AU – MIND Centre, Department of Biomedicine,

According to the Leiden Ranking 2014, Aarhus University is ranked 40 of the 750 major universities worldwide, renowned for its strong international collaborations and strategic alliances. Translational neuroscience was recently chosen as a focus area. The neuroscience research taps from a unique set of centres of excellence and competence platforms that among other expertise covers structural biology, biochemistry, cell biology, development and phenotyping of transgenic animal models (C.elegans, zebrafish, mice and pigs), neurogenetics and clinical neuroscience. The translational activities are backed by strong collaborations with the pharmaceutical industry. To integrate efforts and further bolster translational neuroscience, the interdisciplinary research cluster NeuroCampus Aarhus (NCA) was established in 2009, which currently incorporates 30 independent research centres and groups, with more than 300 scientists. NCA fosters interdisciplinary collaborations and knowledge exchange, stimulates internationalization, and strengthens the infrastructure and technology platforms. The MIND Centre, in which the PAINCAGE activities by partner 3 will take place, comprises >40 scientists and is a key stakeholder in NCA. Both organizations are headed by Professor Anders Nykjaer.

Recently, the Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience, DANDRITE, Nordic-EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine, was established by the Lundbeck Foundation and Aarhus University. DANDRITE is an interdisciplinary research centre, recruiting group leaders and researchers worldwide, and performing cutting-edge molecular and translational research in brain and the nervous system. Professor Anders Nykjaer is one of three core group leaders.

Anders Nykjaer,

MD, PhD and Professor of Medical Biochemistry
an@biokemi.au.dk

Anders Nykjaer research is directed at understanding the function of the neuronal Vps10p-domain receptor family, the Sortilins, in the nervous system during health and disease. He is director of the MIND Centre, NCA and the facility for production of transgenic animal models DAGMAR (Danish Genetically Modified Animal Resource) at Aarhus University. He is a Professor of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic and Supplemental Consultant, Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida. Anders Nykjaer is inventor on 12 patents and founder of three biotech companies of which one was acquired in 2009 by Lundbeck, a global pharmaceutical company working with brain disorders. Among other journals he has published in Nature, Cell, Neuron, Nature Neuroscience, Cell Metabolism, Cell Reports, Nature Cell Biology, Trends in Neurosciences, J. Neuroscience, and Nature Rev. Neuroscience.

Christian Vaegter,

PhD, Associate Professor and group leader of “Peripheral nerve injury and Regeneration” laboratory.
cv@biokemi.au.dk

Christian Vaegter research activity is focused on understanding the mechanisms in central and peripheral nervous tissue involved in the development and maintenance of neuropathic pain following peripheral nerve injury. The experimental approach is based on behavioral and molecular parameters in spinal cord and peripheral sensory nervous tissue in animal models of sciatic nerve injury. Specifically the involvement of vps10p receptors in the regulation of neurotrophin signaling is explored. ChristainVaegter is inventor of a patent in neuropathic pain and has, among other journals, published in Nature Neuroscience, Neuron, Cell Reports and J. Neuroscience.