ASSESSMENT COMMITTEE
The Faculty Council has appointed the following assessment committee: 

• Prof. Vera Ignjatovic, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, United States of America
• Prof. Tuula Nyman, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Norway
• Prof. Søren Risom Kristensen, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University (Chairman)

Moderator: Prof. Ole Kæseler Andersen, Vice Dean for Research, Biomedical Engineering Professor

ABSTRACT
Our innate immune system plays a crucial role in protecting us against infections and is particularly vital for newborns who predominantly depend on innate immunity. However, while serving a protective role, dysregulated innate immune responses may also result in inflammatory and autoimmune diseases including rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD).
This doctoral dissertation encompasses ten years of research dedicated to the characterization of the innate immune system. Recognizing the central role of proteins as effector molecules for many cellular functions, the primary analytical strategies are mass spectrometry-based proteomics, combined with advanced bioinformatics and machine learning, and immunohistochemistry.
Findings in the dissertation have improved proteomics workflows to comprehensively characterize the humoral innate immune system from a single drop of blood, enabling studies which are severely sample limited, such as studies of newborn plasma. The workflows made it possible to map the development of the innate immune system across the first week of human life at an unpreceded level of detail and identify immunological pathways important for early life immunity. In addition, the studies demonstrate the impact on the innate immune system of a patent ductus arteriosus in extremely preterm neonates. Additional methodological developments enable identification of the protein modification citrullination, which is involved in the innate immune reaction neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) and several diseases. The findings indicate that RA may be initiated in the gut and underline the central role of neutrophils and NETs in the RA pathology. In addition, the studies were the first to associate NETs with IBD and visualize NETs in the colon mucosa.
The key findings outlined in the dissertation increase our fundamental understanding of innate immunity and may support identification of novel targets for diagnostic and treatment. As an example, NETs are currently being investigated as a therapeutic target for both RA and IBD.