As associate professor, I conduct research on genetic diseases affecting nuclear encoded mitochondrial proteins - metabolic enzymes and molecular chaperones. SPecific interest is in molecular disease mechanisms. I have a Master degree in Biology and a PhD in Biochemistry. I have experience in measurements of mitochondrial functions and cellular metabolism.     

What are the molecular mechanisms how single amino acid variations cause disease? How can one distinguish varitions with no or only mild effect from disease-causing variations?  A major mechanism is misfoding of the variant proteins. Molecular chaperones can rescue deficient folding and my studies on deficiency of the mitochondrial HSP60/HSP10 chaperone complex enlightens these mechanisms. 

I am supervising bachelor, master and PhD students, both as main supervisor and as methods-linked supervisor in collaborative projects. I am course leader for the PhD course 'From Gene to Function'. 

In connection with my research, I collaborate with colleagues both nationally and internationally. As head of the Seahorse laboratory, I work closely with researchers from Aarhus University and Aarhus University Hospital, contributing expertise in this technology to collaborative projects.

My primary area of responsibility is research into diseases involving mitochondrial dysfunction. A major focus is protein misfolding caused by chaperone deficiency. I lead the core laboratory facility for Seahorse real-time metabolic analysis.