Karl Bacos

Current position

Assistant researcher

Research interests

I am investigating the role of epigenetics in regulation of β-cell function and development and how epigenetics thereby contribute to type 2 diabetes. The aim is to increase our understanding of β-cell biology and identify potential targets for novel diabetes therapies. In my research I mainly use human pancreatic islets and cultured rat and human β-cell lines.

Grants and awards

DPLU PhD student award
Wenner-Gren foundations post doc grant
Tegger foundation post doc grant
Gålö foundation post doc grant
Sigurd och Elsa Goljes minne
Fysiografen
Lars Hiertas Minne
The Crafoord Foundation

Previous positions

2004-2009
PhD student within the Molecular Metabolism unit, Lund University Sweden.
Thesis title: β-cell dysfunction in Huntington´s disease.

2010-2012
Post-doctoral fellow at the Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego.

Selected publications

Bacos K, Gillberg L, Volkov P, Olsson AH, Hansen T, Pedersen O, Gjesing L, Eiberg H, Tuomi T, Almgren P, Groop L, Eliasson L, Vaag A, Dayeh T, Ling C.
Blood-based biomarkers reflect age-associated epigenetic changes in human pancreatic islets and associate with insulin secretion and diabetes.
Nature Communications 2016;7:11089.

Hall E, Volkov P, Dayeh T, Salö S, Eliasson L, Rönn T, Bacos K, Ling C.
Sex differences in the genome-wide DNA methylation pattern and impact on gene expression, microRNA levels and insulin secretion in human pancreatic islets.
Genome Biology 2014;15:522.

Olsson A, Volkov P, Bacos K, Dayeh T, Hall E, Nilsson E, Sterner M, Ladenvall C, Rönn T, Ling C. Genome-Wide Associations between Genetic and Epigenetic Variation Influence mRNA Expression and Insulin Secretion in Human Pancreatic Islets.
PLoS Genetics 2014;10:e1004735.

McCabe K*, Bacos K*, Lu D, Delaney JR, Vamos M, Wong V, Axelrod J, Cosford NDP, Stupack DG. Triggering necroptosis in cisplatin and IAP antagonist-resistant ovarian carcinoma.
Cell Death and Disease 2014;5:e1496.
*Equal contribution

Dayeh T, Volkov P, Salö S, Hall E, Nilsson E, Olsson AH, Kirkpatrick CL, Wollheim CB, Eliasson L, Rönn T, Bacos K, Ling C.
Genome-wide DNA methylation analysis of human pancreatic islets from type 2 diabetics and non-diabetic donors identifies candidate genes that influence insulin secretion.
PLoS Genetics 2014;10:e1004160.