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Biomedicine researcher receives fellowship and five million kroner

Associate Professor Rasmus O. Bak from Aarhus University receives a Carlsberg Foundation Young Researcher Fellowship and DKK five million towards his research into blood stem cells. Using CRISPR/Cas technology, he seeks new knowledge about the human genome that can lead to the development of new medicines for patients with serious blood disorders.

2020.12.04 | Sabina Bjerre Hansen

Rasmus O. Bak receives a Carlsberg Foundation Fellowship and DKK five million for his research into blood stem cells. Photo: Lars Kruse, AU Foto.

Blood stem cells constitute a rare cell type in the bone marrow and possess two key functions: the capacity to self-renew and the ability to produce a continuous supply of blood cells and immune cells. The stem cells can be transplanted from one person to another, and stem cell transplantation is an important and recognised treatment of, among other things, cancer and genetic diseases. However, researchers do not yet understand all aspects of the different functions in the blood stem cells – and this is what Rasmus O. Bak wants to change.

Rasmus O. Bak is particularly focused on the genetic mechanisms that control the potential of the stem cells, and in his coming research project, he will investigate how CRISPR/Cas technology in blood stem cells can be expanded. The goal is to discover new genetic stem cell programmes which can lead to better stem cell medicine.

In addition to Rasmus O. Bak’s Young Researcher Fellowship, four other researchers from Health have received grants from the Carlsberg Foundation’s round of infrastructure grants:

  • Associate Professor Karin Lykke-Hartmann, Department of Biomedicine, receives DKK 100,000 for the project ”Stimulating dormant eggs to become activated”.
  • Assistant Professor Joanna Kalucka, Department of Biomedicine, receives DKK 350.000 for the project ”Framework to generate blood vessel organoid: a model system to address human vascular biology".
  • Professor Robert A. Fenton, Department of Biomedicine, receives DKK 750,000 for the project ” High precision laser capture microdissection system for isolation of individual cell types".
  • Professor Andreas Roepstorff, Department of Clinical Medicine and Interacting Minds Centre, receives DKK 230,152 for the project ”Building a Mobile Eye Tracking Infrastructure in Denmark”.

 

Contact

Assistant Professor & PhD Rasmus O. Bak
Aarhus University, Department of Biomedicine and
Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies
Mobile: (+45) 9392 9100
Email: bak@aias.au.dk

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