Morten Scheibye-Knudsen
Associate Professor, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Copenhagen
Leader, Scheibye-Knudsen Group, Center for Healthy Aging, UCPH
Prof. Morten Scheibye-Knudsen is an Associate Professor in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine at the University of Copenhagen, where he leads the Scheibye-Knudsen Group within the Center for Healthy Aging. His research focuses on understanding the cellular and organismal consequences of DNA damage with the aim of developing interventions.
The growing proportion of the elderly population represents an increasing socioeconomic burden, particularly due to age-associated diseases. It is therefore increasingly important to develop interventions for age-associated diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and cardiovascular diseases. Although the cause of ageing remains unknown, the accumulation of DNA damage may be a contributing factor.
His lab has discovered that DNA damage leads to changes in certain metabolites, and that replenishing these molecules may alter the rate of ageing in model organisms. These findings suggest that normal ageing and age-associated diseases may be malleable through similar interventions. The ultimate goal is to develop interventions that enable people to live healthier, happier, and more productive lives. The lab pursues this goal through in silico analyses, in vitro biochemistry, molecular biology, and in vivo work on mouse models.