Current research

Cardiovascular disease is the single biggest killer worldwide, and it is especially prevalent in developed countries such as Denmark, UK and the United States. Vascular dysfunction is related to arteries becoming narrower and less responsive to dilators. It is well established that K+ ion efflux from smooth muscle cells through K+ channels limits the contractility of the smooth muscle cells that drive changes in arterial diameter. Consequently, any modification in the function and expression of the K+ ion channels has a significant impact on the contractile activity of the smooth muscle.

My work is concerned with defining the vascular impact of specific regulatory mechanisms that influence vascular ion channels, particularly K+ channel. The two areas in which I am predominantly focused are the KCNE ancillary subunits and microtubules in smooth muscle cells. 

Primary fields of research

The overarching aim of my research is to reveal and investigate new mechanisms that regulate arterial tone in order to improve our understanding of how vascular diseases, such as hypertension and atherosclerosis, develop and identify novel therapeutic targets.

My research currently encompasses multiple projects aimed at better understanding vascular physiology and investigating new pharmacological targets in the vascular wall. My predominant area of research investigates novel targets for the treatment of hypertension. Within this project I am investigating microtubules and KCNE subunits in the vasculature. I have multiple other research projects on which I am actively working, namely the regulations of smooth muscle cell proliferation in atherosclerosis, identifying novel ion channels involved in angiogensis and determining the mechanisms underlying functional sympatholysis.

I am a highly skilled researcher with expertise in isometric tension recordings, electrophysiology, immunostaining and microscopy, proximity ligation assays, quantitative PCR and Western blotting. I have been able to use my plethora of skills in the lab to produce several publications in prestigious journals in our field, such as Circulation and Hypertension. My work as an independent researcher is now recognized on an international level, highlighted by several invitations to present my latest research at multiple international conferences and departmental seminars.

CV

Education and Professional Background

02/2017 – Present       Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.

02/2017 – Present       Carlsberg Foundation Research Fellow, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.

10/2014 – 02/2017:     Marie Curie Independent Research Fellow at the University of Copenhagen, supported by the European Commission under the William Harvey Research Institute (WHRI)-Academy fellowship programme and the Lundbeck Foundation.

10/2013 – 09/2014:     Postdoctoral Researcher at the Ion Channel Group, Dept. of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

10/2009 – 09/2013:     PhD Student funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council at St. George’s, University of London.

10/2008 – 05/2009:     Research Technician at St. George’s University of London.

10/2005 – 07/2008:     BSc. (Hons.) in Biomedical Sciences at St. George’s University of London.

Short-term international laboratory visits

01/2016:          University of California, Irvine, U.S.A. - Characterised the vasculature of KCNE4 knockout mice in Prof. Geoffrey Abbott's laboratory (1 month).

09/2012:          Smooth Muscle Research Group, Calgary, Canada - Worked with Prof. William Cole to learn proximity ligation assays in isolated smooth muscle cells (1 month).

02/2010:          Neurosearch, Denmark - Worked with Dr. Rie Hansen to learn Langendorff isolated heart technique (3 months).

Grants

02/2017:          Carlsberg Foundation, Research Fellowship. 1,178,053DKK

12/2015:          Lundbeck Foundation, travel stipend for an international laboratory stay at the University of California, Irvine, U.S.A. in Prof. Geoffrey Abbott's laboratory. 20,000DKK

07/2015:          Lundbeck Foundation, Postdoctoral Fellowship. 700,000DKK

10/2014:          Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship, which is supported by the European Commission under the William Harvey Research Institute (WHRI)-Academy fellowship programme. €199,809

Scientific Publications

A total of 22 peer-reviewed papers, including 19 original research articles and 3 review articles. I am first or last author on 45% of my publications, and have 6 corresponding authorships. Impact factor max.: Circulation 19.3, Pharmacology & Therapeutics 11. Cited: 525 times, h-index: 13 (web of science).

Editorial and Reviewing Work

2018:   Editor at Physiological Reports.

2017:   Review grants for the Medical Research Council, U.K.

2014:   Regular reviewer for multiple journals, including British Journal of Pharmacology, Physiological Reports, Frontiers in Physiology, Acta Physiologica, Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and Physiology, and Basic and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology.

Conference organization

2019:   Organising Committee for the First International Kv7 Channels Symposium 2019, Naples, Italy.

2018:   Career Workshop organizer for the British Pharmacological Society Main Meeting, U.K.

2018:   Lead organizer of the Cardiovascular Seminar Series and PhD course, University of Copenhagen.

2018:   Organising committee for the Vascular satellite meeting at Europhysiology, London, U.K.

2018:   Symposium organizer at Danish Cardiovascular Research Academy Summer Meeting.

2017:   Organising Committee for International Symposium on Resistance Arteries, Manchester, U.K.

2016:   Organiser of the Scandinavian Society Special Interest Group in Vascular Research Annual Meeting, Copenhagen.

Teaching, Supervision and Course Organisation

2018: Organised a PhD course to run alongside the Cardiovascular Seminar Series.

2016: Initiated and organised a PhD Course at the University of Copenhagen, titled ‘What you need to know about life in the vascular wall’.

2012-Present: A teaching portfolio that includes classroom and laboratory teaching on a Biomedical Sciences and Masters in Pharmacy Degrees (St. George’s, University of London), as well as teaching a range of courses on the medicine degree (University of Copenhagen).

2012-Present: Supervision of 2 ERASMUS student, 9 bachelor’s project students and 3 Master’s student.

Collaborations

• Prof. Michael Davies (University of Copenhagen) – microtubule regulation of vascular tone and selenium compounds in arteries.
• Dr. Pia Lundegaard (University of Copenhagen) – Vascular development in Zebrafish
• Prof. Ylva Hellsten (University of Copenhagen) – Functional sympatholysis, grant submitted for a PhD student to Lundbeck based on preliminary data we generated.
• Prof. Christian Aalkjær (Aarhus University) – the role of microtubules in arteries
• Prof. Anthony Heagerty (University of Manchester) – New collaboration to prescribe colchicine to hypertensive patients in his clinic and analyse arterial changes.
• Prof. Sanjay Patel (University of Sydney) – New collaboration to prescribe colchicine to hypertensive patients and measure changes in their blood pressure, pulse wave velocity. 
• Prof. Geoffrey Abbott (University of California, Irvine) – KCNE subunits in the vasculature.
• Associate Prof. Bo Bentzen (University of Copenhagen) – Microtubules in atrial fibrillation.

Invited Conference Presentations

2018    Department Seminar, Cardiovascular Seminar Series, University of Manchester, U.K.

2018    Cell Biology Section Symposium, Lund University, Sweden.

2018    Symposium chair and speaker at the Danish Cardiovascular Research Academy Summer Meeting, Sandbjerg, Denmark.

2018    Department Seminar, Unit of Cardiovascular and Renal Research, University of Southern Denmark.

2017    Invited speaker and session chair at the International Symposium of Resistance Arteries, Manchester, U.K.

2016    FASEB Smooth Muscle Conference, Lisbon, Portugal.

2016    Department Seminar, Department of Pharmacology & Physiology and Biophysics University of California, Irvine, U.S.A.

2016    Department Seminar, Center for Cardiovascular Research, University of Nevada School of Medicine, Reno, U.S.A.

2015    Microcirculation Congress, Kyoto, Japan.

2015    Department Seminar, Department of Pharmacology, Kyoto Pharmaceutical University, Kyoto, Japan.

2012    Department Seminar, Smooth Muscle Research Group, University of Calgary, Canada.

2012    Ion Channels Symposium, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Awards

2018    Selected to attend the 68^th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting.

2017    Scientific organizing committee for the International Symposium of Resistance Arteries, Manchester, U.K.

2016    Board member of the Young Pharmacologists Committee at the British Pharmacological Society.

2014    Best presentation at the International Symposium of Resistance Arteries.

2011    Best presentation at the Vascular & Smooth Muscle Physiology Society Meeting.

2011    Best presentation at the International Symposium of Resistance Arteries.

2009    Widdicombe Prize in Physiology from St. George’s University of London.