Primary fields of research

The role of bacterial and fungal biofilms in chronic infections

Current research

Basically, bacteria display two life forms during growth and proliferation. In one form, the bacteria appear as single, independent cells (planktonic), and in the other form bacteria are organised in sessile aggregates. The latter form is commonly referred to as the biofilm phenotype. Acute infections are assumed to involve planktonic bacteria, and are generally treatable with antibiotics, though successful treatment depends on accurate and fast diagnosis. However, in cases where the bacteria succeed in forming a biofilm within the human host, the infection often turns out to be untreatable and will develop into a chronic state. The important hallmark of chronic, biofilm-based infections is extreme resistance to antibiotics, as well as a number of other conventional antimicrobial agents and an extreme capacity to evade the host defense. In addition, since the bacteria in chronic infections are aggregated, resistance genes can be passed from one bacterium to the other.

We study the role of bacterial and fungal biofilms in chronic infections both in vitro, animal models and ex vivo material from chronic infections. Our interests are how bacteria initiate biofilms in the human body and why the immune defense seems to fail both in the initial infection and later in the chronic infection. What is the prevalence of bacteria and fungus on implants in general? What is the activity of the microbes in chronic infections and which species are present? We also seek to develop tools and methods to enable fast diagnosis of these infections, for better treatment and possible prevention.

The projects are in close collaboration with clinicians at most of the major hospitals in Denmark.

Projects focussed on these issues are currently funded by: Lundbeckfonden, RegionHovedstadens Udviklingsfond, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Gerda og Aage Haenschs Fond and Human Frontier Science Project.

Possible conflicts of interest

I am an consultant for:

1) Smith and Nephew

2) SoftOx

3) Novo Nordisk A/S

4) Coloplast

5) Lohmann & Rauscher

CV

Education:

2001                  MSc in Chemistry (Civil engineer), DTU              

2005                  PhD: “Experimental investigation of quorum sensing and biofilms of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in relation to lung infection in cystic fibrosis patients”, Technical University of Denmark, Denmark (DTU)                          

 Doctor of Medicine “The Role of Bacterial Biofilms in Chronic Infections”

2013                 Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences (SUND), University of Copenhagen (UCPH)

Appointments:

2014 –               Professorat the Costerton biofilm Centre, (SUND-UCPH)     

2008 –               Head of Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory at Copenhagen University Hospital, Department of Clinical Microbiology (RH-KMA)             

2010 – 2014     Associate Professorat the Dept. of Immunology and Microbiology (ISIM), SUND-UCPH

2008 – 2010     Research Associate Professor at ISIM-SUND-UCPH

2005 – 2008     Postdocat Department of Systems Biology, DTU

Work and study abroad:

Herriot-Watt University, Scotland (8 months, 1999); Orpheus Island Field Station, Great Barrier Reef, Australia (3 weeks, 2004); College of Medicine, University of Iowa, USA (2 weeks, 2004), School of Molecular Medical Sciences, University of Nottingham, UK (2 weeks, 2006).

Research output

167 scientific publications (published or In Press) from 2005 to present in peer reviewed international journals and books, and 3 patents and 2 patent applications. 60 of the 167 scientific publications are based on international collaborations.

Web-of-Science indexed publications are currently cited >8000 times, (2017> 1500 times) H-index 45.

Google Scholar indexed publications are currently cited >13.000 time, H-index 52

Positions of trust

• INSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

2014 –               Member of the steering committee of the Copenhagen Microbiology Center, UCPH

2014 –               Member of SUND-UCPH and UCPH Innovation Board

2013 –               Member of the Council of the Department for Immunology and Microbiology SUND-UCPH

2013 –               Chairman of PhD (3) and Professor (2) assessor committees at SUND-UCPH

• COMMISSIONS OF TRUST

2017 –               Editor-in-Chief APMIS (Journal of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology)

2017 –               Steering committee member of the consortium “Safe Rooom”

2014 –               Executive board member of the Danish Pasteur Society

2014 –               Editor of Microorganisms and FEMS Pathogenesis

2013 –               Founder and advisory board of the “Biofilm Test Facility” (http://biofilmtestfacility.ku.dk)

2013 –               Series Editor on the Springer Series on Biofilms

2012 –               Secretary and former Chairman of the ESCMID Study Group for Biofilms

2012 –               Editor of Advances in Wound Care

2011, 2013, 2015 Guest Editor in Chief of Thematic Issue of Eurobiofilms by FEMS Immunology & Medical Microbiology now Pathogens and Disease

2011 –               Executive board member (Treasurer) of the Danish Society of Microbiology (DMS)

2010 –               Founder and organizer of the Danish Biofilm Workgroup

• Ad-hoc reviewer for ˃20 journals within the field (including Nature, Science, PNAS), I review on the average 2-3 manuscripts per month
• External doctoral evaluator - University of Milan (Italy)
• Evaluator on 10 PhD theses

Evaluator and referee on International science grant programs

• ORGANISATION OF SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS

2014 – 2016     Responsible organizer of Annual Congress of Danish Society of Microbiology (350 pax)

2013 – 2016     Member of the organizing committee of the European Cystic Fibrosis Conference

2013, 2015, 2017 Member of the organizing committee of the 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th  EuroBiofilm Conference, Belgium, Czech Republic, Holland

2012                  Member of the organizing committee of the ASM Biofilm Conference

2011                  Main organizer and scientific secretary of the 2nd EuroBiofilm Conference, Copenhagen

PhD students & postdocs supervised

Since 2005, I have been leading a group of: 7 Postdocs (4 current and 3 former), 12 PhD students (9 current and 3 former and additionally 5 co-supervised), 15 Master Students and 22 Bachelor students.

Awards & honours

2015                  Award and Honorary Lecture at Danish Society for Orthopedic Surgery annual meeting

2015                  Journal of Wound Care “Best Laboratory/Pre-Clinical Study” Award

2013                 European Society for Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID)

                          Young Investigator Award

2013 – 2017     Lundbeck Foundation Junior Group Leader Fellowship (EUR 1,34 Mill)

Major International collaboration

• Professor Marvin Whiteley, Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA on biofilm behavior
• Professor Phil Stewart, Center for Biofilm Engineering, Montana State University, USA on biofilms and host defence
• Assoc. Professor Steve Diggle, Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA on social interactions of bacteria in biofilms and infections
• Professor Matt Parsek, Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, USA on bacterial interactions in biofilms and in vitro model systems 
• Professor Mark Shirtliff, Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, School of Dentistry, University of Maryland, USA on in vivo biofilms for chronic infections
• Professor Paul Stoodley, Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, The Ohio State University, USA on bacterial behavior in chronic infections and diagnosis of these
• Professor Rosalind Allen, Edinburgh University, UK on mathematical modulation of bacterial behavior
• Professor Greg Shultz, Department Obstetrics & Gynecology, Director, Institute for Wound Research, University of Florida, USA on biofilms in chronic wounds
• Researcher and associate professor Natuschka Lee at the Department of Ecology and                   Environmental Science, Umeå University, Sweden on FISH technologies
• Professor Gordon Ramage, Dental School, University of Glasgow, GB on fungal infections

Research management experience

Founder, leading and advisory board of the “Biofilm Test Facility” (http://biofilmtestfacility.ku.dk)

Ongoing projects
2010-2018 - Immuno antibody IgY to Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinical trial for cystic fibrosis therapy (IMPACTT). Supported by FP7-HEALTH. As a partner, I receive EUR 348,000 (total budget: EUR 5,876,724)

2013-2018 – Lundbeckfonden Junior Group Leader Fellowship: ”Paradigm lost – Chronic infections take the place of acute infections.”, DKK 10,000,000 + DKK 2x500,000 co-financing by the Faculty of Health Sciences

2016-2019 The role of polymorphonuclear leucocytes in the establishment of chronic infections. Supported by The Lundbeck Foundation: DKK 1,575,000

2017-2019 Whole transcriptome analysis of bacteria in acute and chronic infection. Supported by The Lundbeck Foundation: DKK 500,000

2018-2020 The spatial composition and distribution of the cutaneous microbiota in atopic dermatitis and healthy skin. Supported by The LEO Foundation:  2,857,565 DKK

Total funding: DKK 30,524,264 (4.1 mill Euro) as PI

Contract research projects: Total contract funding ≈ 12 DKK  mill (1,6 mill Euros)