No photo of Lea Klingenberg Barfod
  • Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 København N, 07 Bygning 7, 07-11-TR4

  • Blegdamsvej 3B

    2200 København N

  • Source: Scopus
20022024

Research activity per year

Personal profile

Short presentation

Since receiving my PhD degree, I have worked towards establishing a strong group in malaria immunology with focus on protective antibodies. Some years ago, I decided to move my research to University of Oxford to gain further technical and academic expertise and to get the chance to work closer together with some of the World’s leading scientists at this top rated University. In 2018 I returned to Denmark to combine experiences, skills and knowledge, gained from Oxford, La Trobe University (Australia) as well as Denmark. My vision is a group with high international standard with strong biotechnical expertise in; 1) antibody production and characterisation; 2) antibody systems serology; 3) functional pathogen inhibition assays; 4) VLP production and immunisations; 5) B cell bioinformatics and 6) testing of clinical samples. The research has originated from my enduring passion for understanding complex host pathogen interactions, immune evasion and not least; protective antibodies.

CV

Name: Lea Klingenberg Barfod

Birthday and Place: Marts 2nd, 1975, Denmark

Private address: Australiensvej 24, 3 th, 2100 København Ø

 

Employments after graduation

June 2023-present: Deputy Head of Centre for Medical Parasitology (CMP), University of Copenhagen (UoC)

Jan. 2018-present: Associate professor and team leader for the EPITOPE-team, at CMP UoC.

Aug. 2015-Dec 2017: Senior Research Scientist, The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford.

Marts 2012-Aug. 2015: Associate professor and team leader for the SURFACE-team, CMP, UoC.

Sep. 2011-Marts 2012: Honorary Invited Post-Doc at La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.

Feb. 2009-Nov. 2009: Maternity leave

Jan. 2007-Sep. 2011: Post-Doc and team leader for the SURFACE-team at CMP, Copenhagen University Hospital.

May 2006-Dec. 2006: Maternity leave

Feb. 2006-Jan. 2007: Post-Doc at CMP, UoC.

Feb. 2003-Feb. 2006: Ph.D. student at CMP, Copenhagen University Hospital.

July 2002-Feb. 2003: Head of Laboratory in Department of Microbiology, LICA Pharmaceuticals A/S.

Jan. 2002-July 2002: Molecular Biologist at LICA Pharmaceuticals A/S.

May 2001-Jan 2002: Scientific research assistant at CMP, Copenhagen University Hospital.

 

Education:

October 2022: Positive evaluation as Professor in molecular parasitology, UoC.

April 2011: Positive evaluation as Associate professor in malaria adhesion biology, UoC.

May 5th 2006: Ph.D. degree in Health Sciences, UoC.

Thesis title: Production of antibodies with specificity for variant surface antigens expressed by P. falciparum involved in the pathogenesis of pregnancy-associated malaria.

May 22nd 2001: M.Sc. in Biology, UoC. GPA: 10.3

Aug. 1999-May 2001: Master thesis project in immunology made at Department of Clinical Microbiology 7806, Copenhagen University hospital. Grade: 11

Marts 1998-June 1998: Biology project in Northern Ghana.

July 1997: B.Sc. in Biology, UoC.

1990-1993: Østre Borgerdyd Gymnasium. GPA: 9.7

1981-1990: Ingrid Jespersens Gymnasieskole.

 

Grants:

Danida: Co-applicant on a North driven project (17-02-KU), DKK 10,000,000 [2018-22]

Danida: Co-applicant on a large strategic project (12-081RH), DKK 9,943,881 [2013-2017]

Novo Nordisk Foundation: 460,000 DKr. [2013]

Augustinus Foundation: 100,000 DKr. [2012-13]

The Danish research council: Postdoc Grant, (11-115707) 3,221,019 DKr. [2012-14]

Lundbeck Foundation: Co-applicant on project grant (R83-A7627), 2,000,000 DKr. [2012-14]

EU grant: Co-applicant HumMalMab [2008-09]

PhD scholarship, Rigshospitalet [2003-2006]

 

Awards:

Novo Nordisk Foundation: NFF Young investigator Award (NNF170C0026778) 20.000.000 DKr. [2018-2024]

The Danish research council: Sapere Aude DFF-ung Eliteforsker (11-120879) 1,008,000 DKr. [2012-14]

Evimalar/OzmalNet Travel award 2011, 140,000 DKr. [2011]

Talk prize, 7th BioMalPar annual meeting, EMBL, Heidelberg, Germany

 

Stays at laboratories abroad:

2015-17: University of Oxford, United Kingdom.

2014 and 2015: Hohoe Municipal hospital, Hohoe, Ghana

2011-12: Department of Biochemistry, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia

2011: Science Department, University of Cape Coast, Ghana

2005: Antonio Lanzavecchias research group, Institute for research in biomedicine, Bellinzona, Switzerland

2005: Mats Wahlgrens research group, MTC, Karolinska institutet, Stockholm, Sweden

2003: Immunology Department, Noguchi Memorial Inst. for Medical research, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana

1998: The Soil Laboratory, Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (SARI), Tamale, Ghana

 

Teaching experiences:

Instructor at the course “Category 3 laboratory training”, The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford.

Tutor at the pre-graduate course: “Human physiology and disease”, at the Study abroad program, University of Oxford.

Teacher at the following pre-graduate courses: "Human parasitology", "Immunology and Microbiology", and “Immunology”, UoC.

Course coordinator and lecturer at the PhD course: "Prevention, elimination and control of malaria", in 2012 and 2014, UoC.

 

Individual supervision of project students and postdocs:

Postdocs: (6)

2021: Anne Schlitterlau Knudsen

2018-: Melanie Walker

2018-21: Maria Bassi

2018-: Frederica Dedo Partey

2013-14: Ramesh Subramani

2009-13: Michael B. Dalgaard

PhD students: (10)

2021-: Anja Bennett (industrial PhD) UoC and Novo Nordisk

2021-: Andreas Holst Holmegaard Sørensen, UoC

2021-: Kasper Björnsson, UoC

2019-22: Bogdan Cristinoi, UoC

2018-: Nanna Daalsgaard, UoC

2018-21: Anne Schlitterlau Knudsen

2014-18: Frederica Dedo Partey, Ph.D. student, University of Ghana.

2013-15: Anine Engholm Jeppesen, Ph.D. student, UoC.

2010-15: Liz Stevenson, Ph.D. student, UoC.

2010-14: Paulina Amphoma, Ph.D. student, UoC.

2007-10: Jorid B. Sørli, Ph.D. student, Technical University of Denmark.

Undergraduate students: (23)

2022-23: Elia Morella Roig, speciale-studerende, M.Sc. (Pharmaceutical Design and Engineering), DTU.

2022-: Mark Bergholt Cuadrado, speciale-studerende (Biochemestry)

2022: Line Christine Guldager Pedersen, Bachelor student (Biology), UoC.

2022: Selma Blom Belfakir

2021-22: Judit Pina Agulette, speciale-studerende, M.Sc. (Pharmaceutical Design and Engineering), DTU.

2021-: Frank Buitenwerf, M.Sc. Internship (Biomedical Sciences), University of Amsterdam.                

2020: Andreas Kok, Bachelor student (Molecular Biomedicine), UoC.

2019-21: Kasper Björnsson, speciale-studerende, M.Sc. (Molecular Biomedicine), UoC.

2018-20: Asger M. Frank, speciale-studerende, M.Sc. (Molecular Biomedicine), UoC.

2018-19: Lena Höbel, speciale-studerende, M.Sc. (Human biology), UoC.

2018: Asger M. Frank, Bachelor student (Molecular Biomedicine), UoC.

2016-17: Helen Bartlett, Part II Biochemistry Student, University of Oxford.

2016: Valentina Ndolo, Master of Tropical health student, University of Oxford.

2015-16: Alissa Bray, Part II Biochemistry student, University of Oxford.

2012-14: Randi Bonke Mikkelsen, speciale-studerende, M.Sc. (Molecular Biomedicine), UoC.

2012-14: Berit Sneftrup Knudsen, speciale-studerende, M.Sc. (Molecular Biomedicine), UoC.

2011-12: Katharina Quadt, speciale-studerende, M.Sc. (Molecular Biomedicine), UoC.

2010-11: Suzan Pleman, speciale-studerende, M.Sc. (Biotechnology), DTU.

2010-11: Anine Engholm Jeppesen, speciale-studerende, M.Sc. (Biology and biotechnology), UoC.

2009-10: Jonas Bruun, speciale-studerende, M.Sc.  (Nano science), UoC.

2009-10: Irene Sidsel Hansen, speciale-studerende, M.Sc. (Biology), UoC.

2008: Britt G. Jensen, speciale-studerende, M.Sc. (Biotechnology), Technical University of Denmark (DTU).

2006: Jorid B. Sørli, speciale-studerende, M.Sc. (Biology), UoC.

 

Post graduate courses:

  • Course on Laboratory Animal Management and Welfare, PIL FELASA category B, University of Oxford, United Kingdom (2015).
  • FACSJazz operator training course, BD Biosciences, Belgium (2014).
  • Project management for researchers, University of Copenhagen (2013).
  • E-moderating at Life, IT Learning Center, Life, University of Copenhagen (2011).
  • Teaching course: ISIM course for teachers and course coordinators, by Torben Jensen, Center for Uddannelse og Læring, SAM, University of Århus (2010).
  • Management course for research group leaders, UoC (2010)
  • Course in Laboratory Animal Sciences, FELASA category C, UoC (2005)
  • Genes and Genomes in the Tropics, Karolinska Instituttet, Sweeden and Makerere University, Uganda (2005).
  • Primary culture technology, UoC (2005).
  • AAI Advanced Course in Immunology, American association of immunologists, Stanford University, USA (2004).
  • Gene targeting, D. School of Genetic Medicine, UoC (2004).
  • Ethics and Health Research in Low-Income Societies, ENRICA, UoC (2003).

 

Oral presentation at international conferences:

Annual conference Microbiology Society, Belfast, United Kingdom, Invited speaker, (2022)

13th BioMalPar, EMBL, Heidelberg, Germany, flash talk (2022)

Keystone Symposium, New Orleans, USA (2013).

6th MIM Pan-African Malaria Conference, Durban South Africa (2013).

EviMalaR cluster meeting, Crete, Greece (2013).

7th BioMalPar annual meeting, EMBL, Heidelberg, Germany (winner of Talk prize) (2011)

Malaria in Melbourne 2011, Melbourne Australia (2011)

1st Nordic Malaria Conference, Lund, Sweden (2010)

3rd BioMalPar annual meeting, EMBL, Heidelberg, Germany (2007)

Keystone symposium, Taos, New Mexico, USA (2006)

 

Miscellaneous:

  • Laboratory manager at Centre for medical parasitology (2021-)
  • Laboratory supervisor for the Category 3 laboratories, The Jenner Institute, Oxford University
  • Peer reviewer for Nature Microbiology, PLoS Pathogen, Infection and Immunity, Journal of Infectious Diseases, PLoS ONE, Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene and Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology.
  • Experience with fieldwork in Africa and international collaborations.
  • Experience in management and coordination of research projects as team leader at Centre for Medical Parasitology and as Head of Laboratory in Department of Microbiology at LICA Pharmaceuticals A/S.
  • Chair of the organizing committee at the "2nd Nordic Malaria Conference" 2012, Copenhagen.
  • Session Chair at several sessions at international conferences and Poster Chair at several PhD days at Faculty of Health sciences.

 

Publications:

Orcid: 0000-0001-6510-495X

External positions

Senior Researcher, The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford

24 Aug 201516 Nov 2017

Keywords

  • Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
  • Immunology
  • Vaccine development
  • Monoclonal antibodies
  • Malaria Immunology

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