Projects

The current research projects at NRU are listed below. Many of the projects are carried out jointly with NRU's collaborators. The projects deal both with clinical and experimental investigation where the clinical projects represent the majority. The projects are performed at Rigshospitalet in the PET, SPECT and experimental laboratories, respectively. Some studies involve MR investigation which are performed at the Danish Research Center for Magnetic Resonance at Hvidovre Hospital, which is also part of Copenhagen University Hospital. For futher information about a specific project, please use the indicated contact.

PET and clinical studies    Data analysis studies    Experimental studies

PET/SPECT and clinical studies

Main responsible: Gitte Moos Knudsen

The serotonergic system in patients with cognitive and emotional disturbances
Responsible: Steen Hasselbalch

[11C]CUMI-101 – a new 5-HT1A agonist radioligand for PET
[11C]flumazenil - a ligand for measuring BZR/GABA receptors with PET
[123I]CLINDE – a new ligand for measuring microglial activation with SPECT
Responsible: Lars H. Pinborg

PET Imaging of the Cerebral 5-HT4 Receptor in Humans in Relation to Sex, Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease
Responsible: Karine Madsen, Steen Hasselbalch

Inherited serotonergic system variation and environmental plasticity of the temperamental trait Sensory Processing Sensitivity
Responsible: Cecilie Löe Licht

Serotonergic neurotransmission, stress response, and emotional processing in relation to down-regulation of sex hormones
Responsible: Vibe Frøkjær

The serotonergic system in early Alzheimer’s disease
Responsible: Lisbeth Marner, Steen Hasselbalch

Evaluation of Single photon emission computer tomography scanning’s of the dopamine transporter and prospective value of SPECT scanning in de novo Parkinson’s disease and related disorders.

Responsible: Morten Ziebell

Changes in brain functions in obese people: A longitudinal study
Responsible: Mette Haahr

Data analysis studies

Main responsible: Claus Svarer

Neuroinformatics
Responsible: Finn Aarup Nielsen

Automatic quantification of clinical [123I]-PE2I SPECT scans
Responsible: Peter Steen Jensen

Optimization of infusion paradigms for fast achievement of steady-state condition
Responsible: Ling Feng

Optimization of PVE correction using data from clinicial and high-resolution PET scanners
Responsible: Claus Svarer

Experimental studies

Main responsible: Susana Aznar, Jens D. Mikkelsen and Gitte Moos Knudsen

BDNF and 5-HT2A receptor interaction: Role in depression and antidepressant treatment
Responsible: Anders Bue Klein

The role of serotonin 2A (5-HT2A) receptors in the prefrontal cortex: Implications in schizophrenia 
Responsible:  Martin Santini

The 5-HT2A receptor role in cognition
Responsible: Susana Aznar

Alpha 7 nicotinic receptors and cognitive function
Responsible: Morten Skøtt Thomsen

The role of Kisspeptin in puberty control
Responsible: Jens D. Mikkelsen

Development and Evaluation of Monoaminergic Agonist PET tracers
Responsible: Mikael Palner

Serotonin receptor studies in the pig brain: pharmacological intervention and positron emission tomography tracer development
Responsible: Anders Ettrup