Katrine Sjaastad Hanssen - NTNU

About

CV

Researcher in The Sandvig Integrative Neuroscience Group, Department of Neuromedicine and Movement Science, NTNU. During my PhD, I worked on integrating advanced neural network models relevant for Alzheimer's disease. In my current researcher position I am working with both basic reasearch and clinical research within Alzheimer's disease.

Research focus:

1) Inflammatory response and pathology at early disease stages of Alzheimer's.
2) Critical time points for structural and functional alterations in Alzheimer's neural networks.

Clinical research:
1) To better understand the stages of Alzheimer’s disease and their association with semantic memory networks.

More information about our MemAD-study can be found here: MemAD-study - Research in fight against Alzheimer's.

Methods:
Main methods and tools applied include in vitro neuron-, disease-, and patient-specific modelling, electrophysiology, selective manipulation of neuronal assemblies in vitro using designer chemogenetic tools, clinical neuroimaging, and computational modelling focused on connectomics.

Outreach activities:
Alongside lab work, writing articles and lecturing I have a great passion for outreach activities for dementia and Alzheimer's disease to the public. I have been holding talks to patients and next-of-kin at unions, resource centre for dementia and several local dementia units.

Background:
2019-2023: Ph.d. in Medicine og Health Sciences, KISN/INB, NTNU
2017-2019: M.Sc. in Neuroscience, KISN, NTNU
2014-2017: B.Sc. in Human Movement Science, NTNU/Aarhus University

Research

Sandvig Group for Integrative Neuroscience

Publications

Dissection and culturing of adult lateral entorhinal cortex layer II neurons from APP/PS1 Alzheimer model mice

To enable culturing of neurons and networks more relevant for the initiating stages of AD, we used adult APP/PS1 mice and dissected tissue from the lateralmost domain of LEC, aiming for the Re+ lLEC-LII-neurons

Reverse Engineering of Feedforward Cortical-Hippocampal Microcircuits for Modelling Neural Network Function and Dysfunction

In the present study, we demonstrate reverse engineering of anatomically relevant biological neural networks, including networks of layer specific neurons derived from adult AD model animals, using custom-designed microfluidic MEA interfaces

Evolving alterations of structural organization and functional connectivity in feedforward neural networks after induced P301L tau mutation

Evolving alterations of structural organization and functional connectivity in feedforward neural networks after induced P301L tau mutation.

Teaching

Courses

NEVR3001 - Cellular and Systems Neuroscience

Supervision

Supervision of current and previous students:

2023 - today:

PhD candidate - Marthe B. Grønli
MSc student - Nurinissa Ece Erik
MSc student - Maya Louise Atieno Ibenfeldt
MSc student - Trym Herre

2020 - 2021:

Salome Nora Niethammer - "Extraction and culturing of adult hippocampal and entorhinal neurons from Alzheimer model-animals"
Emily Karabeika - "Co-culture of humanized Apolipoprotein E astrocytes with primary entorhinal cortex neurons from adult mice and hippocampal neurons from embryonic rats"

Outreach

Katrine (30) med fersk doktorgrad om Alzheimer

Litt om prosjektarbeidet i løpet av min doktorgrad.

Doktorpromosjonen vår 2024 ved NTNU

Blant de som mottok diplom for avlagt doktorgrad var Katrine Sjaastad Hanssen, for sin forskning på nye metoder for å studere nevrale nettverk i tidlige fase av Alzheimers sykdom.

Nasjonalforeningen for folkehelsen - Trøndelag

Åpent møte om demens i regi Nasjonalforeningen Grong demensforening Tema var Alzheimer med Grong "sin egen" hjerneforsker Katrine, samt hvilke tilbud som finnes for pårørende ved daglig leder i Nasjonalforeningen Trøndelag.

Investigating Neural Networks Through Microfluidics

Here we show how the directional flow of information can be successfully mimicked using ‘microfluidic platforms’ developed at NTNU NanoLab, which feature microscopic networks of channels and chambers.