Areas of interest

I’m interested in how changes in cellular energy metabolism contribute to the development and progression of systemic metabolic diseases such as obesity and diabetes. Therefore, I have worked with brown fat cells and pancreatic beta cells, two cell types which have very characteristic mitochondrial compositions and bioenergetics that allow them to perform their biological functions of heat production and insulin secretion, respectively.

Expertises

Energy metabolism; mitochondrial bioenergetics; Seahorse XF technology; cell culture; molecular biology

Current research

I am investigating the role of beta cell mitochondrial (dys-) function during the development and progression of type- 1 diabetes (T1D). Using beta cell model systems, I want to test whether the modulation of gene expression of T1D-associated genes has a direct effect on mitochondrial function and cytokine - induced mitochondrial dysfunction.

I am also contributing to an intervention study run by the Clinical Epidemiology research group at Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen. I will assess peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) bioenergetics and gene expression of prediabetic subjects before and after a “time-restricted eating” intervention.