Patrik Brundin, MD, PhD (AC 78-80) is a Professor of Neuroscience at the Neuronal Survival Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, at Lund University. He is also the Head of the Department of Experimental Medical Science.

 

Professor Brundin finished his Ph.D. at Lund University in 1988 and became a M.D. in 1992. In 1987, Professor Brundin was the cell biologist responsible for the tissue used in the first Swedish clinical trials with neural transplantation in humans. So far he has participated in clinical trials with intracerebral grafts in 19 Parkinsonian patients (including one in Singapore). The overall objectives of his research are to refine neural grafting for Parkinson's disease, explore brain plasticity in the context of adult neurogenesis and to improve our understanding of Huntington's disease pathogenesis in order to develop biomarkers and novel therapies. The specific aims are to develop human embryonic stem cells as a source for transplantation in Parkinson's disease; to examine neurogenesis in the adult brain as a source of plasticity; and to explore neuropathology and pathogenetic mechanisms in Huntington's disease

 

“I often say that I have never in my life felt as challenged academically as I did at UWC - definitely not before but more oddly not since either. UWC taught me to aim higher and to focus on essentials. I believe that in my academic career, UWC was a key period that shaped what came later. Equally important, UWC gave me an international perspective on everything in life, which I would not have had otherwise. Another thing which I only fully realised later; was the importance of good leadership.” says Patrik.

 

“In terms of academia, I have completed an MD PhD and I have been a professor of neuroscience since 2000. I have over 250 publications on neurodegenerative diseases and novel approaches to brain repair. I guess my main single achievement is that I participated in the first successful clinical trial with brain tissue transplantation in Parkinson’s disease. Interestingly, this was a direct continuation of the extended essay I wrote at UWC. I have lectured in around 20 countries. I have had several leadership positions in academia. For the past two years I chaired a department with around 350 employees. In my private life, my main achievements are getting married and surviving a tsunami 9 days later…, and being the happy father of a baby boy and Spanish waterdog.

 

“I really do not know where to start if I was to explain the impact that UWC has had. I feel I carry something from UWC with me every single day of my life. I have often said that these will remain the most important two years of my life. People often frown and say: “how can you say that, you do not know what is going to happen?!” Those close to me can get upset, because they were not necessarily part of those years.  But my response is always that those two years shaped whatever came after. That is why they will remain the two most important years.

 

“It is extremely difficult to single out one memory. There are so many wonderful memories. Most of them are related to things I did with my friends. First year camp was a thrilling time. The lifeboat service experiences or secretly searching for a nuclear fallout shelter under St. Donat’s castle at three in the morning are just a couple of amazing memories. The hot political debates in the dayroom or social centre are others. Hearing my physics/chemistry teacher asking whether it was important if I weighed a certain chemical to the nearest milligram or not, which opened up my eyes on focusing on essentials. I also have fond memories of girl friends, but I guess so do most males who look back at their teens!”