As a student in our laboratory, you have several choices. Some participate primarily in smaller projects, which can be done in your spare time. Others take part in larger projects, such as thesis projects financed according to agreement or by a scholarship of 6 to 12 months. All scientific work should result in a scientific article. Continued research may later lead to a Ph.D.
In the laboratory, you will be trained in the basic skills required to do our research including stereology, histological laboratory work, data collection, writing articles, etc.
Additionally, you get the opportunity to participate in conferences and scientific meetings both domestic and abroad.
Our students are primarily medical or biology students, but other specialists, such as engineers, veterinarians, medical staff etc., are of course also welcome.
Please
contact us for more information or if you have a good idea for a research project.
Available student projects at the Research Laboratory:
Master thesis project within skizophrenia research - start spring 2018:
The project is centred on the study of endophenotypic biomarkers, such us structural alterations, dendritic density and dopamine receptor binding levels in a congenital rodent model for schizophrenia-like behaviour (click here for more information).
Comparative study of the mammalian brain:
As part of our comparative studies, we want to know the number of the neo cortical neurons in higher primates. The material consists of two chimpanzee brains and one orangutang brain. The results will be included in a comparison with several other mammalian brains.
Estimation of the total neocortical cell numbers in Parkinson´s disease
We are looking for a highly motivated Bachelor or Master's project student, with a special interest in neuroscience and neurostereology.
Location: The project will be carried out at Research Laboratory for Stereology and Neuroscience at Copenhagen University Hospital Bispebjerg, a research center with a strong background in neurostereology and neurology.
Aim: The goal of this project is to use stereology to estimate the total number of brain cells in the neocortex of patients with Parkinson´s disease compared to a control group. The project will be supervised by Senior Scientist Mikkel Vestergaard Olesen and professor Bente Pakkenberg. The starting date will be after agreement. Please send your application to Bente Pakkenberg (bente.pakkenberg@regionh.dk). The application should include a small section about yourself and your motivation and a CV. For further information regarding the project, please contact Bente Pakkenberg: bente.pakkenberg@regioh.dk or Mikkel Vestergaard Olesen: mikkel.vestergaard.olesen@regionh.dk. You can also call Bente Pakkenberg on phone: 3863 5939.
Publications by previous and current students
Wiese AS, Needham EK, Noer CL, Balsby TJS, Dabelsteen T, Pakkenberg B. The number of neurons in specific amygdala regions is associated with boldness in mink: a study in animal personality. Brain Struct Funct. 2018 pp1-10.
Rydbirk R, Elfving B, Andersen MD, Langbøl MA, Folke J, Winge K, Pakkenberg B,
Brudek T, Aznar S. Cytokine profiling in the prefrontal cortex of Parkinson'sDisease and Multiple System Atrophy patients. Neurobiol Dis. 2017 Oct;106:269-278.
Nykjaer CH, Brudek T, Salvesen L, Pakkenberg B. Changes in the cell populationin brain white matter in multiple system atrophy. Mov Disord. 2017 Apr 10.
Fomsgaard L, Moreno JL, de la Fuente Revenga M, Brudek T, Adamsen D,
Rio-Alamos C, Saunders J, Klein AB, Oliveras I, Cañete T, Blazquez G, Tobeña A,
Fernandez-Teruel A, Gonzalez-Maeso J, Aznar S. Differences in 5-HT2A and mGlu2Receptor Expression Levels and Repressive Epigenetic Modifications at the 5-HT2A Promoter Region in the Roman Low- (RLA-I) and High- (RHA-I) Avoidance RatStrains. Mol Neurobiol. 2017 Mar 6.
Kjær, M., Fabricius, K., Sigaard, R. K. & Pakkenberg, B. Neocortical Development in Brain of Young Children-A Stereological Study. 2016 Cerebral Cortex.
Rasmussen, N. B., Olesen, M. V., Brudek, T., Plenge, P., Klein, A. B., Westin, J. E., Fog, K., Wörtwein, G. & Aznar, S. 5-HT2A Receptor Binding in the Frontal Cortex of Parkinson's Disease Patients and Alpha-Synuclein Overexpressing Mice: A Postmortem Study. 2016 Parkinson's Disease Update. s. 3682936.
Riise J, Plath N, Pakkenberg B, Parachikova A. Aberrant Wnt signaling pathway in medial temporal lobe structures of Alzheimer's Disease. 14 feb. 2015 J Neural Trans (Vienna, Austria : 1996).
Brudek, T., Winge, K., Bredo Rasmussen, N., Bahl Czarna, J. M., Tanassi, J., Klitmøller Agander, T., Hyde, T. M. & Pakkenberg, B. Altered Alpha-Synuclein, Parkin, and Synphilin Isoform Levels in Multiple System Atrophy Brains. 14 okt. 2015 I : Journal of Neurochemistry.
Chakraborty, M., Hansen, S. W., Nedergaard, S., Fridel, E. E., Dabelsteen, T., Pakkenberg, B., Bertelsen, M. F., Dorrestein, G. M., Brauth, S. E., Durand, S. E. & Jarvis, E. D. Core and Shell Song Systems Unique to the Parrot Brain. 2015 I : P L o S One. 10, 6, e0118496.
Sigaard RK, Kjær M, Pakkenberg B. Development of the Cell Population in the Brain White Matter of Young Children. Cereb Cortex. Aug. 2014.
Salvesen L, Ullerup BH, Sunay FB, Brudek T, Løkkegaard A, Agander TK, Winge K, Pakkenberg B. Changes in total cell numbers of the basal ganglia in patients with multiple system atrophy - A stereological study. Neurobiol Dis. 2014 Nov 21;74C:104-113. doi: 10.1016/j.nbd.2014.11.008.
Karlsen AS, Korbo S, Uylings HB, Pakkenberg B. A stereological study of the mediodorsal thalamic nucleus in Down syndrome. Neuroscience. 2014 Oct 24;279:253-9. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2014.08.046. Epub 2014 Sep 8.