CV

PERSONAL INFORMATION

Mads Hald Andersen; Nationality: Danish; Date of birth: 24. September 1972; Married, 3 children

EDUCATION and DEGREES

2016                                      DMSc (dr.med), thesis-title: “Anti-regulatory T cells”

2006                                      DScTech (dr.techn), “Regulators of apoptosis: Suitable targets for

                                               immunotherapy of cancer”

2001                                      PhD, Technical University of Denmark (DTU), thesis-title:”Identification of novel

                                               tumor antigens”

1998                                      Master of Science in Chemical Engineering, DTU, Dept. of Biochem

POSITIONS ACADEMIA

2015 -                                   Professor, Copenhagen University

2006 -                                   Vice-Director, co-Founder Center for Cancer Immunotherapy (CCIT), Dept. of

                                               Hematology, University Hospital Herlev, Denmark

2009-2014                            Professor (honorary), Technical University of Denmark, Dept. of Systems Biology

2001 - 2006                          Senior Scientist, Tumor Immunology Group, Danish Cancer Society, Copenhagen,

                                               Denmark

2001                                      Research Fellow, Department of Dermatology, School of Medicine, Würzburg

                                               University Hospital, Germany and Department of Tumor Cell Biology, Danish

                                               Cancer Society, Copenhagen, Denmark

1998 - 2001                          PhD-student, Department of Tumor Cell Biology, Danish Cancer

                                               Society. PhD-stipend from Technical University of Denmark

POSITIONS INDUSTRI

2015-                                     Board member, Founder, IO Biotech, Copenhagen

2008                                      Founder, RhoVac, Hørsholm

2003 - 2006                          Chief Executive Officer, Founder, Survac ApS, Hellerup,

PUBLICATIONS                                                  

I am author/co-author of 169 accepted publications in international peer reviewed journals.  In addition, I am author/co-author on 6 publications, which are submitted for publication. I am in addition author of 9 publications in Danish journals as well as co-author of 5 peer reviewed book chapters. I am author/co-author of 18 patents/patent applications 

FELLOWSHIPS AND AWARDS

2012; The Lundbeck Foundation research prize for young researchers under the age of 40. The prize

is a recognition of a particularly promising scientist under the age of 40 who has conducted

outstanding research in biomedicine or the natural sciences. 2009; Honorary Professor, Technical

University of Denmark. 2007; The Hallas-Møller stipend from the Novo Nordisk foundation. 2006;

the Danish Cancer Society Junior Research Award for outstanding efforts in the cancer research

conducted by a scientist under 40. In addition, a long list of stipends from different foundations as

well as several High Impact Awards from Herlev Hospital (honors Prize for outstanding research).

TEACHING AND SUPERVISOR ACTIVITIES

Lecturing since 2002 at the Technical Univeristy of Denmark  at the course “Immunology” and since 2010 the course “Development and Production of Vaccines”. Co-organizing the only PhD-course in Denmark in “Tumor Immunology” at the Graduate School of Immunology. Lecturing tumor immunology/immunotherapy at the PhD -courses “tumor biology” and “Clinical Cancer Research” at the PhD-school at the University of Copenhagen. Likewise, lecturing at “Clinical Cancer Biology” at the Universities at Aarhus as well as Southern Denmark. Supervising a number of PhD-students (currently 8) as well as Master-degree students (currently 2) both at Copenhagen University and the Technical University of Denmark. Currently, supervisor of 2 Post docs.

COMMISSIONS

2015-                Scientific Adviser, IO Biotech, Copenhagen

2012 -               Scientific Advisory Board, Ultimovacs, Oslo, Norway

2012 - 2017       Scientific Advisory, RhoVac, Hørsholm

2006 - 2007       Scientific Adviser, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany

2004 - 2005       Scientific Adviser, Pharmaxa A/S, Hørsholm

2000                  Scientific Adviser, Torsana Oncology Systems A/S, Skodsborg

2012 –               Professor evaluations, SDU and DTU

I function as ad hoc reviewer for several international peer reviewed journals, e.g. JCI, JNCI, AACR journals, Gut and Blood. In addition I function as a reviewer for several international research foundations, e.g.,  the Foundation for Polish Science, UK-ASM Newton, the Christian Doppler Research Association (CDG), Innovation Norway, Research Council of Norway. Special Editor for Seminars in Immunopathology.

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

My research has been focusing on the characterization of the natural immune responses towards malignant cells. I have identified a number of different T-cell antigens including survivin, the Bcl-2 family and RhoC. These are the center for ongoing clinical trials in Europe and USA. Survivin is one of the most commonly used cancer antigens worldwide. Recently, as described in this application, I initiated a brand new research program focusing on antigen-specific immune regulation, e.g. IDO and PD-L1. Recently, we finalized the first ever clinical vaccination trial based on such self-antigens with promising clinical data. My work has received much attention illustrated by the fact that I have been asked to review the field by high ranking journals like Nature Reviews and Journal of the National Cancer Institute. My publications have several times been accompanied by commentaries and articles in both the scientific as well as the popular press.

FUNDING HISTORY

I have previously received direct support from many foundations including: Danish Cancer Society, The Technical University of Denmark, Danish Council for Independent Research, the Capital Region of Denmark The Novo Nordisk Foundation, The Lundbeck foundation, the Danish Cancer Research Foundation, Toyota Foundation, and Herlev Hospital. In addition, I am co-recipient/investigator on several CCIT external grants, including two EU grants.

INVITED SPEAKER

2016-: Roche event (Odense, Denmark); Cellular Therapy (Erlangen, Germany), CANCER IMMUNOTHERAPY & IMMUNOMONITORING, (Ljubljana, Slovenia), the Lankenau Institute for Medical Research, Thomas Jefferson University (Philadelphia, US), Immuno-Oncology (London, UK), JSH 7th International Symposium (Awai, Japan), Cancer vaccines (London, UK), SITC 2016 (Washington USA). I have co-organized several international meetings.

EXAMPLES OF LEADERSHIP IN INDUSTRIAL INNOVATION

I was the founder of SurVac Aps, a company that focused on developing cancer vaccines based on my research. The company was sold to Merck KGaA in 2006. After the acquisition I served as scientific adviser for Merck KGaA until 2007. In 2008, I co-founded another vaccine company, RhoVac. Rhovac was recently introduced at Aktie-torget, Sweden. Recently, I founded yet another comapany IO Biotech ApS with the support from Novo A/S and the Lundbeck Foundation.

Short presentation

MHA research has been focusing on the characterization of the natural immune responses in patients with cancer with a special focus on immune regulation. The understanding of regulatory cells is based on the discovery of suppressor cells, which are indispensable to assure peripheral cells and immune homeostasis. Especially, the importance of regulatory T cells (Tregs) for the regulation of immunity, e.g., modulating host responses to tumors or inhibiting the development of autoimmunity, has received much attention. MHA recently discovered self-reactive, pro-inflammatory T cells – defined as anti-regulatory T cells (anti-Tregs) - that target immune-suppressive cells. Hence, regulatory cells are not only cells that suppress immune reactions but are also effector cells that counteract the effect of suppressor cells and support or help immune reactions. The main research focus on MHA is the characterization of such self-reactive T cells that specifically recognize human leukocyte antigen-restricted epitopes derived from proteins that are normally expressed by regulatory immune cells, such as indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO), tryptophan 2,6-dioxygenase (TDO), programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), and forkhead box P3 (Foxp3).  These proteins are highly expressed in professional antigen presenting cells under various physiological conditions such as inflammation and/or stress. Self-reactive T cells recognizing such targets may therefore be activated due to the strong activation signal given by their cognate targets. MHA currently focus on characterization of anti-Tregs, with a special focus on their roles in immune homeostasis and use in clinical applications.