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Nykjær Group

Receptor Neurobiology

Research activities are focused towards the functional characterization of a group of type-1 receptors denoted the Vps10p-domain family, or so-called sortlins, that comprises sortilin, SorLA, and SorCS-1, -2, and -3. The receptors are enriched in neurons where they mediate trafficking and signaling of a vast number of ligands such as neurotrophic factors along with their cognate receptors, neurotransmitter receptors, APP, and progranulin. Among many activities, the receptors regulate neuronal cell fate, differentiation, innervation, synaptic plasticity, and learning and memory. Key goals of the Nykjaer lab is to understand their functions in the heathy brain, dissect out their mode of actions, investigate how genetic variation contributes to disease development - in particular of neuropsychiatric disorders and memory impairment -, and to evaluate their potential as drug targets.

Methodologies include transgenic mice and zebrafish, a broad repertoire of molecular, cellular and genetic and viral tools, transcriptomics and (phospho)proteomics, neuroembryology, mouse behavior, electrophysiology and advanced imaging including high-resolution microscopy. In vivo fiber photometry and mesoscale single unit recordings are currently being implemented.

Available projects 

The Nykjær group currently has projects available for Master students and postdocs within the following research areas. 

Functions of the sortilin receptor family in health and disease:

  • Molecular mechanisms underlying memory and psychiatric disorders

Please contact Group Leader Anders Nykjær directly, if interested.

News

Previous news from the research group

News

Max Gubert is new Research Assistant in Nykjær lab

- AndersNykjær

Max Gubert Olivé is a new research assistant in Anders Nykjær lab and he will be assisting Alena Salasova in her work. He will study developmental…

Linda Rössler is new ERASMUS intern in Nykjær lab

- AndersNykjær

Linda Rössler will be assisting Dr. Dongik Park in his work on the role of the Sortilin receptor in the regulation of emotion and memory using mouse…

Andreas Jespersen is new ERASMUS intern in Nykjær Group

- People

Andreas joins us from Imperial College London as new ERASMUS intern in Anders Nykjær's group per June 18th and for the following 3 months until the…

Majbritt is a new Laboratory Technician in Anders Nykjær’s group per May 16th.

- People

Majbritt will take over many of Anja’s tasks while she is on maternity leave. Also Majbritt will be working together with postdoc Alena Salasova on…

Group Leader Anders Nykjær contributes to new publication

- Research news

Frontotemporal dementia is the second most common subtype of neurodegenerative dementia after Alzheimer's disease, and it is characterised by a…

Marianne Lundsgaard Kristensen is new Research Assistant in Nykjær Group

- People

Marianne is new Research Assistant in Anders Nykjær's group per May 15th.  After finishing her master degree at the Institute of Biomedicine, she now…

We welcome Alena Salasova who started as postdoctoral researcher on May 1

- People

Alena will be working in Anders Nykjær's group where she will investigate the function of SorCS2 during embryogenesis with a particular focus on…

New postdoc in Nykjær Group

Picture of Dongik Park
- AndersNykjær

Dongik Park started as postdoc in Nykjær Group on 1 April. He will be investigating the role of sortilin in emotion and memory using various cellular,…