Dr. Ulrika Nordström

Biography

Ulrika Nordström works in Professor Peter Andersen's research group focused on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and related motor neuron diseases. She is responsible for the Andersen ALS research laboratory within the Translational Research Center. Her involvement includes supervising students and postdoctoral researchers while advocating for ALS research communication through the 'ALS research Umeå' consortium. Her research efforts involve identifying new mutations in ALS patients and establishing patient-derived cell cultures from skin biopsies to explore cellular mechanisms that modulate ALS development. This work utilizes patient-derived cells, autopsy materials, and samples from a large ALS biobank initiated by Prof. Andersen in 1994. The group is recognized as a world-leading study center for SOD1-mediated ALS, focusing on the implications of mutations in the superoxide dismutase type 1 (SOD1) gene, which is linked to familial forms of the disease. Her ongoing research includes transgenic mouse models to study the role of aggregated SOD1 in the neurodegenerative processes characteristic of ALS and its relation to other conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. The investigations aim to understand the correlation between specific mutations and the rate of disease progression in ALS patients.

Research Interests

Experience