During his PhD studies, Christian Enrico Rusbjerg-Weberskov investigated the protein periostin and its role in the disease atopic dermatitis (AD), also known as eczema. AD affects up to every fifth child and every tenth adult and this PhD project contributes to improve the overall understanding of the disease. Christian Enrico Rusbjerg-Weberskov has studied various interesting characteristics of periostin and how these are implicated in development of AD. Unravelling the function of these characteristics might hold the key to a complete understanding of the function of periostin. 

The new research findings contribute to the understanding of the role of periostin in AD. The findings reach beyond AD and contribute to an improved understanding of the role of periostin in development, wound healing, and cancer. Additional outcomes of the PhD project are new methods to study a specific characteristic of periostin, which can greatly impact the future research of periostin in health and disease. 

The PhD study was completed at Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Aarhus University.

This summary was prepared by the PhD student.

Time: Thursday, 7 December 2023 at 13:00
Place: Building 1871, room 120, Lecture Theatre AUD MBG, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Universitetsbyen 81, 8000 Aarhus C
Title of PhD thesis: Periostin in Atopic Dermatitis – A Biochemical Characterization of the Periostin C-terminal Domain, Splice Isoforms, and Disulfide Complexes
Contact information: Christian Enrico Rusbjerg-Weberskov, e-mail: christianew@mbg.au.dk, tel.: +45 51348873

Members of the assessment committee:

Professor Michael Toft Overgaard, Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, Denmark

Professor Enikö Sonkoly, Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, Sweden

Professor Ditlev Egeskov Brodersen (chair), Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Denmark

Main supervisor:
Professor Jan J. Enghild, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Denmark

Co-supervisor:
Assistant professor Nadia Sukusu Nielsen, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Denmark

Language: The PhD dissertation will be defended in English

The defence is public.
The PhD thesis is available for reading at the Graduate School of Natural Sciences/GSNS, Jens Baggesens Vej 53, building 5221, 8200 Aarhus N.