1. Museum multi-omics

Whole-genome short linear DNA sequencing alone is limited since it cannot provide information about tissue identity, chromatin structures or gene regulatory mechanisms – all of which of critical importance for building a comprehensive understanding of the biology and evolution of extinct and extant species. While tools to capture tissue-specific information in modern specimens do exist, i.e. 3D genome structure modelling, methylation profiling, and RNA sequencing, these have been barely explored in ancient or historical remains.

Using museum-preserved tissues from wet and dry collections, I am developing and refining laboratory and computational methods for the analysis of genomics, structural genomics, epigenetics and transcriptomics data preserved through time. This will enable a multi-layered approach to the biology not only from extinct species, but also from extant organisms representative of past populations, when obtaining contemporary fresh specimens is not feasible due to practical and legal limitations.

2. The Danish Brain Collection

Psychiatric and neurological disorders, including schizophrenia and epilepsy, are characterized by widespread disruptions in brain biology. However, a comprehensive understanding of the complex interactions between genetics, epigenetics and gene regulatory pathways remains one of the central challenges in neuroscience. This project builds upon the exceptional resources of the Danish Brain Collection, which houses one of the world’s most extensive archives of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) human brain tissues, spanning half a century of neuropathological history.

Using a comprehensive multi-omics approach, I am integrating data on chromatin structure, epigenetic marks, gene expression, and genetic variation to elucidate how these biological layers interact to shape and define the molecular landscape of psychiatric and neurological diseases. In parallel, I am investigating the presence and potential impact of DNA and RNA viral infections within central nervous system tissues, as such infections may alter chromatin structure and gene regulation, thereby influencing disease onset, progression, and prognosis.

Through this work, the Danish Brain Collection becomes not only a powerful biological resource but also a historical window into the evolution of brain diseases across the twentieth century in Denmark, thus offering a rare opportunity to bridge molecular neuroscience, pathology, and history in the study of human brain disorders.