Jakob Balslev Sørensen

CV

Education

2006           Habilitation in pre-clinical physiology at Human Medicin, Georg August University zu Göttingen. Thesis: Untersuchungen zur molekularen Grundlage der Ca⁺⁺-abhängigen Katecholaminsekretion von Nebennierenchromaffinzellen (Prof. Dr. Diethelm Richter).

1999           Ph.D. August Krogh Institute, University of Copenhagen. Thesis: Biophysical studies of ion channels. (Prof. Dr. Erik H. Larsen).

1996           M.Sc. in Biology (with highest distinction), and Mathematics (Minor degree) from University of Copenhagen (Prof. Dr. Erik H. Larsen).

Positions

2009-          Professor at the Department of Neuroscience (from 2009-2017 called Dep. of Neuroscience and Pharmacology), University of Copenhagen.

2005-2008  Research Group Leader, Max-Planck-Institut für Biophysikalische Chemie, Göttingen, Germany.

2000-2005  Post-doc, Abteilung Membranbiophysik, Max-Planck-Institut für Biophysikalische Chemie, Göttingen, Germany. (Prof. Dr. Erwin Neher).

1999           Post-doc, August Krogh Institute, University of Copenhagen (Prof. Dr. Erik Hviid Larsen).

1996-1999  Ph.D-student, August Krogh Institute, University of Copenhagen (Prof. Dr. Erik Hviid Larsen).

Professional affiliations and activities (selection)

2014-          Deputy Head of Department, Department of Neuroscience previously Dep. of Neuroscience and Pharmacology.

2014-2017  Head of section, Neuronal Signaling Lab, Dep. of Neuroscience and Pharmacology.

2017-          Member of the Faculty Liason Committee (FSU), Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences (representing management).

2017-          Member of the editorial board, Journal of Biological Chemistry.

2016-          Member of the Royal Danish Society for Sciences and Letters.

2006-2008  Faculty member of the International Max-Planck-Research School in the Neurosciences, and the Georg August School of Science (GAUSS), Göttingen, Germany.

2003-          Member of Biophysical Society.

2002-          Member of Society for Neuroscience.

Awards (selection)

2009-2015  The Lundbeck foundation: Junior group leader Scholarship 2008.

2008           Novo Nordisk Seniorforskerstipendiet 2008. The stipend was declined due to an overlapping grant from Lundbeckfonden.

2005-2007  Deutsche Forschungsgemeinscaft: ‘The own position‘. 

1996           Gold medal, University of Copenhagen.

Primary fields of research

The brain communicates via special contact points, called synapses. The human brain contains up to 10¹⁵ (i.e. a quadrillion) synaptic connections between its neurons. Most of these synapses are chemical, i.e. they work by releasing a chemical (a neurotransmitter) via fusion of a synaptic vesicle with the plasma membrane. The same mechanism (exocytosis) underlies the release of water-soluble hormones, such as insulin. Synaptic transmission is triggered by the arrival of an action potential within a fraction of a millisecond, and it is actively regulated over the long and short term, which allows information processing, learning and memory. Mutation, dysregulation or other insults to the synapse can lead to a number of brain diseases characterized by unbalanced or ineffective network activity, such as epilepsy, Intellectual Disability, and schizophrenia, whereas other synaptic problems lead to neurodegeneration. These diseases are sometimes referred to as ‘synaptopathies’, because they start at the synapse.

The Sørensen group has expertise in studying the molecular and cellular mechanisms of neurotransmitter release in chemical synapses and in neuroendocrine cells. We do optical and electrophysiological measurements on living cells, and combine this with molecular biology methods (mouse knockouts, viral expression). We have recently started using cryo-electron microscopy, which delivers the promise to visualize single proteins in their native cellular environment. We want to understand how defective neurotransmitter release leads to disease.