We are a husband-wife research team with a passion for blood-brain barrier research.
Our goal is to discover new therapeutic targets to repair barrier dysfunction in CNS disorders and translate our findings into the clinic.
Björn grew up in Germany and Finland. He received a pharmacy degree from the University of Heidelberg, Germany, where he also obtained his PhD. Anika moved from her hometown to Heidelberg to study pharmacy and get her PhD.
In 2002, we moved together to Research Triangle Park, NC, where we both worked at the NIEHS/NIH, which paved the way for our current NIH-funded blood-brain barrier research program. In 2014, we relocated our lab to the University of Kentucky in Lexington, KY, where Björn is a faculty member in the College of Pharmacy and Anika is a faculty member at the Sanders-Brown Center on Aging in the College of Medicine. Our lab is housed in the new Healthy Kentucky Research Building, featuring state-of-the-art infrastructure.
Our team is uniquely transdisciplinary, combining expertise across neuroscience, pharmacology, and brain barriers research. We have the following Vision and Mission:
Vision
To transform the treatment of brain disorders by repairing blood-brain barrier function in people with Alzheimer’s disease and epilepsy.
Mission
We conduct mechanistic and translational blood-brain barrier research, aiming to develop innovative therapies that repair barrier dysfunction, enhance drug delivery, and slow disease progression. We are dedicated to mentoring future scientists, fostering academic growth, and preparing the next generation of leaders in brain barriers research.