Research output per year
Research output per year
PhD, Professor
Jagtvej 160
2100 København Ø
Universitetsparken 2
2100 København Ø
Research activity per year
Professor Dan Staerk is heading the Natural Products Research group and Copenhagen Small-Molecule NMR Center. His research interests include discovery of small-molecule and peptide-based drug leads from natural sources like medicinal plants, marine organisms, and microorganisms, with disease areas covering type 2 diabetes, infectious diseases (antibacterial and antifungal compounds), and cancer. Another line of research includes sustainable drug discovery as well as development of sustainable functional food from sources like food by-products and biosynthetically modified organisms. A central part of his research is development and application of new state-of-the-art bioanalytical techniques for advanced chemical and pharmacological profiling of complex extracts. This includes high-resolution bioactivity profiling and ligand fishing for identification of bioactive constituents in crude extracts - followed by HPLC-PDA-HRMS-SPE-NMR analysis for full structural identification of individual constituents. Similarly, bioactivity-correlated metabolomics and bioaffinity NMR are regularly employed techniques used to study bioactive natural products.
Personal data:
Born 1969. Married and have two children.
Education:
1994: B.Sc. from Odense University (Chemistry and molecular biology/biochemistry). Project: Thermostability of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase from the thermophilic Synechococcus sp.
1997: M.Sc. from Odense University (Chemistry and molecular biology/biochemistry). Project: 1H-NMR studies of bis-intercalation in DNA.
2000: Ph.D. from the Danish University of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Project: Isolation, NMR-spectroscopic studies and pharmacological evaluation of alkaloids from some medicinal plants.
Employments:
2000-2003: Assistant Professor at Department of Medicinal Chemistry at the Danish University of Pharmaceutical Sciences.
2003-2008: Associate Professor at Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Copenhagen.
2008-2012: Professor with special duties at Department of Basic Sciences and Environment, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen.
2011-2016: Titled Taishan Distinguished Experts and Scholars (similar to Adjunct Professor) at Shandong Analysis and Test Center, Shandong Province, China.
2012-2014: Professor with special duties at Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen.
2014-: Full professor at Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen.
Prizes:
Academic achievements:
Since my appointment as professor at the Faculty of Life Sciences in 2008, I have strived to create a strong research group with international partners and state-of-the-art facilities. This has led to establishment of Copenhagen Small Molecule NMR Center - a nationally leading NMR center for studies of low-molecular weight organic molecules (hosting two 600 MHz instruments with cryogenic probe detection, a 400 MHz instruments, two HPLC-SPE interfaces for HPLC-SPE-NMR) and high-resolution mass spectrometry. Likewise, I have established Copenhagen Shandong Metabolomics Infrastructure Center, a research- and instrument collaboration between Shandong Analysis and Test Center and my research group - financially supported by Shandong Province, China, which also awarded me the title Taishan Distinguished Experts and Scholars. Other important achievements include committee- and board memberships. Examples include, but are not limited to:
External funding
Since my appointment to professor MSO on 2008, I have attracted external funding (> 100.000,- DKK) as main or co-applicant for the below projects concerning use and development of advanced NMR methods for investigation of functional food and other complex matrices:
Project- and research management:
Many years' experience with aspects related to managing cross-disciplinary research projects, i.e., administrative tasks, symposia-management, research funding allocation, steering committee work, etc. List of projects given above. Currently managing interdisciplinary project 'Fungal Fight' (funded by the Strategic Research Council) and involved in managing core-facilities for cross-disciplinary research projects:
Supervision and pedagogy:
Formal pedagogical training at the associate professor level and training in supervision of PhD students. Supervision of postdocs (>10), PhD-students (>15), MSc students (>60), and laboratory technicians – in addition to supervision of 'University pedagogy for assistant professors'. Memberships include:
Key research areas:
Main research interests include discovery of small-molecule and peptide-based drug leads from natural sources like medicinal plants, marine organisms, and microorganisms, with disease areas covering type 2 diabetes, infectious diseases (antibacterial and antifungal compounds), and cancer. Another line of research includes sustainable drug discovery as well as development of sustainable functional food from sources like food by-products and biosynthetically modified organisms. A central part of his research is development and application of new state-of-the-art bioanalytical techniques for advanced chemical and pharmacological profiling of complex extracts. This includes high-resolution bioactivity profiling and ligand fishing for identification of bioactive constituents in crude extracts - followed by HPLC-PDA-HRMS-SPE-NMR analysis for full structural identification of individual constituents. Similarly, bioactivity-correlated metabolomics and bioaffinity NMR are regularly employed techniques used to study bioactive natural products.
Bibliometrics (per 2021-10-06):
Published 145+ regular research papers in the highest-ranking international peer-reviewedjournals within my field – including Nat. Commun. (IF = 12.353), Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. (IF = 9.504), and Angew. Chemie Int. Ed. (IF = 12.102) – in addition to 9 popular magazine articles and numerous conference abstracts. Hirsch-index = 39 and sum of citations = 4410 according to Web of Science and Hirsch-index = 448 and sum of citations = 5528 according to Google Scholar. DS's research is highly cited, and according to NIHs iCite database, his 2015-2018 research production equals the top 30% of NIH-funded projects. Two patent applications filed in 2016.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
Dan Stærk (Lecturer)
Activity: Talk or presentation types › Lecture and oral contribution
Dan Stærk (Lecturer)
Activity: Talk or presentation types › Lecture and oral contribution
Dan Stærk (Lecturer)
Activity: Talk or presentation types › Lecture and oral contribution
Dan Stærk (Lecturer)
Activity: Talk or presentation types › Lecture and oral contribution
Dan Stærk (Lecturer)
Activity: Talk or presentation types › Lecture and oral contribution
Dan Stærk (Lecturer)
Activity: Talk or presentation types › Lecture and oral contribution
Dan Stærk (Lecturer)
Activity: Talk or presentation types › Lecture and oral contribution
Dan Stærk (Lecturer)
Activity: Talk or presentation types › Lecture and oral contribution
22/11/2021
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Press / Media