Henrik Nyhus Kløverpris

Henrik Nyhus Kløverpris

Associate Professor

The Kloverpris laboratory is interested in the mechanisms underlying gut immune reconstitution following injury or damage after HIV infection. To perform these studies, we have developed unique and well-characterized human tissue cohorts in areas of South Africa home to the highest HIV prevalence in the world.

Primary fields of research

The gut has the largest outward-facing surface area in the body. It is home to the majority of our immune and bacteria cells that exist in a complex interplay with our tissue cells. Gut homeostasis, critical for overall health, is disrupted in people living with HIV (PLWH) and plays an essential role in HIV-associated pathology not restored by long-term antiretroviral therapy (ART). Although ART significantly reduces mortality and prolongs the life of PLWH, the ageing worldwide population on ART is entering higher-risk age groups for non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including diabetes and hypertension. This represents a looming new healthcare burden, particularly in countries with limited healthcare resources.

Throughout my career, I have worked at the interface of clinical medicine and basic science and established a research programme that take advantage of the unique patient and research cohorts to generate high-impact, clinically relevant discovery science. At the Africa Health Research Institute (AHRI) in Durban, South Africa and at the University of Copenhagen, we utilise these unique and well-defined cohorts to study intestinal mucosal and lymphoid tissues in participants from areas with the highest HIV prevalence in the world. This is a great opportunity to make discoveries in PLWH that genuinely impact our understanding of health and disease in low-middle income settings. The Kloverpris lab collaborates globally and has made a series of findings on the effect of HIV infection on gut homeostasis and immune function focused on optimising immune reconstitution in PLWH.

ID: 43835678