Danish Cancer Institute

International collaboration and networking are crucial for advancing cancer research. Earlier this month, Pernille Bidstrup, head of the Psychological Aspects of Cancer team at the Danish Cancer Institute, had the privilege of presenting at the American Psychosocial Oncology Society’s (APOS) symposium in Pittsburgh, USA. The symposium, titled "𝑮𝒍𝒐𝒃𝒂𝒍 𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒕𝒉 𝑫𝒊𝒔𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑨𝒄𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝑴𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒕𝒉 𝑪𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝑪𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒓," brought together international experts to discuss critical issues affecting patient care worldwide. Pernille was encouraged to share a few highlights from the conference - swipe through the slideshow below to see them 👇

NEWS: HPV vaccine shows promising signs of reducing actinic keratosis, new study finds. The research, conducted by scientists from Danish Research Center For Skin Cancer, Bispebjerg Hospital and Danish Cancer Institute, as part of the VAXAK randomised clinical trial, found that patients who received the 9-valent HPV vaccine experienced a greater reduction in AK lesions compared to those given a placebo. “This is truly great news, as skin cancer is the most common form of cancer – and is continuously on the rise – with thousands of Danes being diagnosed with it every year”, says professor and group leader Susanne Krüger Kjær from the DCI. The findings open up new possibilities for using the HPV vaccine beyond its traditional role in preventing cervical and other HPV-related cancers. However, further studies are needed to confirm its efficacy and understand the biological mechanisms behind its effects on AK.   🔗 https://lnkd.in/gsn2r7Cm

"I hope my research will improve the options for patients who don’t have many options at the moment." Meet Loulieta Nazerai, Postdoc in the Melanoma Research Team led by Daniela De Zio. Loulieta specialises in cancer immunotherapy, and recently her research led to an important discovery that could change the treatment landscape for patients with resistant melanoma. 🔗 👉🏻 https://lnkd.in/drUbwJHG

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.