Robert Harris Group

We are primarily interested in understanding the pathogenesis of incurable, chronic disease states of the Central Nervous System, including ALS, MS, Alzheimer’s disease and glioma brain tumors.

 

HOW CAN WE TREAT OR CURE THESE DISEASES?

There is currently no cure for the diseases we study, and existing medications are only partly effective.

Our main interest is thus on developing new strategies to reduce or abrogate disease symptoms.

We focus on using the body’s own myeloid cells as a means of treating the same individual through ‘personalised cell therapy’ or by targeting these cells for immunomodulation.

Scientific Hypothesis addressed: Adoptive transfer of pre-activated myeloid cells will be an effective treatment for neurodegenerative disease states. We use both macrophages and microglia-like cells in our studies of microglia replacement therapy.

Scientific Hypothesis addressed: Adoptive transfer of amniotic epithelial cells will be an effective treatment for neurodegenerative disease states. The stem-like immunoregulatory properties of AECs that are usually used to protect unborn infants are now applied to immunomodulate neurodegenerative disease processes, and in particular modulation of microglia function.

Robert Harris, professor, robert.harris@ki.se

Heela Sarlus, senior research specialist, heela.sarlus@ki.se

Keying Zhu, postdoctoral fellow keying-zhu@ki.se

Irene Benito Cuesta, postdoctoral fellow, irene.benito.cuesta@ki.se

Jin Hong Min, PhD student jinhong.min@ki.se

Yuxi Guo, PhD student yuxi.guo@ki.se

Dan Sunnemark, affiliated dan.sunnemark@ki.se

Sebastian Lewandowski, Team leader sebastian.lewandowski@ki.se

Aditya Singh, postdoctoral fellow aditya.singh@ki.se

Yigit Korey Babal, postdoctoral fellow yigit.koray.babal@ki.se

Jacob Arie van Dierman, Research assistant jacob.arie.van.diermen@ki.se

Jiang Lin, PhD student jianing.lin@ki.se

Keying Zhu PhD student

Jinming Han PhD student

Melanie Pieber PhD student

Harald Lund PhD student

Eyglo Gudmundsdottir PhD student

Chao Sun PhD student

Andreas Warnecke PhD student

Roham Parsa PhD student

Sohel Mia PhD student

Åsa Andersson PhD student

Maja Wållberg PhD student

Judit Wefer PhD student

Khairul-Bariah Abdul-Majid PhD student

Roham Parsa postdoctoral fellow

Xing-mei Zhang postdoctoral fellow

Barbro Holm postdoctoral fellow

Sofia Freland postdoctoral fellow

Swedish Medical Research Council

Karolinska Institutet KID funding

NEUROfund

Alltid Litt Sterkere

Swedish Multiple Sclerosis Research Foundation

StratNeuro

Thierry Latran Foundation

Stiftelse Olle Engkvist

Åhlen stiftelse

Ulla Carin Lindquist Foundation

Keying Zhu 2023-05-17
Deciphering and fine-tuning of myeloid cells in CNS demyelinating conditions

Jinming Han 2021-02-19
Repopulation of a microglia-depleted central nervous system : molecular characterization during homeostasis and disease 
After leaving the lab began as a Post-doctoral fellow, Capital Hospital, Bejing, China

Melanie Pieber 2019-04-26
Myeloid cells in experimental neuropathologies
After leaving the lab began as a Post-doctoral fellow at UCB, Vancouver, Canada

Harald Lund 2018-06-01
Regulation of microglia and monocyte function by the cytokine TGF-beta
After leaving the lab began as a Post-doctoral fellow at UCLA, USA

Eyglo Gudmundsdottir 2017-11-30
The effects of parenting a child diagnosed with cancer : distress, resilience and vital exhaustion. Living with death in your face

Chao Sun 2017-04-28
Studies of b-AP15 : a novel inhibitor of proteasome deubiquitinase activity  

Andreas Warnecke 2016-06-14
Post-translational modifications of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein in CNS autoimmunity
After leaving the lab began at a Biotechnology company in Stockholm

Roham Parsa   2015-06-12
Innate regulation of the adaptive immune system during autoimmunity
After leaving the lab began as a Post-doctoral fellow at Rockefeller, USA

Sohel Mia 2014-04-11
Myeloid cells in autoimmune diseases
After leaving the lab began as a Post-doctoral fellow at KI

Åsa Andersson 2006-01-27
Macrophages : As central inflammatory mediators and as targets for therapeutic interventions   
After leaving the lab began as a Post-doctoral fellow at UCLA, USA

Maja Wållberg 2005-05-04
Modulation of immune responses in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis   
After leaving the lab began as a Post-doctoral fellow at Cambridge University, UK

Judit Wefer 2004-09-17
Studies of cellular pathogenesis in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis
After leaving the lab was Employed by Grants Office, KI

Khairul-Bariah Abdul-Majid  2002-01-11
Pathogenesis of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein induced experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in DBA/1 mice 
After leaving the lab began as a Post-doctoral fellow at Johns Hopkins University, USA
PhD students with Bob as co-supervisor

Caroline DeVisscher 2021-06-03
Characterization and long-term follow-up of Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome PANS    
After completion of PhD continued as a practicing clinician
Oscar Diaz Perez 2021-05-28 – Post-doctoral fellow, USA
Impact of genetic and environmental factors in intestinal inflammation
After completion of PhD began as a Post-doctoral fellow USA

Elena Di Martino 2020-10-02
Neonatal hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy : inflammation and therapies    
After completion of PhD began as a Post-doctoral fellow USA
Eliane Piket 2020-06-12
Immunopathogenesis of multiple sclerosis : big roles for small RNAs

After completion of PhD joined ImmunoIVD AB as an application specialist

Natalia Sherina 2019-12-13
On the origin of ACPA : exploring the role of P. gingivalis in the development of rheumatoid arthritis
After completion of PhD began as a Post-doctoral fellow at KI

Marie N’diaye 2018-03-16
Immunological mechanisms regulating neuroinflammation : a role for C-type lectin receptors and vitamin D
After completion of PhD began as a Post-doctoral fellow at KI

Sabrina Ruhrmann 2017-05-19
Involvement of epigenetic mechanisms in disease inheritance and pathogenesis of Multiple Sclerosis MS with a focus on genomic imprinting and DNA methylation in CD4+ T cells
After completion of PhD began as a Post-doctoral fellow at KI

Nataliya Tarasova 2016-06-17
Establishing a proteomics-based monocyte assay to assess differential innate immune responses
After completion of PhD began as a Post-doctoral fellow at KI

Anna Maria Marino 2012-12-07
Experimental combination therapy of brain cancer cell models
After completion of PhD began as a Post-doctoral fellow at KI

Melanie Thessen Hedreul 2012-06-15
Genetic and Immunological Regulation of Neuroinflammation
After completion of PhD continued as a research scientist at Celgene

Elizabeth Jedell 2010-12-17
Polycystic ovary syndrome: Studies of affective symptoms in association with sex steroids and evaluation of electroacupuncture and physical exercise

Alan Gillett 2010-11-19
Genetic and Immunological Mechanisms Regulating Neuroinflammation
After completion of PhD joined Merck Group, Canada

Amennai Beyeen 2010-11-12
Definition of genetic and pathogenic mechanisms regulating neuroinflammation

After completion of PhD joined Novartis, Sweden

Jan Ottervald 2009-11-27
Proteomics in neurological disease
After completion of PhD continued as a research scientist at Astra Zeneca

Anna Ökvist 2009-06-08
Synaptic plasticity in drug abuse disorders : Studies of the human post-mortem brain
After completion of PhD began as a research scientist at KaroBio

Ruxandra Covacu 2008-01-24
Adult neural stem cells in neuroinflammation
After completion of PhD began as a Post-doctoral fellow at KI

Monica Marta 2007-09-25
Gene regulation and immune mechanisms in multiple sclerosis experimental models
After completion of PhD began as a Post-doctoral fellow at Kings College London, UK

Samer Sourial 2005-10-07
Functional studies on the interaction of immunoglobulins with HIV-2 envelope
After completion of PhD began as a Medical student at KI

John Andersson Docent 2003-06-04
Experimental chagas disease
After completion of PhD began as a Post-doctoral fellow at NIH, USA

Maha Hamadien 2002-08-29
Parasite signalling and host responses in experimental and human African trypanosomiasis
After completion of PhD began as a Post-doctoral fellow at UCLA, USA

Saad Muhallab 2002-06-14
T cell production of cytokines, neurotrophins and MHC regulation in autoimmune neuroinflammation
After completion of PhD began as a clinician at Linköping Hospital, Sweden

Ahmed Sharafeldin 2001-12-14
Immunological studies in the brain and signaling pathways in experimental African trypanosomiasis
After completion of PhD began as a Post-doctoral fellow at KI

Dan Sunnemark 1998-05-20
Immunopathogenesis of experimental Chagas’ disease
After completion of PhD began as a research scientist at Astra Zeneca

Azael Saldana Docent 1997-11-19
Immunobiochemical significance of Trypanosoma rangeli in the study of Trypanosoma cruzi
After completion of PhD began as a Post-doctoral fellow at Panama University and later became Professor

I have had good success in securing faculty KID funding for several PhD students, and these positions are advertised at KI Jobb. Social skills, ability to work collaboratively and a genuine interest in our work are all prerequisites for being accepted. A 4-year PhD training should not be something you do because you have nothing better to do – you should have a vocation for science and in particular the science we do. I am happy to receive enquiries from people fulfilling these requirements.

I usually have one Masters project student per term working together with one of my PhD students. You are welcome to contact me and to express an interest in working within one of the projects described in the lab profile. Social skills, ability to work collaboratively and a genuine interest in our work are all prerequisites for being accepted.

Funding for postdocs is often the hardest type of funding to secure. If you are interested in working in my lab you are welcome to contact me and submit a CV and a statement describing your specific research interests. If funding is available in the lab then great. If not you will be expected to provide your own funding or strategy for securing financing.

I do not accept volunteers. If you are making a valuable contribution to my lab you will get paid for your efforts.

Full publication list in Google Scholar link

Myeloid cell-specific topoisomerase 1 inhibition using DNA origami mitigates neuroinflammation. Zhu K; Wang Y; Sarlus H; Geng K; Nutma E; Sun J; Kung S-Y; Bay C; Han J; Min J-H; Benito-Cuesta I; Lund H; Amor S; Wang J; Zhang X-M; Kutter C; Guerreiro-Cacais AO; Högberg B; Harris RA. EMBO REPORTS. 2022;237:e54499

Altered perivascular fibroblast activity precedes ALS disease onset. Månberg A; Skene N; Sanders F; Trusohamn M; Remnestål J; Szczepińska A; Aksoylu IS; Lönnerberg P; Ebarasi L; Wouters S; Lehmann M; Olofsson J; von Gohren Antequera I; Domaniku A; De Schaepdryver M; De Vocht J; Poesen K; Uhlén M; Anink J; Mijnsbergen C; Vergunst-Bosch H; Hübers A; Kläppe U; Rodriguez-Vieitez E; Gilthorpe JD; Hedlund E; Harris RA; Aronica E; Van Damme P; Ludolph A; Veldink J; Ingre C; Nilsson P; Lewandowski SA. NATURE MEDICINE. 2021;274:640-646

Uncovering sex differences of rodent microglia. Han J; Fan Y; Zhou K; Blomgren K; Harris RA. JOURNAL OF NEUROINFLAMMATION. 2021;181:74

Competitive repopulation of an empty microglial niche yields functionally distinct subsets of microglia-like cells. Lund H; Pieber M; Parsa R; Han J; Grommisch D; Ewing E; Kular L; Needhamsen M; Espinosa A; Nilsson E; Överby AK; Butovsky O; Jagodic M; Zhang X-M; Harris RA. NATURE COMMUNICATIONS. 2018;91:4845

Fatal demyelinating disease is induced by monocyte-derived macrophages in the absence of TGF-β signaling. Lund H; Pieber M; Parsa R; Grommisch D; Ewing E; Kular L; Han J; Zhu K; Nijssen J; Hedlund E; Needhamsen M; Ruhrmann S; Guerreiro-Cacais AO; Berglund R; Forteza MJ; Ketelhuth DFJ; Butovsky O; Jagodic M; Zhang X-M; Harris RA. NATURE IMMUNOLOGY. 2018;195:1-7

TGFβ regulates persistent neuroinflammation by controlling Th1 polarization and ROS production via monocyte-derived dendritic cells. Parsa R; Lund H; Tosevski I; Zhang X-M; Malipiero U; Beckervordersandforth J; Merkler D; Prinz M; Gyllenberg A; James T; Warnecke A; Hillert J; Alfredsson L; Kockum I; Olsson T; Fontana A; Suter T; Harris RA. GLIA. 2016;6411:1925-1937

BAFF-secreting neutrophils drive plasma cell responses during emergency granulopoiesis. Parsa R; Lund H; Georgoudaki A-M; Zhang X-M; Ortlieb Guerreiro-Cacais A; Grommisch D; Warnecke A; Croxford AL; Jagodic M; Becher B; Karlsson MCI; Harris RA. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE. 2016;2138:1537-1553

Adoptive transfer of immunomodulatory M2 macrophages prevents type 1 diabetes in NOD mice. Parsa R; Andresen P; Gillett A; Mia S; Zhang X-M; Mayans S; Holmberg D; Harris RA. DIABETES. 2012;6111:2881-2892