Encourages students to think outside the box.
Professor Morten Thaysen-Andersen is a Professor in the School of Natural Sciences, Department of Molecular Sciences, at Macquarie University, Faculty of Science and Engineering. He leads the Analytical Glycoimmunology group, which is the only group of its kind in Australia dedicated to advancing knowledge of the human innate immune system and immune-related diseases, including microbial infections, inflammation, and cancer. His team's core expertise lies in developing and applying innovative glycomics and glycoproteomics technologies powered by advanced mass spectrometry. These are integrated with established analytical tools in protein and carbohydrate chemistry, as well as methods from immunology, structural biology, and molecular biology, to dissect key glycobiological processes underlying innate immunity.
Thaysen-Andersen obtained his PhD from the University of Southern Denmark, completing his doctoral studies from November 2006 to February 2010. He subsequently undertook a postdoctoral fellowship at Macquarie University from February 2010 to February 2012. Since July 2014, he has served as Group Leader at the university, progressing to his current professorial position. He is the recipient of an Australian Research Council (ARC) Future Fellowship, active from 2016 to 2026. His scholarly impact is evidenced by over 7,046 citations on Google Scholar, reflecting his contributions to fields such as glycobiology, glycoproteomics, mass spectrometry, glycoimmunology, and pathogen infection. Among his prominent publications are "Compositional data analysis enables statistical rigor in comparative glycomics" (Nature Communications, 2025), "Serum AGP-1-Lex glycoforms report on survivorship of patients with septic shock upon admission to intensive care unit" (Molecular & Cellular Proteomics, 2026), "A novel glycoform of the rotavirus outer capsid protein VP7 is secreted from polarized cells and activates innate immune cells" (Journal of Virology, 2026), and his co-authorship in the "Update and new implementation of the MIRAGE reporting guidelines for mass spectrometry experiments in glycoscience" (Molecular & Cellular Proteomics, 2026). Thaysen-Andersen is involved with Macquarie's Multi-Omics Research Centre, Biomolecular Discovery Research Centre, and the ARC Industrial Transformation Training Centre for Facilitated Advancement of Australia's Bioactives (FAAB). He also holds the position of President on the Board of Directors of the Australian Glycobiology Society.
