CV

Name: Marie Pedersen

Date of birth: November 24, 1978

Nationality: Danish

EDUCATION

2007-2010: PhD, University of Copenhagen, Department of Public Heath, Section of Environmental Health, Copenhagen, Denmark. Title: ‘Transplacental exposure to environmental pollutants: Biomarkers of exposures and effects in blood from mother-newborn pairs.’ Main advisor Professor Lisbeth E. Knudsen, Co-advisor Professor Steffen Loft.

2003-2005: MSc in Biology received on May 10, 2005, University of Copenhagen, Department of Biology, Copenhagen, Denmark.

2000-2003: BA in Biology received on January 1, 2003, University of Copenhagen, Department of Biology, Copenhagen, Denmark.

CURRENT AND MOST RECENT POSITIONS

2015-now: Associate Professor, Section of Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen. 

2014-2019: Researcher, Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Diet, Genes and Environment, Copenhagen, Denmark.

2010-2014: Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL), Barcelona, Spain and National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM), Environmental Epidemiology Applied to Reproduction and Respiratory Health, Grenoble, France. 

2004-2007: Research Assistant, Section of Environmental Health, Department of Public Heath, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.

2004: Student intern, International Symposium on Uncertainty and Precaution in Environmental Management, Technical University of Denmark and The European Environmental Agency, Copenhagen, Denmark.

2002-2005: Student intern, The Danish Ministry of the Environment, Copenhagen, Denmark.

ACADEMIC AWARDS AND HONOURS

• Best Paper of the Year 2017, 'Ambient air pollution and primary liver cancer incidence in four European cohorts within the ESCAPE project', Environmental Research
• Outstanding Abstract by a New Investigator, International Society of Environmental     Epidemiology (ISEE) 25^th Annual Meeting 2013, Basel, Switzerland. 
• Rebecca James Baker Award: ‘Awarded for scientific excellence, integrity, compassion, resourcefulness and patience in cross-cultural research for the improvement of public health’, ISEE 25^th Annual Meeting 2013, Basel, Switzerland.
• Best Environmental Epidemiology Paper: ‘as being the best published scientific paper in the field of environmental epidemiology in 2012. The paper makes an outstanding contribution to the knowledge of environmental epidemiology and was selected because of its quality, originality, importance and expected impact’, ISEE 25^th Annual Meeting, Basel, Switzerland.
• Best Scientific Poster Award NewGeneris (Newborns and Genotoxic Exposure Risk) Annual Meeting 2011, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
• Selected among the 10 Best Danish Research Projects of 2009 (www.videnskab.dk).
• Best Scientific Poster Award NewGeneris Annual Meeting 2009, Barcelona, Spain.

FUNDED COMPETITIVE RESEARCH GRANTS 

2017: ERC Starting grant, European Research Council, Bruxelles, Belgium 

2017: Walter A. Rosenblith New Investigator Award, the Health Effects Institute, Boston, Ma, US

2014: Research Fellowship, the Danish Council for Independent Research, the Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science, Copenhagen, Denmark (grant DFF-4004-00179)

2014: Travel Grant, CREAL, Barcelona, Spain

2013: Travel Grants, CREAL, Barcelona, Spain

2012: Travel Grant, CREAL, Barcelona, Spain

2011: Post-Doctoral Fellowship (full salary and costs, 3 years), Juan de la Cierva, the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, Madrid, Spain.

2006: PhD Scholarship (full academic, 3 years), Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

2005: Grant to buy a microscope, the Danish Test Animal Protection (Forsøgsdyrenes Værn)

2005: Exchange Fellowship to cover costs of genome-wide transcriptomic analyses, salary and 3-months stay in Maastricht, Netherlands, ECNIS (Environmental Cancer Risk, Nutrition and Individual Susceptibility)

INTERNATIONAL AND NATIONAL RELATIONS 

• Ongoing collaboarting with researcher from Denmark (Statens Serum Institute, Aarhus University, University Hospital of Copenhagen, University of Copenhagen and Danish Cancer Society), Iceland, Sweden, other European countries and the US. 
• Since 2010 through my joint postdoctal position at the CREAL in Barcelona, Spain and the INSERM in Grenoble, France I have had substantial experience in working with scientists in other countries and cultures and development extensive international collaboration largely due to my involvment in the EU funded projects, ESCAPE and NewGeneris.
• In my previous work in Copenhagen I have participated in consulting for the Ministry of Health on human biomonitoring and participated in international meetings with policy makers, NGOs and researchers.
• As part of my PhD studies I have collaborated with the maternity unit at Righospitalet, University of Copenhagen and the National Environmental Research Institute, Roskilde, Aarhus University.
• As part of my Master and PhD studies I worked 6 months abroad in different European research centres including the Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo; the Department of Chemical Toxicology, Division of Environmental Medicine, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway; the Department of Health Risk Analysis and Toxicology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands; the Laboratory of Cell Genetics, Free University of Brussels, Brussels, Belgium and the Laboratory of Molecular Epidemiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, the Czech Republic.

COMMISSIONS OF TRUSTS

• Ad hoc reviewer for e.g. Environment Health Perspective, American Journal of Epidemiology, Epidemiology, Journal of Pediatrics, Mutation Research, Environment International, Environmental Research, Environment Health, Food and Chemical Toxicology and Science of the Total Environment, etc.
• Reviewer and chair at the International Society of Environmental Epidemiology (ISEE) Annuals Meetings.

TEACHING

• Supervision of Bachelor and Master Students
• Co-supervision of Post- and Predoctoral Research Fellows
• Lecturing and class-room teaching in Epidemiology, Perinatal Epidemiology, Environment and Reproduction, Environment and Birth Outcomes, Environment and Children's Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark (Students in Public Health, Medicine and Global Health at bachelor, master and pre-doc levels).

MEMBERSHIPS OF SCIENTITIC SOCIETIES

2015-now: Dansk Epidemiologisk Selskab (DES)

2011-now: The International Society for Environmental Epidemiology (ISEE)

2005-2009: European Environmental Mutagen Society (EEMS) and NordEMS

MANAGEMENT EXPERIENCE

2014-2017: Coordination of pooling of cohort-specific results for a meta-analyses on cancer in bladder, liver and kidney as part of the ESCAPE (www.escapeproject.eu).

2011-2017: Coordinated the collection, harmonization, pooling and analyses of data on air pollution, birth outcomes, postnatal growth and personal characteristics from women participating in 14 European birth cohorts as part of the ESCAPE (www.escapeproject.eu).

2010-2015: Coordinated the collection, harmonization, pooling and analyses of data on biomarkers, birth outcomes, diet and personal characteristics from women participating in 5 European birth cohorts as part of the NewGeneris (http://www.newgeneris.org).

2007-2010: Coordinated the collection, processing and analyses of questionnaires, air, dust, urine, blood and placenta samples from 250 women as part of my PhD. Recruited and interviewed the participants.

RESEARCH PROJECTS 

• Lifecycle: Early-life stressors and LifeCycle health (https://lifecycle-project.eu) European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 73320, 2017-2022. My role is to contribute to the development of datashield and its application to environmental epidemiological studies based on data from multiple birth cohorts.
• ESCAPE: European Study of Cohorts For Air Pollution Effects (www.escapeproject.eu), EU Large-scale Integrated Project, 7^th Framework Programme, Theme Environment. Contract No. 211250, July, 2008-May, 2012. My role was to co-coordinate the birth outcome studies, to collect, pool and analyse data as well as writing papers on fetal and early growth. As well as meta-analyses of selected cancer in adults.
• NewGeneris: Newborns and Genotoxic exposure risk. Development and application of biomarkers of dietary exposure to genotoxic and immunotoxic chemicals and of biomarkers of early effects, using mother-child birth cohorts and biobanks (http://www.newgeneris.org), EU Integrated Project, 6^th Framework Programme, Priority 5: Food Quality and Safety. Contract no. FOOD-CT-2005 016320, February, 2006- July, 2011. My role was to co-coordinate the epidemiological studies, to collect, pool and analyse data as well as writing papers on birth outcomes, environment and biomarkers.
• AIRPOLIFE: Air Pollution in a Life Time Health Perspective (www.airpolife.dk), The Danish Agency for Science, Technology and Innovation Grant 2052-03-16, January, 2004-January, 2008. My role was to monitor the homes of pregnant women for air pollution, analyse data and write paper on associations between air pollution and biomarkers of DNA damage in mother-newborn pairs.
• ECNIS: Environmental Cancer Risk, Nutrition and Individual Susceptibility (www.ecnis.org), EU Contract no. 513943, January, 2005-January, 2012. Participated in workshops, courses and obatained an exchange fellowship. Assisted in reporting for EU and other stakeholders.
• ChildrenGenoNetwork: European network on children's susceptibility and exposure to gentoxicants (http://cgn.pubhealth.ku.dk/childrengeno_en), EU Contract no. QLK4-CT-2002-02198, January, 2003-January, 2005. Assisted in the planning and conduction of a family study in the Czeck Republic with air monitoring and biomarkers. Analysed data and drafted papers. Assisted in reporting for EU.
• ESBIO:  Expert team to support human biomonitoring (www.eu-humanbiomonitoring.org), EU SSPE Contract 022580, January, 2004-January, 2008. Assisted in consulting for the Health Ministry of Denmark, arrangements of meetings, reporting for EU and other stakeholders.
• The SCALE initiative: Scientific evidence, focused on Children, meant to raise Awareness, improve the situation by use of Legal instruments, and ensure a continual Evaluation of the progress made to the development of a European Environment and Health Strategy, EU, Jan., 2003-Decmber, 2003. Assisted in reporting for EU and other stakeholders. 

ADDITIONAL EXTERNAL COURSES 

2015: R – an introduction, Copenhagen, Denmark.

2015: The Successful ERC Applicant, Copenhagen, Denmark.

2014: Occupational Hazards and Reproductive Health, NIVA, Espoo, Finland.

2013: European Educational Programme in Epidemiology, Florence, Italy.

2012: Leading for Success in Science, Team Leadership & Management Skills, Spain.

2011: Principles of Genetic Association Studies, University Pompeu Fabra, Spain.

2009: Critical Windows of Exposures and Vulnerability, Paris, France.

2008: Paediatric Research, School of Health Sciences, Copenhagen, Denmark.

2008: Practical oral communication, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.

2006: Use of SAS Statistical Software, Biostatistics, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.

2006: Toxicogenomics, TNO, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.

2006: Molecular Nutrition in Relation to Cancer Res., Karolinska Institute, Sweden.

2006: Nutritional Epidemiology, Preventive Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.

2006: Gene-Environment Interactions, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.

2005: Health: Individual and Environment, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.

2005: Applied Toxicology, National University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.

2004: Environmental Multidiscipline, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark.

2003: Epidemiology, Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.

2003: Environmental Management and Ethics, Technical University of Denmark.

2003: Practical Application of Environmental Principles, Technical University of Denmark.

PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS, BOOK CHAPTERS AND NON-PEER REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS

Please see: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9930-0446

Primary fields of research

Marie Pedersen has a degree in Biology from the University of Copenhagen, Denmark and a PhD at the Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Denmark (2010). She did her postdoctoral work at the Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology, Barcelona, Spain and in the Team of Environmental Epidemiology Applied to Reproduction and Respiratory Health, National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM), Grenoble, France.

Afterwards she worked as guest researcher at the Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Diet, Genes and Environment, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Her research focuses on the evaluation of effects of environmental exposures early in life. Currently she is involved in National Danish as well as European birth cohort studies that examine the influence of exposure to dietary and environmental toxicants during pregnancy on maternal and child health.

Current research

• Environmental epidemiology
• Effects of environmental exposures early in life on human health
• Air pollution and noise from road traffic
• Dietary exposure to carcinogens
• Biomarkers of genotoxic exposure and effect measured in maternal and umbilical cord blood
• In utero and early growth (birth weight, rapid growth and child obesity)
• Preterm birth, preeclampsia, pregnancy-induced hypertension and gestational diabetes
• Asthma and related respiratory and allergic outcomes in children
• Cohort studies

National and International Collaboration

• Danish Cancer Society Research Center (DCRC), Diet, Genes and Environment, Copenhagen, Denmark (www.cancer.dk)
• Centre for Fetal Programming, Department of Epidemiology Research, Statens Serum Institute, Copenhagen, Denmark (www.ssi.dk)
• Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL) Barcelona, Spain (http://creal.cat/)
• Team of Environmental Epidemiology Applied to Reproduction and Respiratory Health, National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM), Grenoble, France (http://www-iab.ujf-grenoble.fr).

European Study of Cohorts For Air Pollution Effects (www.escapeproject.eu), EU Large-scale Integrated Project, 7^th Framework Programme, Theme Environment. Contract No. 211250, July, 2008-May, 2012. Studies still ongoing.