Søren-Peter Olesen

Short presentation

The research in my laboratory is focused on ion channels and their roles especially in the regulation of the heart beat. I direct the Danish National Research Foundation Centre for Cardiac Arrhythmia encompassing about 70 colleagues at the Department of Biomedical Sciences, KU and at the Heart Centre, RH. This large research group makes it possible to work on a basic understanding of the regulation of the heart rhythm at a  molecular level in the lab as well as with the patients in the clinic.

The challenge is to understand the biological mechanisms stabilizing the heart beat as well as on the changes in the cardiac muscle cells leading to instability and arrhythmia.

In addition to these studies we also work on other research projects aimed at developing new drugs for the treatment of these diseases and on the roles of ion channels in other physiological systems.

Primary fields of research

• Genetic causes of atrial fibrillation
• Pharmacological treatment of atrial fibrillatio
• Role of K channel subtypes in the regulation of the coronary circulation
• The Kv7.1 potassium channel: Role in the insulin response and in diabetes
• Targeting of neuronal ion channels
• Molecular interactions in ion channel complexes

Possible conflicts of interest

Member of the Board of Trustees of the Carlsberg Laboratory
Consultant to Acesion Pharma

Teaching

Currently supervise 5 PhD students; have supervised 30 PhD students that have got their degree.

CV

Education     

• 1979 - MSc (elec.ing.; civilingeniør), Danish Technical University
  
  
• 1982 - MD, University of Copenhagen
  
  
• 1988 - Internship, Rigshospitalet                             
  
  
• 1989 - PhD (dr.med.), University of Copenhagen
  
  

Previous positions                                  

• 1982-1986 Research assistant/PhD student, Department Med Physiol, University of Copenhagen
  
  
• 1986-1987: Visiting scientist, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Med. School, Boston, USA
  
  
• 1987-1989: Internship, Dept. of Medicine, Surgery, Ophthalmology, Copenhagen Hospitals
  
  
• 1989–1998: Head of Department, NeuroSearch A/S
  
  
• 1998-: Professor of Physiology, Department of Biomed Sci, University of Copenhagen
  
  
• 2005-2015: Director of Danish National Research Foundation Centre for Cardiac Arrhythmia
  
  
• 2006-2015: Head of division of cardiovascular research, Dept Biomed Sci, Univ. Copenhagen
  
  
• 2009-2011: Secretary General of the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters
  
  
• 2015-: CEO of the Danish National Research Foundation

Publications

Published more than 180 papers in international peer reviewed journals about ion channels, arrhythmia, cardiovascular- and neuro-physiology. Co-inventor on 22 issued international patents on new chemical compounds, biological principles, and technological inventions.

Scientific conferences

Co-organize several conferences each year.

Boards a.o.  

• Member of the board of the Carlsberg Foundation
  
  
• Member of the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letter
  
  
• Chairman of the Danish National Banks ’Nyhavn 18 committee’
  
  
• Chairman of the Nordea Foundation’s board for Heerings Gaard
  
  
• Honorary faculty at the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Sydney, Australia
  
  

Industry

• Member of the supervisory board of The Carlsberg Group A/S and of the board of trustees of the Carlsberg Laboratory
  
  
• Member of the Board of Directors of Sophion Bioscience A/S, 2001-11
  
  
• Co-founder of Sophion Bioscience and Poseidon Pharma 2001-2, CEO of Poseidon 2002-4
  
  
• Consultant to NeuroSearch A/S, 1998-2012
  
  
• Consultant to Acesion Pharma 2012-
  
  
• Chairman of the committee making the university-industry collaboration strategy at U Cph, 2009-10