Morten Agertoug Nielsen

CV

Education:

2004     PhD at Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen;

2001     Master's degree in Biology at Department of Infectious Diseases at Copenhagen University Hospital;

1993     A-Levels Vordingborg Gymnasium  1993

Current position:

Associate Professor in Malaria Parasite Adhesion Biology, Institute of Immunology and Microbiology. University of Copenhagen since July 2014.

Other Positions:

Jan. 2008-Jul 2014: Associate Professor at the Institute for International Health, Immunology and Microbiology.

Dec. 2005 - Dec 2007: Post Doc grant from HS, Department of Infectious Diseases at Copenhagen University Hospital (Rigshospitalet)).

Nov. 2004.-Nov. 2005: Scientific assistant at Department of Infectious Diseases at Copenhagen University Hospital (Rigshospitalet).

Sept. 2001-Oct. 2004 Phd Student at Faculty of Health Sciences at Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology

Involvement in international research :

Principal investigator:

• Clinical development of a VAR2CSA-based placental malaria vaccine, FP7-HEALTH-2012-INNOVATION, total budget 6 million Euro (2013-2016).
• Post Doc grant from Rigshospitalet (3 years).
• Ph.D. grant from Faculty of Health Sciences UCPH.

Co-investigator:

• Development of malaria vaccines, Danida, Budget 10 million Dkk (2013-2015).
• Development and pre-clinical safety assessment of a placental malaria vaccine, Advanced Technology Foundation, Budget 15 million Dkk (2012-2014).
• Defining a VAR2CSA based immunogen eliciting parasite adhesion blocking antibodies, the Gates Consortium. Budget 740000 Euro (2007-2010).
• Expressing VAR2CSA antigens in Tetrahymena host cells, STREP EU FP6, Budget 250000 Euro, (2008-2010).
• Defining what part of VAR2CSA interacts with the receptor in the placenta, EU FP7, Budget 330000 Euro (2007-2010).
• Elucidating the quaternary structure of VAR2CSA, program of Excellence, budget 2500000 Euro (2008-2012).
• Quantifying the effects of malaria during pregnancy and the naturally acquired immunity towards malaria during pregnancy, budget 420000 Euro (2008-2011).

Dissemination

Public: Danish Broadcast Corporation (DR) Radio Program 1 News, Radio Program 1 Morning show, Radio Program 3 Morning Show. Invited oral presentations: British Society for Parasitology Malaria and Spring Meeting, Nottingham UK 2011. British Society for Parasitology Malaria and Spring Meeting, Nottingham, UK 2005. British Society for Parasitology Malaria and Spring Meeting, Chester, UK, 2004. Other conference presentations: 5th FAIS International Congress, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, 2003. British Society for Parasitology Malaria Meeting, Manchester, UK 2003. Danish Society for Parasitology - Spring symposium, 2002. Induction and maintenance of the immune response to infection. Elsinore, Denmark, 2002. 12th Malaria Meeting of the British Society for Parasitology, Leeds, UK, 2001

Entrepreneurship

Part-owner & -co-founder of VAR2 Pharmaceuticals.

Other

Since 2005 I have been the supervisor of 7 master and 6 PhD students. Laboratory manager for the cell-biology laboratories at Centre for Medical Parasitology (CMP), this entails both administrative issues with regards to usage of equipment & space, waste handling and contact to external technical persons, responsible for isotope usage at CMP, but also human resource management, and recruitment and participation in multiple job interviews for TAP and VIP. Organizing the establishment and preparation for classification of new class I and class II laboratories at CSS 2008. Conscription at The Royal Artillery Regiment, 1st Airforce missile battery, 13th Airforce missile Department (Nov. 1993 - June 1994).

Short presentation

One of my main areas of research has been how immunity against malaria is acquired. During this work the study of antigens inserted into the red blood cell membrane by the infecting Plasmodium falciparum parasite and how they mediate adhesion to host receptors is pivotal. The clinical symptoms of malaria are precipitated by different adhesion phenotypes, and protection is mediated by antibodies that hinder this adhesion.

In my PhD studies I showed that antigens associated with severe disease could be differentiated from antigens associated with mild malaria on the basis of the recognition by immune sera. This subsequently provided a “handle” by which we could investigate the identity of the antigens expressed by malaria parasites from natural infections and those manipulated in vitro. Ultimately, this lead to the identification of a restricted group of genes associated with severe childhood malaria.

Recent years my main line of research has been more and more focused on one particular syndrome of malaria namely placental malaria. Here I have been involved in the first identification of the antigen causing the disease, named VAR2CSA. Subsequently efforts have been to validate this initial finding partly through my commitment to dissect the immune response to VAR2CSA. Importantly this resulted in the identification of which parts of this large antigen to include in a potential vaccine against placental malaria. Another important part of this is to be able to test the efficacy of a vaccine. As there are no relevant animals models for placental malaria this entailed the development of tools to study in a high throughput system the ability of antibodies to inhibit binding of parasites to placental receptors.

Currently I am coordinating the clinical phase 1 testing testing of a placental malaria vaccine in Germany and Benin. Through this work I have been in charge of writing the investigators brochure & IMPD, and participated in writing of the clinical protocol and meetings with the regulatory authorities at Paul Erlich Institute, Germany.