Program Overview

Introduction to the Graduate Program for Cellular & Genetic Medicine (CeGem)

The Graduate Program for Cellular & Genetic Medicine (CeGem) at the Institute for Cellular and Molecular Medicine (ICMM) aims to establish a firm understanding of fundamental, molecular aspects of human health and disease. This is exemplified by research from ICMM's five themes: Medical Genetics; RNA and Gene Medicine; Glycomics; Morphogenesis and Differentiation; and Molecular Aging.

Program Vision

The vision of CeGem is "The cell - its genetic components and cellular mechanisms - in a medical context." The program seeks to exploit this mechanistic understanding to initiate novel principles of diagnostics and treatments of diseases. Furthermore, it aims to empower PhD students in an internationally competitive, inspiring scientific environment and through various activities and courses of the highest scientific quality to pursue successful and meaningful careers in academia, industry, and all other aspects of society.

Introduction for PhD Students

PhD students at CeGem will find guidelines for the process of enrolling at the PhD school, being a PhD student in CeGem, and living in Copenhagen in the provided documentation.

Events at CeGem

Two yearly mandatory CeGem events will take place in the first week of May and the first week of October, starting from 2026. Invitations will be circulated ahead of each event, and further details will always be available on the CeGem website.

Steering Group at CeGem

The Steering Group consists of faculty representation, including:

• Lene Juel Rasmussen, Professor and Head of Graduate Program for Cellular & Genetic Medicine
• Katrine Ter-Borch Gram Schjoldager, Associate Professor and PhD-coordinator at ICMM
• Hanne Cathrine Bisgaard (Thrine), Associate Professor
• Hector Herranz, Associate Professor
• Daniel M Messerschmidt, Associate Professor
• Fena Ochs, Associate Professor
• Abbas Jafari Kermani, Associate Professor And student representation, including:
• Elena von Rohden
• Kasper Budolph Pedersen
• Louise Julie Hessing Rasmussen
• Frida Matiyevskaya
• José Francisco Martínez Hernández
• José Miguel Teixeira Pires

Head of PhD Program

Lene Juel Rasmussen is the Professor and Head of the PhD program.

PhD Coordinator

Katrine Ter-Borch Gram Schjoldager is the Associate Professor and PhD-coordinator at ICMM. The PhD coordinator contributes to creating a dynamic environment with academic-social activities for the PhD students in the graduate program and is welcoming and responsive to PhD students who reach out with professional and personal questions.