Dr. Ulf Ahlgren

Biography

Ulf Ahlgren obtained a PhD in Medical Molecular Biology from Umeå University in 1999, focusing on transcriptional regulation of endocrine cell differentiation in the pancreas. After graduation, he worked for a shorter period as the head of the Umeå Transgenic Core Facility. He was awarded a post-doctoral fellowship by the Swedish Foundation for Internationalisation of Research and Higher Education (STINT) and obtained post-doctoral training at the Medical Research Council, Human Genetics Unit in Edinburgh, UK. His post-doctoral work focused on tissue interactions in the development of the spleno-pancreatic region and contributed to the development of novel imaging technology, specifically optical projection tomography (OPT), which enables mesoscopic imaging of specimens with high molecular specificity and resolution. In 2002, Ulf was recruited to the Umeå Centre for Molecular Medicine (UCMM) at Umeå University for a tenure track position and later received an Assistant Professorship position from the Swedish Research Council. In 2006, he became an Associate Professor in Medical Developmental Biology. His lab has significantly enhanced the capacity for OPT imaging technology, enabling the imaging of intact organs and rodent disease models. Ulf's research focuses on pancreatic biology and diabetes, utilizing mesoscopic imaging techniques to assess the relationship between development and islet mass in the human pancreas. His group has received funding from various sources, including the Swedish Research Council, the European Union, and the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation.

Research Interests