Short presentation

Thomas Mandrup-Poulsen is a physician scientist, specialist in internal medicine and endocrinology. He is a pioneer in the field of immuno-metabolism with the discovery that inflammatory cytokines impair the function and viability of pancreatic islet b-cells [1, 2], for which he was awarded the 1994 Minkowski Prize of the EASD. His research focuses on the mechanisms of action of pro-inflammatory cytokines, metabolites and oxidative stress causing islet cell damage in diabetes and how this can be prevented, employing in silico, in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo studies, animal diabetes models and clinical trials in diabetic patients. He and colleagues conducted the first proof-of-concept clinical trial showing that pro-inflammatory cytokine antagonists improve glycemia and b-cell function in diabetic patients [3, 4]. His expertise covers basic molecular and cellular techniques in b-cell biology, stress signalling, genomics and proteomics, epigenetics, animal models, clinical intervention trials and pharmaco-genomic and biochemical biomarker studies. >370 publications e.g. in Science, Lancet, N Engl J Med, Cell Metabolism, J Clin Invest, Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, J Immunol, J Biol Chem, Diabetes and Diabetologia. Reviews and commentaries in e.g. Nature Immunology, Nature Rev Endocrinol, Nature Clin Pract Endocrinol Metab, Nature Study, British Medical Journal, Diabetes and Diabetologia. H-index 64. Citations >14,500. >70 invited international lectures. Wide collaborative network in Europe, North America and Australia. Leading PI or co-PI of EU and JDRF grants, 3 international multicenter clinical studies, Chair of the TRIGR-trial DSMB, Advisory board member in international multicenter studies.

Primary fields of research

Immuno-endocrinology and immuno-metabolism

CV

Professor Mandrup-Poulsen is a physician scientist, board certified in internal medicine and endocrinology, who serves as Professor of Medical Research Methodology at the University of Copenhagen and adjunct professor in Immuno-diabetology at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. His research focuses on understanding inflammatory and oxidative beta-cell death leading to diabetes, and his discovery that proinflammatory cytokines cause beta-cell functional failure and destruction qualified him for the 1994 Oskar Minkowski prize of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes. He has been leading PI or co-PI of EU and JDRF (USA) grants, three international multicenter clinical studies and had leadership roles in the data safety monitoring board/advisory boards in two international multicenter clinical studies. His group currently consists of 10 academics.

Education

• MD, University of Copenhagen (1980); DMSc, University of Copenhagen (1988)
  
  

Emploment

• 2007 - Professor in Medical Research Methodology, University of Copenhagen
  
  
• 2000 - 2006 and 2009 - Adjunct Professor in Immunodiabetology, Dept. of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
  
  
• 2009 -2011    Research chief physician, Hagedorn Research Institute
  
  
• 1995 -2008    Chief Physician, Steno Diabetes Center
  
  
• 1997-2000     Medical Director, Steno Diabetes Center
  
  

Scientific journals, societies, awards etc.

• Associate Editor and Advisory Board member of Diabetologia (1995-2001)
  
  
• Danish Society for Internal Medicine (Board Member), 1992-1997, President 1995-97
  
  
• Danish Study Group for Diabetes in Childhood, Member of Executive Board (1995-2001)
  
  
• Member of the executive board of the Scandinavian Society for the Study of Diabetes (1994-1998), President 1998
  
  
• Co-founder of the Øresund Diabetes Academy, 2003-2009, President 2007-2009
  
  
• Oskar Minkowski Award of the European Association of Diabetes (1994)
  
  
• Knud Lundbæk Award of the Scandinavian Society for the Study of Diabetes (2001)
  
  
• Member of the Executive Board, the Interleukin Foundation, USA (2010-)
  
  

Membership of major university committees, research councils, etc.

• Danish Diabetes Association, Medical Research Fund Council (1995–2002)
  
  
• JDRF Medical Science Review Board, NY, USA, (2001-2004, 2005-2008 and ad hoc member 2010-), 
  
  
• Mary Jane Kugel Award of the JDRF (2004); EASD Minkowski Prize Committee (2002-2004)
  
  
• Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Member of the Scientific Advisory Board (2004-2009)
  
  
• Programme National de Recherches sur le Diabete  en France (PNRD), grant reviewer (2003-2005)
  
  
• Member of the EASD Standardization Committee, Chairman (2005-2007)
  
  

Current research support

• EU7FP, JDRF USA, Novo Nordisk Foundation, Danish Research Agency.

Current research

Mechanisms of action of pro-inflammatory cytokines, metabolites and oxidative stress causing islet cell damage in diabetes and how this can be prevented.

Fields of interest

Basic molecular and cellular studies in b-cell biology, stress signalling, genomics and proteomics, epigenetics, animal models, clinical intervention trials and pharmaco-genomic and biochemical biomarker studies.

Teaching

Molecular biomedicine, endocrinology