“If you can’t explain it to a six year old, you don’t understand it yourself.” —Albert Einstein
ImmunoConsult Founder and Chief Consultant Casper Paludan, PhD, was born to teach—his father was a professor of French philosophy, and both parents taught French and Danish literature. Casper loves engaging people in what are typically considered complex concepts, bringing ease and understanding to high science.
Casper started his scientific career at the Serum Institute in Copenhagen, Denmark. His Master’s project had him working on a type of disease called amyloidosis—of which Alzheimer’s is one. Amyloidosis is quite common, and consists of a buildup of amyloid—a gelatinous substance—which becomes a problem when it takes up space the body needs; pushing against arteries and the like.
This disease can affect almost any organ; the kidneys, the liver, or the brain. No matter where amyloidosis happens, the amyloid has a single common protein: SAP. Casper was able to show that this protein is actually trying to unravel the amyloid; trying to bring it back to normal. This discovery was a piece in the puzzle that led scientists closer to managing the disease.
At Rockefeller University, as part of his doctorate, Casper, working closely with Nobel Laureate Professor Ralph Steinman and his colleagues, discovered a previously unknown method that the body uses to communicate threats to the immune system. This breakthrough was published in Science Magazine and led to scientists thinking in new ways about diseases such as cancer..
Now a group leader at Celgene, Casper, leading a team of scientists, oversaw the early development of a new type of stem cell therapy using cells from the placenta. He and his team were able to prove that these cells could regulate the immune response. Today, based on this work, placental stem cells are in clinical trials for several indications.
Following his work at Celgene, Casper has had a variety of roles on the business side, including consultative sales, business development in imaging systems, X-ray crystallography, and data analysis. He served as Chief Scientific Officer at New Amsterdam Sciences, an emerging biotech startup. He also has working experience with many cultures, including Northern European, French, American.
Using his unique blend of deep scientific knowledge and his commitment to bringing the right knowledge to the right people at the right time, Casper now consults with small companies, investment professionals, and academicians.