I received my PhD in medicinal chemistry from University of Copenhagen (UCPH) in 2009. Here, I developed compounds against PDZ domains involved in protein-protein interactions (PPIs) in CNS. A main discovery was the dimeric peptidomimetic PSD-95 inhibitors that resulted in the spinout company Avilex Pharma and recent tests in clinical trials. After a postdoc period at UCPH, I moved to the Italian Institute of Technology in Genoa in 2012, where I worked on covalent small-molecule inhibitors of enzymes involved in lipid metabolism and signalling. In 2016, I started my own research group–Bach Group–at the Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology at UCPH with the aim of making biological active small-molecule inhibitors of PPIs involved in oxidative stress and inflammation by using fragment-based drug discovery (FBDD). This has led to several key discoveries against drug targets like Keap1 and NOX2. While this work continues, focusing on various lead optimization strategies, our FBDD platform is being applied to new protein targets of relevance to therapeutic areas such as CNS diseases, inflammation, and cancer. I was appointed professor in 2023, serve as head of studies of the Master of Science programme in medicinal chemistry, and I teach and run courses related to drug discovery and development.

Education 
- 2009: Ph.D. Medicinal Chemistry, University of Copenhagen (UCPH)
- 2005: M.Sc. Human Biology, UCPH
- 2002: B.Sc. Biochemistry, UCPH

Appointments and Training
• 2023 (Aug): Professor (Medicinal Chemistry) and Group leader, Dept. Drug Design and Pharmacology (DDP), UCPH.
• 2016 (Dec) – 2023 (July): Associate Professor (tenured from Sept 2020) and Group leader, DDP, UCPH.
• 2014 (Jan) – 2016 (Nov): Assistant Professor, DDP, UCPH.
• 2013 (Aug-Dec): Postdoc in the Chemical Biology group, DDP, UCPH.
• 2012 (Aug) – 2013 (Aug): Postdoc at the Italian Institute of Technology, Department of Drug Discovery and Development (IIT-D3), Genoa, Italy, under supervision of Dr. Tiziano Bandiera and Prof. Daniele Piomelli.
• 2009 (Jan) – 2012 (Aug): Postdoc in the Chemical Biology group, DDP, UCPH.
• 2005 (April) – 2009 (Jan): Ph.D. student at the Chemical Biology group, UCPH, under supervision of Prof. Kristian Strømgaard.
- Part of the Ph.D. took place at the Carlsberg Biosector, Carlsberg Research Center, Denmark under supervision of Dr. Ole Thastrup; at Department of Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Sweden, under supervision of Prof. Ulf Landegren; and at the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Department of Molecular Biology, Munich, Germany under supervision of Dr. Thorsten Berg.
• 2004 (Feb) – 2005 (March): Master thesis project at Department of Pharmacology, Panum Institute, UCPH, under supervision of Prof. Thue W. Schwartz.

Publications
- ORCID: 0000-0003-4305-9910
- Google scholar profile

Innovation
- Co-inventor of 10 international patents/patent applications
- Co-founder, board observer, and consultant of Avilex Pharma (www.avilexpharma.com). Avilex Pharma develops dimeric peptide-based PSD-95 inhibitors against ischemic stroke. A clinical phase 1 trial was conducted in 2020.

Other Research Activities
- Consultant and co-founder of Avilex Pharma
- Referee for international scientific journals within the field of medicinal chemistry and drug discovery
- Scientific advisory board member of The Chemical Probes Portal (www.chemicalprobes.org) (Reviewing data for new chemical probes and rating them as tools for pharmacological studies)
- Member of the committee of 'The European Federation for Medicinal Chemistry (EFMC) Best Practice Initiative' (https://www.efmc.info/best-practices) (Preparing freely available slide decks and webinars about 'best practice' within the field of medicinal chemistry)