Lea Klingenberg Barfod

Short presentation

Since receiving my PhD degree, I have worked towards establishing a strong group in malaria immunology with focus on protective antibodies. Some years ago, I decided to move my research to University of Oxford to gain further technical and academic expertise and to get the chance to work closer together with some of the World’s leading scientists at this top rated University. I have now returned to Denmark and will combine experiences, skills and knowledge, gained from Oxford, La Trobe University (Australia) as well as Denmark. My vision is a group with high international standard with strong biotechnical expertise in; 1) antibody production and characterisation; 2) antibody systems serology; 3) functional pathogen inhibition assays; 4) VLP production and immunisations; 5) B cell bioinformatics and 6) testing of clinical samples. The research has originated from my enduring passion for understanding complex host pathogen interactions, immune evasion and not least; protective antibodies.

CV

Employments after graduation

Jan. 2018-present:          Associate Professor and team leader for the EPITOPE-team, at Centre for Medical Parasitology (CMP), University of Copenhagen (UoC).

Aug. 2015-Dec 2017:       Senior Research Scientist, The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford.

Marts 2012-Aug. 2015:  Associate professor and team leader for the SURFACE-team, CMP, UoC.

Sep. 2011-Marts 2012:   Honorary Invited Post-Doc at La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.

Feb. 2009-Nov. 2009:     Maternity leave

Jan. 2007-Sep. 2011:       Post-Doc and team leader for the SURFACE-team at CMP, Copenhagen University Hospital.

May 2006-Dec. 2006:      Maternity leave

Feb. 2006-Jan. 2007:       Post-Doc at CMP, UoC.

Feb. 2003-Feb. 2006:      Ph.D. student at CMP, Copenhagen University Hospital.

July 2002-Feb. 2003:       Head of Laboratory in Department of Microbiology, LICA Pharmaceuticals A/S.

Jan. 2002-July 2002:       Molecular Biologist at LICA Pharmaceuticals A/S.

May 2001-Jan 2002:        Scientific research assistant at CMP, Copenhagen University Hospital.

Education:

April 2011:                         Positive evaluation as Associate professor in malaria adhesion biology, UoC.

May 5^th 2006:                     Ph.D. degree in Health Sciences, UoC.

Thesis title: Production of antibodies with specificity for variant surface antigens expressed by P. falciparum involved in the pathogenesis of pregnancy-associated malaria.

May 22^nd 2001:                  M.Sc. in Biology, UoC. GPA: 10.3

Aug. 1999-May 2001:         Master thesis project in immunology made at Department of Clinical Microbiology 7806, Copenhagen University hospital. Grade: 11

Marts 1998-June 1998:       Biology project in Northern Ghana.

July 1997:                          B.Sc. in Biology, UoC.

1990-1993:                        Østre Borgerdyd Gymnasium. GPA: 9.7

1981-1990:                        Ingrid Jespersens Gymnasieskole.

Stays at laboratories abroad:

2015:        Hohoe Municipal hospital, Hohoe, Ghana

2014:        Hohoe Municipal hospital, Hohoe, Ghana

2011-12:  Department of Biochemistry, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia

2011:        Science Department, University of Cape Coast, Ghana

2005:        Antonio Lanzavecchias research group, Institute for research in biomedicine, Bellinzona, Switzerland

2005:        Mats Wahlgrens research group, MTC, Karolinska institutet, Stockholm, Sweden

2003:        Immunology Department, Noguchi Memorial Inst. for Medical research, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana

1998:        The Soil Laboratory, Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (SARI), Tamale, Ghana

Teaching experiences:

Instructor at the course “Category 3 laboratory training”, The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford.

Tutor at the pre-graduate course: “Human physiology and disease”, at the Study abroad program, University of Oxford.

Teacher at the following pre-graduate courses: "Human parasitology" and "Immunology and Microbiology", UoC.

Course coordinator and lecturer at the PhD course: "Prevention, elimination and control of malaria", in 2012 and 2014, UoC.

Individual supervision of project students and postdocs:

Postdocs:

2018-:      Melanie Walker

2018-:      Maria Bassi

2013-14:  Ramesh Subramani

2009-13:  Michael B. Dalgaard

PhD students:

2014-18:  Frederica Dedo Partey, Ph.D. student, University of Ghana.

2013-15:  Anine Engholm Jeppesen, Ph.D. student, UoC.

2010-15:  Liz Stevenson, Ph.D. student, UoC.

2010-14:  Paulina Amphoma, Ph.D. student, UoC.

2007-10:  Jorid B. Sørli, Ph.D. student, Technical University of Denmark.

Undergraduate students:

2018:       Asger Frank, Bachelor student (Molecular Biomedicine), UoC

2016-17:  Helen Bartlett, Part II Biochemistry Student, University of Oxford.

2016:       Valentina Ndolo, Master of Tropical health student, University of Oxford.

2015-16:  Alissa Bray, Part II Biochemistry student, University of Oxford.

2012-14:  Randi Bonke Mikkelsen, speciale-studerende, M.Sc. (Molecular Biomedicine), UoC.

2012-14:  Berit Sneftrup Knudsen, speciale-studerende, M.Sc. (Molecular Biomedicine), UoC.

2011-12:  Katharina Quadt, speciale-studerende, M.Sc. (Molecular Biomedicine), UoC.

2010-11:  Suzan Pleman, speciale-studerende, M.Sc. (Biotechnology), Technical University of Denmark

2010-11:  Anine Engholm Jeppesen, speciale-studerende, M.Sc. (Biology and biotechnology), UoC.

2009-10:  Jonas Bruun, speciale-studerende, M.Sc.  (Nano science), UoC.

2009-10:  Irene Sidsel Hansen, speciale-studerende, M.Sc. (Biology), UoC.

2008:       Britt G Jensen, speciale-studerende, M.Sc. (Biotechnology), Technical University of Denmark

2006:       Jorid B. Sørli, speciale-studerende, M.Sc. (Biology), UoC.

Post graduate courses:

2015:       Course on Laboratory Animal Management and Welfare, PIL FELASA category B, University of Oxford, United Kingdom

2014:       FACSJazz operator training course, BD Biosciences, Belgium

2013:       Project management for researchers, University of Copenhagen

2011:       E-moderating at Life, IT Learning Center, Life, University of Copenhagen

2010:       Teaching course: ISIM course for teachers and course coordinators, by Torben Jensen, Center for Uddannelse og Læring, SAM, University of Århus

                Management course for research group leaders, UoC

2005:       Course in Laboratory Animal Sciences, FELASA category C, UoC

                Genes and Genomes in the Tropics, Karolinska Instituttet, Sweeden and Makerere University, Uganda

2004:        Primary culture technology, UoC

                 AAI Advanced Course in Immunology, American association of immunologists, Stanford University, USA

                 Gene targeting, Ph.D. School of Genetic Medicine, UoC

2003:        Ethics and Health Research in Low-Income Societies, ENRICA, UoC

Oral presentation at international conferences:

2013:        Keystone Symposium, New Orleans, USA

                 6^th MIM Pan-African Malaria Conference, Durban South Africa

                 EviMalaR cluster meeting, Crete, Greece

2011:        7^th BioMalPar annual meeting, EMBL, Heidelberg, Germany (winner of Talk prize)

                 Malaria in Melbourne 2011, Melbourne Australia

2010:        1^st Nordic Malaria Conference, Lund, Sweden

2007:        3^rd BioMalPar annual meeting, EMBL, Heidelberg, Germany

2006:        Keystone symposium, Taos, New Mexico, USA

Grants:

Danida: Co-applicant on a North driven project (17-02-KU), DKK 10,000,000 [2018-22]

Danida: Co-applicant on a large strategic project (12-081RH), DKK 9,943,881 [2013-2017]

Novo Nordisk Foundation: 460,000 DKr. [2013]

Augustinus Foundation: 100,000 DKr. [2012-13]

The Danish research council: Postdoc Grant, (11-115707) 3,221,019 DKr. [2012-14]

Lundbeck Foundation: Co-applicant on project grant (R83-A7627), 2,000,000 DKr. [2012-14]

EU grant: Co-applicant HumMalMab [2008-09]

PhD scholarship, Rigshospitalet [2003-2006]

Awards:

Novo Nordisk Foundation: NFF Young investigator Award (NNF170C0026778) 20.000.000 DKr. [2018-2024]

The Danish research council: Sapere Aude DFF-ung Eliteforsker (11-120879) 1,008,000 DKr. [2012-14]

Evimalar/OzmalNet Travel award 2011, 140,000 DKr. [2011]

Talk prize, 7th BioMalPar annual meeting, EMBL, Heidelberg, Germany

Miscellaneous:

• Laboratory supervisor for the Category 3 laboratories, The Jenner Institute, Oxford University
• Peer reviewer for Infection and Immunity, Journal of Infectious Diseases, PLoS ONE, and Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.
• Experience with fieldwork in Africa and international collaborations.
• Experience in management and coordination of research projects as team leader at Centre for Medical Parasitology and as Head of Laboratory in Department of Microbiology at LICA Pharmaceuticals A/S.
• Chair of the organizing committee at the "2^nd Nordic Malaria Conference" 2012, Copenhagen.
• Session Chair (two sessions) at "8^th European Conference on Tropical Medicine and hygiene" 2013, Copenhagen.
• Poster Chair at several PhD days at Faculty of Health sciences.