CV

FORMAL EDUCATION        

1984 cand.med. University of Copenhagen
1992 PhD, University of Copenhagen
1999 Medical Specialist in Clinical Immunology
2005 Management course (RL6) at Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet

POSITIONS  for TRAINING, RESEARCH, CLINICAL WORK and TEACHING                                                         

1987 Statens Serum Institut
1991 Introductory position, clinical immunology, Rigshospitalet
1993 - 1996 MRC fellowship
2000-2002 Medical Staff member, Blood bank, Rigshospitalet
2002- Chief physician, Head of Unit of Immunohaematology and blood genetics, Blood bank, Rigshospitalet
2005- Associate professor, University of Copenhagen, Institut for Klinisk Medicin
2011- Postgraduate associate professor, University of Copenhagen, Institut for Klinisk Medicin

TEACHING, SUPERVISION and ASSESSMENT

1996 - 2005 Clinical immunology and transfusion medicine for midwife students
2005 - Clinical immunology and transfusionsmedicince at the Medical Faculty KU for
medical students.
2008 - Course leader for National Board of Health A-course in 'Erythrocyte – and
thrombocyte immunology'.
Supervisor for 7 master students (cand.scient.stud), 5 medical students and 4
PhD-students. Assessor of 5 PhD theses, 1 Norwegian and 1 Swedish Doctoral theses

INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH COOPERATION and MANAGEMENT

• Initiated and coordinated EU financed BioMed BMH4 project
• Associated proposer in EU program TS3
• Associated member of EU collaboration on Special Non-invasive Advances in Fetal and Neonatal Evaluation (SAFE)

ADVISORY POSTS for HEALTH AUTHORITIES

2006 - Adviser for The Danish National Board of Health (Sundhedsstyrelsen)

2011   Evaluator for The Swedish SBU (Statens beredning för medicinsk utvärdering)

2014   Adviser for the Norwegian Kunnskapssenteret

PUBLICATIONS

•  Articles: 94 published
•  Patents/applications: 18/2. Text book chapters 4, E-learning program 1.
• H-index = 33 (Google scholar), a total of 2964 citations, i10-index = 69. 
• Publications in Nature Medicine, BLOOD 

SCIENTIFIC, CLINICAL and SOCIETAL IMPACT  

The recombinant anti-D antibodies from my laboratory are used in clinical routine. The antenatal RHD screening developed by my laboratory was implemented nationally in Denmark and enabled in 2010 the first targetted antenatal Rh prophylaxis in the world. We are in the process of evaluating the national effect of the supplementary antenatal prophylaxis implemented in 2010.

SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES and CONFERENCES                   

Chairman for Dansk Selskab for Reproduktion og Fosterudvikling 2009-2013, member of Dansk Selskab for Klinisk Immunologi, Biokemisk Forening, International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT). Member of the organizing commitee for CfDNA-2013 June 2013, Copenhagen.

Primære forskningsområder

Our general focus is feto-maternal alloimmuno disease.

The main focus of my group is the elucidation of the molecular mechanism underlying gestational alloimmune liver disease abbreviated GALD. This disease causes acute liver failure in fetus and newborn and is often fatal. 

We are generally interested in mechanisms of immune destruction, immunoglobulins, effects of immunoglobulins, 'designer antibodies' with anti-hemolytic effect against anti-D antibodies, and recombinant therapeutic antibodies against Plasmodium falciparum.

A second interest is genetics of blood groups, and antenatal fetal blood group determination based on cell free fetal DNA in maternal plasma using PCR and Next Generation Sequencing (NGS).

For blood donors we have designed a complete panel of genetic assays for determination of all clinically relevant blood groups. 

We are now involved in the investigation of the feasibility of launching an 'Rh prophylaxis'-like effort for identification of pregnancies at risk of alloimmune thrombocytopenia. We have devised a cost-effective solution based on the same samples used for RhD typing and antibody screening.

My laboratory has investigated feto-maternal hemorrhage from fetus to mother by flow cytometry.

We use flow cytometry for sensitive and informative investigation of DAT positive erythrocytes.

We investigate mechanical properties of red blood cell membranes by flow cytometry and fluidics.