Current PhD projects:
Determinants of exceptional health and survival in Danish twins and longevity-enriched families
Matthew Thomas Keys, MSc
How long we live and what proportion of that is spent in good health has profound implications for individuals and societies. Despite the doubling of life expectancy - healthy life expectancy has remained approximately constant. The aim of this thesis is to build on our understanding of the mechanisms underlying exceptional health and survival.
Supervisor: Kaare Christensen (EBB/SDU)
Multi-omics Study of Cardiovascular Diseases in Twins
Asmus Cosmos Skovgaard, MSc
The purpose of the project is to apply the epigenetic, transcriptomic, and proteomic signatures in the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD) with focus on coronary artery diseases (CAD) in twins and to identify molecular markers accounting for a significant fraction of "missing heritability".
Supervisors: Mette Sørensen, Qihua Tan (EBB/SDU), Hans Christian Beck (SDU and OUH).
Cohort studies on the effect of smoking on testicular cancer risk and the possible link between testicular cancer and low fertility
Maja Hermansen, MSc
The project has two overall aims. The first is to shed light on the effects of mother´s smoking on male offspring´s risk of developing testicular cancer. The second is to investigate the link between testicular cancer and fertility.
Supervisors: Rune Lindahl-Jacobsen, Jacob Hjelmborg, Mikael Thinggaard (EBB/SDU), Niels Erik Skakkebæk (University Hospital of Copenhagen) and Ariana Znaor (IARC).
Epigenetic determinants of health in exceptional survivors – a study of Danish centenarians
Teodora Hristozova MSc
This project aims to explore the epigenetic profiles of centenarians to gain a better understanding of the molecular pathways underlying healthy aging. The study population comprises three consecutive birth cohorts, allowing for additional investigation of birth cohort differences and environmental influence on health and survival.
Supervisors: Marianne Nygaard, Kaare Christensen, Qihua Tan, Mette S Thinggaard (EBB/SDU)
Metformin as a possible reproductive toxicant, and the risk of birth defects and other adverse birth outcomes
Maja Tavlo Petersson MPH
The project aims to evaluate the impact of maternal metformin exposure during pregnancy on several adverse pregnancy outcomes including birth defects and thereby give insight into metformin as an underlying factor for decreasing reproductive health.
Supervisors: Rune Lindahl-Jacobsen (EBB, SDU), Niels E Skakkebæk and, Elisabeth Reinhardt Mathiesen (University Hospital of Copenhagen).
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Recent PhD projects (defended after 2001):
Signe Bedsted Clemmensen, MSc; EBB, University of Southern Denmark.
Cross-Cancer Relationships and Risk Factors of Hematological Malignancies - a Twin Study
Supervisors: Jacob v. B. Hjelmborg and Jonas Mengel-From (EBB/SDU); and Henrik Frederiksen, Odense University Hospital.
Defence: August 13th, 2024.
Laura Løkkegaard Johansen, MD; EBB, University of Southern Denmark.
Postmenopausal hormone therapy and dementia, cognition and mortality
Supervisors: Kaare Christensen (EBB/SDU) and Jesper Hallas (CTU/SDU).
Defence: October 24th, 2022.
Afsaneh Mohammadnejad, MSc; EBB, University of Southern Denmark.
Multivariate genome-wide association analysis of complex disease phenotypes
Supervisors: Qihua Tan (EBB/SDU), Jan Baumbach (IMADA/SDU), and Tanja Maria Sheldrick-Michel (Dept. of Psychiatry/SDU)
Defence: July 2, 2021.
Jesper Lund, MSc; EBB, University of Southern Denmark.
Epigenetic biomarkers as predictors of late-life mortality in the elderly
Supervisors: Qihua Tan (EBB/SDU) & Jan Baumbach (IMADA/SDU)
Defence: June 25, 2020.
Weilong Li, MSc; EBB, University of Southern Denmark.
Epigenetic signatures of early-life events
Supervisors: Qihua Tan (EBB/SDU) & Jan Baumbach (IMADA/SDU).
Defence: April 16, 2020.
Anthony Medford, MSc; Max-Planck Odense Center, SDU.
Maximum Life expectancy and lifespans: Insights from Extreme Value Theory
Supervisors: James W Vaupel, CPop/SDU, Kaare Christensen & Axel Skytthe, EBB/SDU.
Defence: November 22, 2019
Kristine Harrsen Bachkati, MSc; DARC, Copenhagen University.
How does education and cognitive function in midlife affect health outcomes later in life?
Supervisors: Kaare Christensen (EBB/SDU); Erik Lykke Mortensen (Copenhagen University)
Defended: June 13, 2019.
Sofie Hindkjaer Lautrup, MSc, DARC, Aarhus University.
Identification and characterization of genetic markers important for cognitive function
Supervisors: Associate professor Tinna Stevnsner, AU and Professor Kaare Christensen, SDU.
Defended: September 18, 2018.
Unni Dokkedal, MPH, DARC, SDU.
Change in cognitive function in late life after exposure to anesthesia and surgery
Supervisors: Professor Kaare Christensen; Assistant Professor Jonas Mengel-From, SDU; Professor Lars Rasmussen, Rigshospitalet; Consultant Tom G Hansen, OUH.
Defended: April 26, 2018.
Silvia Rizzi, MSc; Max-Planck Odense Center, SDU.
Coarse count data in the epidemiological context: Application of the penalized composite link model for estimating detailed age-specific distributions
Supervisors: Associate professor Rune Lindahl-Jacobsen; Professor James W. Vaupel; Postdoc Mikael Thinggaard, Max-Planck Odense Center, SDU.
Defended: March 1st, 2018.
Signe Høi Rasmussen, MD; DARC, SDU.
The 1915 Birth Cohort Study - Health Profiles of 100 Year Old Danes Including Cardiovascular Assessment
Supervisors: Professor Karen Andersen-Ranberg; Professor Kaare Christensen, EBB, SDU; Consultant Sabine Gill, OUH.
Defended: February 23rd, 2018.
Dorthe Almind Pedersen, MSc; Epidemiology, SDU.
Psychosocial characteristics in families with oral cleft
Supervisors: Associate Professor George Wehby; Professor Jeff Murray, The University of Iowa; Professor Kaare Christensen, SDU.
Defended: September 28th, 2017.
Marie-Pier Bergeron Boucher, MSc; Max-Planck Odense Center, SDU.
Mortality forecasts: Exploring new alternatives
Supervisors: Associate professor Vladimir Canudas-Romo; Professor James W Vaupel, Max-Planck Odense Center, SDU.
Defended: February 20th, 2017.
Jakob Krabbe Pedersen, MSc; SDU.
Familial clustering of longevity: Underlying mechanisms
Supervisors: Professor Kaare Christensen; Postdoc Inge Pedersen, SDU.
Defended: December 8th, 2016.
Bjarki Ditlev Djurhuus, MD; SDU/OUH.
Cholesteatoma – Occurrence and risk factors
Supervisors: Professor Christian Emil Faber; Professor Kaare Christensen; Associate Professor Axel Skytthe, SDU.
Defended: May 25, 2016.
Gunhild Tidemann Christensen, MPH; DARC, SDU.
The association between cognitive function early in life and later mortality
Supervisors: Professor Merete Osler, Professor Erik Lykke Mortensen, Professor Kirsten Avlund, University of Copenhagen, and Professor Kaare Christensen University of Southern Denmark.
Defended: March 4, 2016.
Linda Juel Ahrenfeldt, MPH; Epidemiology, SDU.
Opposite-sex twins vs same-sex twins: mortality, cancer and behaviour
Supervisor: Professor Kaare Christensen, SDU.
Defended: February 8, 2016.
Mikael Thinggaard, MSc; DARC, SDU.
Exceptional longevity – Predictors and methods for handling missing data.
Supervisors: Professor Merete Osler, Copenhagen University, Professor Kaare Christensen SDU.
Defended: October 29, 2015.
Andreas Kryger Jensen, MSc; EBB, SDU.
Development of statistical methods for analyzing serum proteome data with applications in early detection of breast and ovarian cancer and as prognostic tools.
Supervisors: Jacob Hjelmborg, Torben Martinussen, Jonna Skov Madsen, Anne Kjærgaard Øgendahl og Ole Mogensen.
Defended: February 27, 2015.
Marianne Nygaard, MSc; EBB, SDU.
Genetic determinants of healthy ageing
Supervisor: Professor Lene Christiansen, Professor Qihua Tan, and Professor Kaare Christensen SDU.
Defended: July 8, 2014.
Grete Skøtt Pedersen, MScPH; Epidemiology, SDU.
Reproductive- and child health among immigrants in Denmark
Supervisor: Professor Kaare Christensen SDU and Anne-Marie Nybo Andersen KU.
Defended: December 19, 2013.
Christian H. Garm, MSc; DARC, Aarhus University.
Investigating the correlation between DNA repair efficiency and healthy human aging and characterizing the regulation of the DNA repair activities of RecQ helicases
Advisors: Associate Professor Tinna Stevnsner, Aarhus University and Professor Kaare Christensen, SDU.
Defended: December 9, 2013.
Mette Sørensen, MSc; DARC, SDU.
Genetic and molecular determinants of human ageing and longevity.
Advisors: Associate Professor Lene Christiansen & Professor Kaare Christensen SDU, and Associate Professor Tinna Stevnsner & Professor Vilhelm A Bohr, AU.
Defended: March 29, 2012.
Mia Madsen, MPH; DARC, SDU.
Causation and selection in the association between adult socioeconomic position and health and survival. A twin approach.
Advisors: Professor Kaare Christensen SDU, professor Merete Osler KU, and professor Anne-Marie Nybo Andersen KU.
Defended: November 24, 2011.
Inge Petersen, MSc; Epidemiology, SDU.
Twins and singletons in Denmark in the 20th century: Fertility and morbidity.
Advisors: Professor Paul Bingley SFI and professor Kaare Christensen SDU.
Defended: May 24, 2011.
Dorthe Grosen, MD; Epidemiology, SDU.
Oral Cleft Occurence and Familial Aggregation among Danish Twins and Singletons. 70 Years of Follow-up.
Advisor: Professor Kaare Christensen.
Defended: November 29, 2010.
Anna Oksuzyan, MD MPH; Epidemiology, SDU & Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany.
Sex differences in health and mortality - a multiwave survey and register study.
Advisor: Professor Kaare Christensen.
Defended: June 11, 2010.
Henriette Engberg, MPH; Epidemiology, SDU.
Determinants of extreme survival and changes over time in function and health among centenarians.
Advisor: Professor Kaare Christensen.
Defended: November 24, 2009.
Jan Nielsen, MSc.
Composite likelihood methods in analysis of twin data.
Supervisors: Jacob v. B. Hjelmborg, Kirsten Ohm Kyvik, Jan Hartvigsen.
Defended: October 23, 2009.
Marianne Vámosi, MSc; Epidemiology, SDU.
Psychological Determinants of Obesity.
Principal supervisor: Professor Kirsten Ohm Kyvik.
Defended: September 15, 2008.
Sonja Wehberg, MSc.
Numbers on Words. Analysis of Danish Longitudinal CDI study.
Supervisors: Dorthe Bleses and Werner Vach.
Defended: March 17, 2008.
Helle Rexbye, MA; Epidemiology, SDU.
Visual signs of aging - between genetics and culture.
Principal supervisor: Professor Kaare Christensen.
Defended December 7, 2007.
Maria Iachina, MS; Epidemiology, SDU.
The influence of death of spouse on depression symptomatology, a longitudinal study of elderly Danish twins.
Principal supervisor: Professor Kaare Christensen.
Defended February 8, 2007.
René Fejer, chiropractor; Epidemiology, SDU.
Neck pain: prevalence, genetic and environmental factors.
Principal supervisor: Professor Kirsten Ohm Kyvik.
Defended September 21, 2006.
Camilla Bille, MD; Epidemiology, SDU.
Oral clefts - occurrence and risk factors.
Principal supervisor: Professor Kaare Christensen.
Defended November 23, 2005.
Annette Erlangsen, MD; DPH, SDU/Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research.
Disparities in Suicide among the old and oldest old in Denmark.
Principal supervisor: Associate professor Bernard Jeune.
Defended March 8, 2004.
Marianne Juel Kjeldsen, MD; Epidemiology, SDU.
Epilepsy and Febrile Seizures in Twins: Genetic and Environmental Etiocogical Factors.
Principal supervisor: Professor Kaare Christensen.
Defended November 17, 2003.
Karoline Schousboe, MD; Epidemiology, SDU.
Body Composition and Glucose Homeostasis: Genes and environment.
Principal supervisor: Professor Kirsten Ohm Kyvik.
Defended April, 2003.
Henrik Frederiksen, MD; Epidemiology, SDU.
Physical activity and health in elderly twins: an intervention study and 33-year historic follow-up study.
Principal supervisor: Professor Kaare Christensen.
Defended March 12, 2003.
Søren Bak, MD; Epidemiology, SDU.
Environmental exposures and genetic factors in stroke.
Principal supervisor: Professor Kaare Christensen.
Defended February 28, 2003.
Qihua Tan, MD; Epidemiology, SDU/Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany.
Biodemographic methods for analyzing genetic factors that influence longevity.
Principal supervisor: Professor Kaare Christensen.
Defended November 23, 2001.
Axel Skytthe, MSc; Epidemiology, SDU.
Establishment of a twin cohort with a view to study the genetic determination of early death.
Principal supervisor: Professor Kaare Christensen.
Defended June 13, 2001.
Zhenglian Wang, engineer; Epidemiology, SDU.
Age validation, demographic characteristics and functional status among Chinese Centenarians.
Principal supervisor: Associate professor Bernard Jeune.
Defended May 7, 2001.