Danish Cancer Institute

We are proud to share that the Danish Cancer Institute has successfully attracted a Marie Skłodowska-Curie postdoc Fellow 🚀   PhD Sofia Cunha Silva will join the Cell Division and Cytoskeleton Group headed by Dr Marin Barisic, in May. While at the DCI, Sofia’s research will focus on a key feature of most human cancers.   💬 "I will investigate how microtubule-associated motor proteins work together to correct cell division errors and prevent aneuploidy. By advancing our fundamental understanding of these processes, I hope to contribute to a broader understanding of cancer biology."   The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship is one of the most prestigious EU research grants, supporting top-tier international researchers in their mission to advance scientific knowledge. At DCI we have ongoing commitment to fostering an internationally top research environment, and we are striving to offer early career researchers a good place to develop their research career.   💬 "I’m excited to dive into this new project and learn as much as possible over the next two years. Joining Dr Barisic’s group is an incredible opportunity to gain insights from their expertise in cell division and cutting-edge techniques. I’m also looking forward to immersing myself in DCI’s multidisciplinary and collaborative environment, which will bring fresh perspectives and innovative approaches to my research."   We look forward to following Sofia’s work and the impact this fellowship will bring to our research community.   🔬 Welcome to the DCI, Sofia!

🎉 Last week, we had the pleasure of celebrating senior scientist and group leader Anja Olsen’s impressive 25-year anniversary at the Danish Cancer Institute!   Anja’s work has been instrumental in shaping our understanding of diet and health, turning scientific discoveries into practical public health advice. From exploring how phytoestrogens may influence cancer outcomes to highlighting the protective benefits of whole grains and investigating selenium’s role in prostate cancer, her research continues to make a real impact.   Congratulations Anja - and thank you for your contribution til cancer research!  🙏

💜 Happy International Women’s Day! 💜 Today, we're celebrating the incredible women at the DCI, whose unique talents, insights, and dedication make our team stronger every single day. Globally, women represent around 30% of scientists. At the DCI, we're especially proud that women make up more than 60% of our staff! Cheers to the outstanding achievements of all the women in our organisation - thank you! 🩷

🌟 Introducing the Cancer Survivorship Group 🌟 The CSV group is one of the 21 research groups here at DCI. The group focuses on improving life after cancer by addressing care, support, and inequality 💚 Its work bridges research and practice to enhance cancer care, ensures better emotional and psychological support for patients and families, and examines how social inequality affects outcomes and quality of life. Scroll through the slides below to learn more about the CSV group and their research work 👇

Ensuring the highest quality in cancer research requires continuous evaluation and expert guidance. This week, our international scientific advisory board visited the Danish Cancer Institute, providing invaluable insights to support our research strategy and future direction.   Bringing expertise from France, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Sweden, the board provides regular evaluations and strategic advice.    During their visit, the board members were given a tour of our new research facilities by the four new group leaders that recently joined the DCI.    The advisory board visits the DCI approximately every two years, engaging with researchers and leadership to assess progress and identify opportunities for innovation. This helps ensure that our research remains at the forefront of international cancer research.  

NEWS: We are incredibly excited to announce the arrival of four new research groups at the Danish Cancer Institute. The groups will bring expertise in genome organisation, cell signalling, CRISPR technology, and epigenetics. 🚀 💬 “These teams and their group leaders bring world-class expertise in genetics and epi-genetics. They also bring state-of-the-art equipment, which will enable us to strengthen our scientific work and explore new areas of cancer research”, says Research Director Mads Melbye. 🔬 As well as leading the research group Epigenome Replication and Maintenance (ERM), Professor Anja Groth will establish a new Centre of Excellence in Epigenetics, opening in 2025. As a leading international researcher in her field, she has pioneered research into how epigenetic information is copied during cell division—crucial for understanding cancer and ageing. ⚡️ Professor Jakob Nilsson will lead a new Optical Pooled Screening Facility, investigating how protein phosphatases regulate cell growth and how defects in these processes contribute to cancer. His work, using CRISPR gene editing, has significantly advanced cancer research and drug development. 🧬 Professor Niels Mailand, an expert in DNA repair mechanisms, will head the Genome Maintenance and Cancer Vulnerabilities group. His research has led to the discovery of key proteins involved in maintaining genetic stability, which is essential for preventing diseases like cancer. 🔬 Associate Professor Nils Krietenstein will lead the Genome Organisation and Gene Regulation group, studying how the 3D folding of DNA influences gene expression and disease development. His work has introduced cutting-edge methods to the field of 3D genomics. With these additions, DCI continues to grow as a leading international center for innovative cancer research!

🚀 We’re Hiring! The Frankel Group at the Danish Cancer Institute is looking for a computational postdoc to join the team and contribute to their ongoing efforts in subcellular RNA sequencing analysis and its integration with other multi-omics datasets. This role offers an opportunity to develop and refine computational pipelines, optimise data processing workflows, and collaborate with a dynamic team conducting cutting-edge basic cancer research. If you are passionate about computational biology and eager to make a meaningful impact in cancer research, we would love to hear from you! Find out more and apply here: https://rb.gy/doe8au, or contact Group Leader Lisa Frankel at frankel@cancer for further details.

Patients with low tumour mutational burden (low-TMB) currently have very few treatment options, as they typically do not respond well to immune checkpoint inhibitors. Now, thanks to innovative work by scientists at the Danish Cancer Institute, we might be one step closer to a breakthrough that could change this. By using the drug 6-thioguanine (6TG) to increase tumour mutations, researchers found that the immune system could recognise and attack these previously resistant cancers more effectively. When combined with anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD-1 therapies, this approach led to remarkable tumour shrinkage in preclinical models—and even triggered long-term immune memory. In this video head of the melanoma team at the DCI Daniela De Zio explains more about the findings. Link to the article 👉🏼 https://lnkd.in/drUbwJHG

📢 We're hiring! Interested in exploring epigenetic cell memory? Come join us! We have 6 PhD and postdoc positions available in our new Center for Epigenetic Cell Memory (EpiC) at the Danish Cancer Institute, Copenhagen, Denmark. EpiC is a new Center of Excellence based on funding by the Danish National Research Foundation. Together EpiC researchers aim to understand mechanisms that underpin epigenetic cell memory and how cell proliferation drives cell plasticity and cell fate decisions in development, aging and cancer. As part of the launch of EpiC in June 2025, there will be 6 funded postdoctoral (3 years) and PhD (3 years) positions available. The successful applicants will have excellent opportunities to acquire expertise in a broad panel of cutting-edge technologies, including high-resolution and single cell functional genomics, advanced CRISPR screening, and in silico protein modelling. EpiC unites four research groups with leading expertise across epigenetics, 3D genome, genome stability, cell division, and complementary technological strongholds: Anja Groth (Center Director), Niels Mailand, Jakob Nilsson and Nils Kritenstein. The application deadline is April 1st, 2025. Read more via the link below 👇 🔗 https://shorturl.at/TXu0V

📊 Rising life expectancy across the Nordic countries is influencing breast cancer rates, particularly among elderly women. PhD Frederik Palshof from the Danish Cancer Institute explains: 💬 "As life expectancy increases, more elderly individuals are maintaining good health. This means that more people are now fit enough to receive a cancer diagnosis and undergo both surgery and post-treatment care. Twenty years ago, cancer treatment was not as widely offered to older patients, as they were often not physically strong enough to endure it." 📈 Analysing data from 2012 to 2021, Palshof and his colleagues found a significant rise in breast cancer incidence among women aged 80 and above, with the ER+/HER2- subtype driving the increase. The good news is that this subtype has the best prognosis and the gentlest treatment options. The growing number of elderly cancer patients is already shaping healthcare demands, and these findings can help prepare for the future. 💬 "The more we understand about the patients entering the healthcare system, the better we can care for them and allocate resources effectively," says Palshof. The research was published here:  https://lnkd.in/dQyrAiXn