“My perspective is always to bring the scientific knowledge gained in my research back into decision-making about the optimal treatment and prevention strategies for the patients in the clinic.”
Bridging basic research and clinical practice
How can we gain insight into fundamental biological mechanisms in human immunity against infections and at the same time develop and improve patient care? That is a fundamental question for professor Trine Mogensen, born 1973, who is a researcher in the field of basic and translational immunology and infectious diseases.
“My perspective is always to bring the scientific knowledge gained in my research back into decision-making about the optimal treatment and prevention strategies for the patients in the clinic,” says Trine Mogensen, who belongs to an exclusive group of Danish doctors, who combines basic research, clinical research, and clinical work at the highest possible level.
Trine Mogensen has achieved remarkable results with identification of the genetic and immunological basis of severe viral infections in the brain. These studies have led to e.g. vaccination against varicella zoster virus (chickenpox) in children and adults with a genetic defect otherwise making them highly susceptible to develop brain infections with high mortality and risk of brain damage.
Her research also includes meningitis, fungal infections and influenza, where Trine Mogensen wants to understand why some people end up in the intensive care unit, when they are not predisposed to severe disease because of smoking, obesity or cancer.
“We identified gene defects that cause specific immunodeficencies related to insufficient detection of influenza virus and reduced production of the antiviral immune cytokine interferon. This may allow us in the future to test for genetic variants in the population in order to ensure that genetically susceptible individuals receive influenza vaccination and relevant drugs during epidemics,” Trine Mogensen explains.
The example emphasizes the strength of combining basic research, clinical research and patient care. It also explains why Trine Mogensen is affiliated with both Department of Biomedicine, where she is head of the research group Human Immunology of Infectious Diseases, Department of Clinical Medicine and Department of Infectious Diseases at AUH, where she is leading a translational Crisp/Cas research center PASCAL-MID.
In 2016 Trine Mogensen was the first recipient of the Jens Christian Skou award.
“My perspective is always to bring the scientific knowledge gained in my research back into decision-making about the optimal treatment and prevention strategies for the patients in the clinic.”