Thea Vestergaard and Sofie Eg Jørgensen from Aarhus University and Aarhus University Hospital have just received the King Christian IX and Queen Louise Anniversary Scholarship and DKK 50,000 and DKK 75,000 respectively to support their research projects.

2017.11.09 | Sabina Bjerre Hansen

His Royal Highness Prince Joachim presented the scholarships to Thea Vestergaard (right) and Sofie Eg Jørgensen at Sølyst in Klampenborg on 1 November 2017. Also seen in the photo is Professor Kim Fleischer Michaelsen from the University of Copenhagen, who received a prize of honour established under the same scholarship. Photo: Søren Brissing.

Is biological therapy the cause of children with a low birth weight?

Approximately 25,000 Danish women suffer from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The disease most commonly occurs between the ages of 20-30, coinciding with the time when woman most often wish to have children. The disease is often treated with biological therapy and this is also the case during pregnancy.

As pregnant women undergoing biological therapy give birth to children with a lower birth weight than women who do not receive biological therapy, medical doctor and coming PhD student Thea Vestergaard from the Department of Clinical Medicine will examine whether the biological therapy has a negative influence on the functioning of the placental during pregnancy.

Is there any correlation between influenza and mutations in the innate immune system?

On a worldwide scale, influenza has a large scope and each year there is a significant excess mortality in the population in relation to influenza infections. The vast majority of those who have an influenza infection recover relatively quickly without any special treatment. However, for a few people the infection develops into something far more serious.

PhD student and MSc in molecular medicine Sofie Eg Jørgensen from the Department of Biomedicine will use her research project to examine whether genetic changes in the innate immune system are of significance for the course of the influenza infection.  

Contact

MD and coming PhD student Thea Vestergaard
Aarhus University, Department of Clinical Medicine and 
Aarhus University Hospital, Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology.
Email: theavest@rm.dk gaard

PhD student, MSc Sofie Eg Jørgensen
Aarhus University, Department of Biomedicine and Department of Clinical Medicine and
Aarhus University Hospital, Department of Infectious Diseases
Email: segj@biomed.au.dk