Lene Niemann Nejsum

I am professor at Aarhus University and leads the Laboratory of Translational Epithelial Transport and Bioimaging. I hold a PhD in medicine and a Doctor medicinae degree from Aarhus University. With international experience from a five-year postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford University, I have lead my independent  interdisciplinary research group since 2010. My research has been supported by major grants, including a Lundbeck Foundation Junior Group Leader Fellowship and a Hallas-Møller Ascending Investigator Fellowship from the Novo Nordisk Foundation. I am committed to fostering an open, collaborative lab culture and mentoring early-career scientists.

I serve on the editorial board of AJP – Cellular Physiology and Journal of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology (APMIS).

I am scientific coordinator of the "Forum Confocal Microscopy Core:

https://nejsumlab.au.dk/confocal-core

My research focuses on aquaporins—specialized water channels—and their regulation and function in both health and disease, with particular emphasis on the kidney and cancer biology. A key part of my work addresses how aquaporin-2 (AQP2) is regulated to maintain the body’s water balance, an essential physiological process especially relevant during dehydration and heat exposure.

My research is highly translational and includes close collaborations with clinical departments, aiming to bridge molecular mechanisms with patient-oriented outcomes. Advanced bioimaging technologies are central to my approach, enabling visualization of nanoscale processes such as vesicular trafficking and membrane localization of aquaporins. 

https://nejsumlab.au.dk

I teach several courses at Aarhus University, including the PhD course Introduction to Fluorescence Microscopy, which she initiated and organizes. The course provides students with a basic understanding of fluorescence microscopy and its applications in cell- and tissue biology, focusing on both theoretical principles and practical techniques.

Professor at the Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University. Head of the Laboratory for Translational Epithelial Transport and Bioimaging and the Confocal Microscopy Core, Forum, Aarhus University Hospital. Research leadership, research, teaching, and supervision of students and early-career researchers.