What do you work with?

I am a trained biologist and work as a postdoc at the KG Jebsen Centre for autoimmune disorders and in the group Endocrine Medicine. Through the PhD period here at K2 and a three-year postdoctoral period at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, I have developed a fascination for how our immune cells affect our health. I worked on cell signalling in monocytes during the PhD period, and continued to characterise macrophages and their role in adipose tissue at Karolinska. The field of immunology is currently undergoing major advances due to technological advances, such as CyTOF and single-cell sequencing, that allow the study of large amounts of single-cell data. I have been fortunate to build expertise in these techniques, both in the lab and with data analysis, and I look forward to contributing with this at the K.G. Jebsen centre. We are researching disorders where the immune system attacks endocrine organs so that the hormone balance is perturbed. Certain gene variants are associated with the risk of developing such diseases, but just how the complex interaction between the immune system and these organs goes wrong early in the process is unknown. By combining «single-cell» techniques with clinical material and animal models, we aim to shed light on this.

Why do you want to work at K2.

The K.G. Jebsen centre for autoimmune disorders consists of a fine mix of clinicians and researchers who have a solid track record in immunology and endocrinology. The research ranges from GWAS to more functional studies, and it is a plus that there is a focus on «single-cell» at the centre. When I look back on the PhD period at the institute, it is especially the good working environment that I remember. With previous knowledge of this environment at K2, the choice to come back for me was very easy.