Dr. Simon Bekker Jensen

Biography

Simon Holst Bekker-Jensen is a Professor at the University of Copenhagen, affiliated with the Damage Repair Center in Healthy Aging. His research focuses on the mechanisms of MAP kinase activation in response to diverse stress stimuli, particularly the molecular mechanisms responsible for the activation of p38 and JNK kinases. He aims to fill the gap in understanding cellular stress responses by identifying poorly studied signaling components that work upstream of MAP kinases. Utilizing siRNA screens and high-content microscopy techniques, combined with a range of biochemical and cell biological methods, he has identified novel pathways in stress signaling. His ongoing projects explore RNA-binding proteins and their role in post-transcriptional gene regulation, which are common denominators in effector pathways of cellular stress and inflammatory responses. Given that cancer cells are more metabolically active than normal cells, they have an increased reliance on functional stress signaling pathways to mitigate the harmful effects of reactive oxygen species and metabolic by-products. Consequently, he hypothesizes that these pathways will represent future targets for therapeutic intervention in cancer therapy. Additionally, he conducts investigations using cell culture and mouse models.

Research Interests