising and Collaborations Supervises multiple PhD students including Ruiz Espi, Møller, and Møiniche. Collaborates on projects like AI-driven protein binder design and allergen epitope characterization. Engages in international collaborations across venom and biomedical research fields.
Kerstin Skovgaard is a Senior Researcher at the Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine , Technical University of Denmark . Her work focuses on antiviral immunology with emphasis on zoonotic influenza viruses and metabolic syndrome's impact on infection severity . She develops translational animal models for innate immune research in respiratory infections and post-traumatic conditions . Research Interests Antiviral Immunology of influenza A viruses and PEDV Metabolic Syndrome and obesity-related immunity Translational models for respiratory diseases and gut-brain axis miRNA profiling in equine osteoarthritis and porcine infections Immunomodulatory diets with algae and probiotics Biomarker discovery through proteomics and RT-qPCR Scientific Contributions include 202+ publications across influenza , gut immunity , and joint inflammation . Her recent 15 articles demonstrate expertise in porcine models for human diseases , with emphasis on innate immune responses , miRNA dynamics , and metabolic-immune interactions . Supervision includes PhD students : J. Pina Agullet B. L. Henriksen C. J. M. Polhaus H. A. Laybourn C. López-Figueroa Methodologies encompass microfluidic qPCR , RNA-Seq , and advanced in vitro systems . Her research supports UN Sustainable Development Goals through cost-efficient diagnostics and therapeutic development .
Betina Lyngfeldt Henriksen is a PhD Researcher at the Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine , Technical University of Denmark , specializing in antiviral immunology and biomedical research. Her work bridges immunology, virology, and veterinary science with a translational focus on infectious diseases and regenerative therapies. Research areas include Influenza A virus , Bacillus subtilis immunomodulation, mesenchymal stem cells , and dendritic cell glycoengineering . Key techniques involve multi-omics analysis , porcine and equine models , and microRNA profiling .
Yogesh Basavaraju is a Researcher at the Department of Experimental & Translational Immunology within DTU Health Technology at the Technical University of Denmark . His research focuses on T-cell biology , cancer immunotherapy , and genome editing technologies , particularly in the context of chronic lymphocytic leukemia and CRISPR-based tools for Chinese hamster ovary cells. Key Research Areas: Translational immunology, T-cell reactivity, CRISPR genome editing, neoepitope immunogenicity, cancer immunotherapy, and chronic lymphocytic leukemia His recent work includes developing MHC-II-based T-cell detection technologies (2024 PhD thesis) and advancing CRISPR applications for gene editing in biotechnology (2023). Collaborations span institutions like DTU Health Technology and international researchers in immunology and biotechnology. Contact: yogbas@dtu.dk
Frederikke Isa Marin is a Research Fellow in the Machine Learning section at the Department of Computer Science, University of Copenhagen. Her research focuses on the intersection of machine learning and biological applications, particularly in protein engineering, DNA language modeling, and computational biology. Her primary research interests include developing machine learning frameworks for biological sequence analysis, protein stability prediction, computational protein design, and benchmarking methodologies for DNA language models. She employs generative models, deep learning, and computational simulations to address challenges in structural biology and genomics. Marin's recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on applying machine learning to biological systems. Her work spans protein engineering (including thioredoxin fold redesign and thermal stability prediction), DNA language model benchmarking (BEND), immune receptor modeling, and predictive methods for peptide functionality. Her research consistently combines computational approaches with experimental validation. She maintains collaborative relationships within the Machine Learning section and contributes to the university's computational biology initiatives. Her work utilizes departmental compute resources and aligns with the research groups focused on biological applications of AI.
Maria Ormhøj is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Green Technology (IGT) under the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Southern Denmark. Her research focuses on biomedical applications within cancer therapy and retinal diseases. Key Affiliations: Department of Green Technology (IGT) SDU Biotechnology Research Interests: Maria specializes in Cancer Immunotherapy , particularly in Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies for hematological and solid tumors. Her work explores strategies to limit antigen escape, optimize CAR-T cell design, and enhance tumor targeting. She also investigates pharmacological interventions for Retinal Neoangiogenesis and vascular leakage, with a focus on microfibrillar-associated proteins and integrin signaling. Publication Trends: Recent articles highlight her contributions to CAR-T cell therapy in lymphoma, epigenetic priming for solid tumors, and retinal disease pharmacology . Key collaborations span preclinical models, tumor microenvironment studies, and integrin/extracellular matrix research. Professional Activities: Maria has participated in immunotherapy seminars and workshops, including topics on Responsible Conduct of Research and Flowcytometry . She attended the Keystone Symposia Conference (2018) and the Evergrande Center Symposium on immunity and inflammation (2017).
Morten Frödin is an Associate Professor and group leader at the Biotech Research & Innovation Center (BRIC), University of Copenhagen, where he has been conducting research since 2004. His work primarily focuses on protein kinase signaling pathways and their roles in health and disease, particularly in cancer biology and genome engineering. Education: MSc in Cell Biology from University of Copenhagen (1992) PhD in Molecular Biology from University of Copenhagen (1997) focusing on growth factor regulation of proliferation and differentiation of neuronal cells Dr. Frödin's research interests center on cancer biology, protein kinase signal transduction, and genome engineering. His work bridges molecular mechanisms with potential therapeutic applications, particularly in understanding how protein kinases regulate cellular processes and how these pathways become dysregulated in cancer. His group has made significant contributions to CRISPR-based genome editing technologies and their applications in cancer research. Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong focus on cancer metabolism, genome maintenance mechanisms, and precision approaches to understanding genetic variants. His work demonstrates a progression from fundamental signaling mechanisms toward translational applications, with increasing emphasis on CRISPR technology and its clinical implications in cancer diagnostics and treatment. As group leader of the Frödin Group at BRIC, he maintains an active research program with numerous international collaborations. His work has attracted attention from news outlets, policy sources, and patent applications, indicating the translational potential of his research. The group's work spans basic molecular mechanisms to potential clinical applications, with particular strength in genome editing technologies and cancer signaling pathways.
