Section for Pathobiological Sciences
The section for Pathobiological Sciences is a part of the Department for Veterinary and Animal Sciences (IVH) at the University of Copenhagen.
PAS is dedicated to;
- Research on a high, international level within embryology and stem cells, animal welfare, disease models, electro physiology, pathogenesis evaluation and veterinary pathological diagnostics, and in this way contribute to diagnostics and treatment of sick humans and animals.
- Teaching. The teaching of the section is vital to the veterinary bachelor and master programme and to the Animal Science programme. We prepare the students for research, diagnostics and clinical work. We educate master students and PhD students on a high, international level within the research areas of the section.
- Veterinary Contingency, partly consulting cases for the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration, partly veterinary Contingency which receives all cadavers and organs for observation of notifiable animal diseases. Furthermore we are responsible for the surveillance of cattle abortion and the surveillance of TSE (BSE and scrapie) in Denmark.
Students are always welcome to contact us for available projects.
The section consists of 5 research groups: Pathology, Pathology of small animals and wild life, Disease Stem Cell Models and Embryology, Brain Development and Disease and Physiology.
Veterinary Pathology - Henrik Elvang Jensen
Research areas: Animal welfare, lesions and inflammation, animal diseases, diagnostic pathology, comparative infection pathology, fungi, virus, parasite and bacteria infections, animal models, implants, biofilm and alternatives for antibiotics.
- Professor Henrik Elvang Jensen,
- Associate professor Páll Leifsson,
- Associate professor Louise Kruse Jensen,
- Associate professor Mette Sif Hansen,
- Assistant professor Kristiane Barington
Small Animal and Wild Life Pathology - Anne Sofie Hammer
Research area: Contingency and notifiable animal diseases, diagnostics of and surveillance of fur animals, wild life pathology and surveillance, gut health and microbiota, wound infections and biofilm in wounds, alternatives to antibiotics (probiotica, wound treatment, selection and immunological toughness).
Disease Stem Cell Models and Embryology - Kristine Freude
Research area: Our group is focused on disease modelling using state of the art stem cell approaches for neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer’s disease, Frontotemporal dementia, Parkinson’s disease), Epilepsy and Glaucoma. These projects work with human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC), CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing neuronal and glial differentiation and downstream analyses in 2D and 3D organoids.
Likewise, we are interested in iPSC models from animals and we are running projects making canine iPSC to understand and make in vitro models of canine cognitive dysfunction as well as making immune-evasive porcine iPSC to improve transplantation studies.
Our research on cerebral vascular (dys-)function in hypertension, aging and obesity/diabetes is focused on their significance as risk factors for several types of dementia, including vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease.
Our focus in embryology is on early events in oocyte and sperm development, reproduction and manipulation of such events to increase life stock sustainability and animal welfare.
- Associate professor Kristine Freude - Stem Cells Models for Studies of Neurodegenerative Diseases
- Associate professor Esben Østrup - Biochemistry
- Associate professor Lars Jørn Jensen - Cerebrovascular Physiology
- Professor Preben Dybdahl Thomsen
Brain Development and Disease - Vanessa Hall
Research area: The group of Brain Development and Disease’s primary vision is to determine novel mechanisms involved in neurodevelopment and neurodegenerative diseases. Our primary research is currently focused on the cellular mapping of the developing entorhinal cortex (the brain’s spatial navigation and processing system). We also use pluripotent and neural stem cells, as well brains from the human and pig to model human brain development and to investigate diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease. The group incorporates cutting edge technologies, including, single cell RNA sequencing and direct programming of stem cells to produce different brain cells in a dish from both healthy and diseased individuals.
Physiology - Dan Klærke
Comparative cardiology, excitable cells, Ion channels, Biomechanics and myofascies, comparative anatomy.
- Professor Dan Klærke,
- Associate professor Kirstine Callø,
- Associate professor Vibeke Sødring Elbrønd,
- Associate professor Adrian Harrison
We have highly specialised Core facilities which perform diagnostic pathology, stem cell technologies.
Pathology CORE
The Histo-Laboratory assists scientists in processing tissue samples for histochemical and molecular based procedures. In the Histo-Laboratory state-of the art histotechnology is offered by a team of specialized technicians.
In research projects, optimal results are obtained when the laboratory is contacted as early as possible in the planning of the in vivo part of the project; allowing the technicians to help determine how histological approach can best support the research aim.
Paraffin embedding, sectioning and staining of tissues. Embedding and sectioning services are based on standard protocols. Tissues are fixed and embedded in paraffin blocks, which are used for a variety of analyses, e.g., histochemical staining (HE, PAS, GMS etc.), immunohistochemistry (IHC), and in-situ hybridization (ISH), PCR, etc. Apart from stained sections, also paraffin blocks and the unstained sections can be provided.
Kontakt: Betina Andersen, bean@sund.ku.dk eller Elisabeth Petersen, ewp@sund.ku.dk. Tlf 35333106.
Veterinary contingency
Contact information:
The veterinary contingency - phone number 9350 9280 - can be contacted 8:00-16:00 on working days.
Non urgent inquiries can be mailed to: kupat@sund.ku.dk
Contact person: Anne- Sofie Hammer, hammer@sund.ku.dk
Stem cell and TEM core
Anubis Core
Employees at Section
Internal researchers