Migraine; migraine aura; structural and functional brain imaging, human provocation models of migraine and cluster headache; drug identification and novel signaling pathways in primary headaches

At the Human Migraine Research Unit (HMRU), we seek to understand molecular mechanisms of migraine and to identify disease specific biomarkers (the molecular footprint of migraine).

The core expertise of our members is human provocation models of migraine and ultrasound-based diagnostic imaging techniques used for visualizing vascular responses during experimentally induced migraine attacks. Over recent years, we have added additional expertise in functional and structural magnetic resonance imaging (incl. MR-angiography & functional MRI). These advanced imaging techniques constitute an important supplement to our provocation models and provide new and exciting insights into migraine pathophysiology.

Furthermore, the HMRU has extended its field of interest by utilizing migraine genetic discoveries in human models of migraine to investigate functional consequences of genetic mutations.

These achievements would not have been possible without strong collaborative work between the HMRU, the Functional Imaging Unit, Rigshospitalet Glostrup and International Headache Genetics Consortium.

In the current projects we intend to broaden our research program with novel human models of

migraine and cluster headache, and new imaging techniques (including investigation of brain metabolism and imaging macrophages with nanoparticles) with the ultimate goal of defining predictive animal models of migraine, and discovery of targets for more specific and more effective mechanism-based anti-migraine drugs.

Co-Editor of Journal of Headache and Pain

Associate Editor of Cephalalgia

Personal fees from Alder BioPharmaceuticals, Allergan, Amgen, Autonomic Technologies Inc. (ATI), Eli Lilly and Novartis

Principal investigator for Amgen trials 20120178, 20120295, 20130255, and 20120297, and GM-11 gammaCore®-R trial