The Magazine #1

Magazine The

#01 | April 2016

Lundbeckfonden’s magazine

The aim of Lundbeckfonden’s new magazine is to give you the opportunity to get to know us better.

Read about our grant allocation activities, the backbone of our vision to create better lives through new knowledge.

Lene Skole, CEO

Join Andreas Mogensen at Big Bang, a conference for 900 science teachers Three years’ research in three minutes DKK 100 million for a research centre – what do we get for that?

Film trilogy about Eske Willerslev gives a glimpse of this top researcher’s successes and failures Where does the DKK ½bn come from?

Read about Lundbeckfonden’s commercial and investment activities

Magazine The

#01 | April 2016

Lundbeckfonden’s magazine

The aim of Lundbeckfonden’s new magazine is to give you the opportunity to get to know us better.

Read about our grant allocation activities, the backbone of our mission to create better lives through new knowledge.

Lene Skole, CEO

Join Andreas Mogensen at Big Bang, a conference for 900 science teachers Three years’ research in three minutes DKK 100 million for a research centre – what do we get for that?

Film trilogy about Eske Willerslev gives a glimpse of this top researcher’s successes and failures Where does the DKK ½bn come from?

Read about Lundbeckfonden’s commercial and investment activities

Astronaut with star status In autumn 2015, Andreas Mogensen became the first Dane in space, putting space research firmly on Denmark’s agenda. He is a popular speaker and a great idol for many young people. He has spoken at Lundbeckfonden’s science lectures on many occasions, most recently in February 2016 at the Bremen Theatre in Copenhagen with Steen Eiler Jørgensen, physicist, aeronautical engineer and chairman of the Danish Astronautical Society. More details about Lundbeckfonden Lectures and how to enrol at www.lundbeckfonden.com.

Welcome to Lundbeckfonden’s new annual magazine Over the past year, we have noticed an increasing interest in foundations and their significance for both the business sector and society in general. Therefore, our aim with this magazine is to give the outside world the opportunity to get to know us better. The articles focus on describing our award activities, since these have an impact on us all. Each year, Lundbeckfonden distributes grants of almost DKK ½bn, primarily to Danish-based, health science research of the highest quality, aimed at creating better lives through new knowledge. This is Lundbeckfonden's vision.

We also invest in international businesses in the biotech sector and endeavour to nurture the foundation’s assets to ensure stability in the level of grants, both now and in the long term.

Our commercial activities form the basis for the foundation’s grants.

Lundbeckfonden is the main shareholder in the three, large, Danishbased companies H. Lundbeck, ALK-Abelló and Falck. Together, the three companies have over 30,000 employees across the world who are proud that their main shareholder invests in society by funding and promoting biomedical and health science research and researchers.

Brain health is one of the key focuses of Lundbeckfonden's grant allocation activities. You will find more details in the magazine but you will also notice that we cover a variety of other fields and subjects, all aimed at helping us achieve our ambition to create better lives through new knowledge.

Biomedical research needs a stable economic framework. Consequently, at a time when public research budgets are being cut, there is an increasing need for private funds for free and independent research to help secure Denmark’s position as one of the world’s leading research nations.

Lene Skole CEO Lundbeckfonden

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Contents 4 With the brain as its focal point, Lundbeckfonden donates up to DKK ½bn a year to Danish-based health science research. Anne-Marie Engel, head of the research grants department, gives an insight into the foundation’s grant strategy.

6 In 2015, Lundbeckfonden gave five Danish medical students the opportunity to research at world-leading universities in California. Our aim is to help internationalise Danish research.

11 Feel the passion of around 900 science teachers who meet annually to identify new, inspiring tools for stimulating interest in natural sciences.

Astronaut Andreas Mogensen was keynote speaker at the conference in March 2016.

14 Lundbeckfonden’s commercial activities are the basis for annual grants of up to DKK ½bn. But where does the money actually come from?

17 Every year, Lundbeckfonden grants five-year fellowships, worth DKK 10m each, to a handful of talented scientists. We talk to a 2015 fellow about his expectations and to another, who has almost completed her project, about her experiences.

20 Film is the perfect medium for explaining complicated research to the public, and that’s why Lundbeckfonden has funded projects such as Eske Willerslev’s trilogy: The DNA Detective.

23 Since 2005, Aarhus University’s neuroscience research centre, MIND, has received DKK 100m from Lundbeckfonden for research into the role of sortilins in neuronal cell survival and death.

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Lundbeckfonden’s annual magazine | #01 April 2016

26 In a media-driven world, today’s scientists must be able to do more than merely write a scientific article to communicate their research.

The PhD Cup spotlights quick and clear communication of complex research to a broad public.

29 How does a foundation share out a huge sack of money among hundreds of highly qualified applicants? Join us behind the closed doors of a meeting of the Lundbeckfonden Biomedical Sciences Committee.

33 Each year, Lundbeckfonden and Politiken select Denmark’s best teacher as part of the foundation’s objective to stimulate interest in science teaching.

36 A talent prize is an important rung on a scientist’s career ladder.

38 Meet the staff of the research grants department.

40 Lundbeckfonden awards the world’s most prestigious brain research prize. What does receiving the prize mean to a scientist, and how significant is the prize for international brain research?

42 Dataphobia! Many of us are reluctant to give our personal data to our doctor. But health data are worth their weight in gold to medical science. A doctor and a lawyer discuss the benefits and drawbacks of large health databases.

Editors: Lene Skole (editor-in-chief), Anne-Marie Engel, Regitze Reeh Design: Klaus Wilhardt Rights: Mechanical, photographic or other reproduction of Lundbeckfonden Magazine 2016, or parts thereof, is permitted with reference to the source.

All rights reserved.

Lundbeckfonden, Scherfigsvej 7, DK 2100 Copenhagen, tel. +45 39128000. www.lundbeckfonden.com CVR no. 11814913

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“Our greatest responsibility as a foundation and social player is to engage in dialogue with the society we live in,” says Anne Marie Engel who, as director of research, heads Lundbeckfonden's research grants department.

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Lundbeckfonden’s annual magazine | #01 April 2016

Our objective is to create

better lives

A specific grant strategy will help Lundbeckfonden achieve its vision to create better lives through new knowledge — Text: Siff Malue Nielsen | Photo: Thomas Tolstrup

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undbeckfonden donates up to half a billion Danish kroner every year to support a broad spectrum of projects relating to biomedical research and communication. Recipients range from school children and science teachers to medical students, young scientists, PhD fellows and post docs. Some of the grants also go towards establishing large research centres or teams. However, they all have one thing in common: they help fulfil the foundation’s vision to create better lives through new knowledge.

“We believe it’s important to begin encouraging an enthusiasm for science and research at an early age. We would like to be there when the best health science researchers climb the first rungs of the career ladder and we want to follow them all the way to the top,” says Anne-Marie Engel, director of research and head of Lundbeckfonden’s research grants department.

The foundation’s grants can be divided into four general categories: research careers, honorary awards, engagement and science communication and theme-based grants.

The brain as pivot Anne-Marie Engel explains that the foundation makes an effort to describe how the grants contribute to society. One new initiative is to gather inspiration for the definition of major themes that will guide the foundation’s strategic grants direction in the coming years. Lundbeckfonden will bring healthcare economists, futurologists, scientists and experts in health and natural sciences together with representatives of the health system and the universities at a fullday workshop in May 2016 to discuss their recommendations on focus areas for the foundation’s grants in the coming years. The workshop’s participants represent a broad spectrum of expertise and experience.

“We want an uncensored opinion on society’s greatest health science challenges and on how the best Danish research can help tackle them. The guest list was carefully

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compiled to encourage untraditional, innovative and interdisciplinary collaboration with no prior bias towards a particular general theme. We hope we can inspire new and diverse research partnerships to strengthen and support those with an innate desire to be involved in the challenges of the future,” says Anne-Marie Engel.

The same fundamental approach was applied when introducing the term ‘brain health’, one of Lundbeckfonden’s special focus areas. The aim was to underline inclusion of all traditional specialist medical fields and to acknowledge that brain health is much more than synapses and receptors.

“Due to its founder, Grete Lundbeck, and its ownership of H. Lundbeck A/S, Lundbeckfonden was born with the brain as its focal point. So it’s obvious for brain health to be a special focus area,” says Anne-Marie Engel.

The foundation as a social player “Our greatest responsibility as a foundation and social player is to engage in dialogue with the society we live in, and to interact with it within the scope of our charter and award strategy. We don't have all the answers and, therefore, it’s important that we’re open, transparent and cooperative.”

Anne-Marie Engel predicts, for example, that collaboration with other, major foundations will become a natural element of future grant activities: “The various foundations have their own charters, objects clauses and visions but we share the desire and a duty to ensure that our grants benefit society to best effect. We need to consider the broader perspective and if there’s a project that invites collaboration between several foundations we would certainly be receptive to the idea.”

Foundations were formerly associated with smoke-filled, panelled meeting rooms where grants were awarded to the chairman’s nephew or close friends. Today, foundations are much more precise and transparent when they distribute the almost DKK 10

billion granted by Danish foundations each year.

Lundbeckfonden shares out DKK 400500 million every year to ground-breaking, innovative health research. All applications compete primarily on quality and it is a condition that the new knowledge be shared.

Lundbeckfonden also wishes to bring the research into people’s daily lives.

“Linus Mørk’s trilogy about Professor Eske Willerslev’s research and how it leads him to meet other people and their cultural self-identity certainly struck a chord with the TV-viewing public when it was broadcast on Danish national TV. And Lundbeckfonden's lecture series invites scientists and the general public to debate on equal terms about important and relevant topics,” says Anne-Marie Engel.

“Our funding should have an impact and stimulate progress and, ultimately, benefit us all by ensuring better treatment. And if we can help Danish researchers achieve a scientific break-through and help ensure that our politicians take decisions based on the very best research, we’re well on our way to achieving our vision to create a better life through new knowledge.”

Lundbeckfonden's award strategy is regularly adjusted so that it is always as relevant as possible to the society around us.

“Maybe, we should make more of a mark on the various agendas and, perhaps, even own them. Grants will always be key to the public’s perception of the foundation and research funding will continue to be the focal point in the future, but the way in which we fund, and perhaps the breadth of our funding, will evolve. Our efforts to define our theme-based grants are the first example of this,” says Anne-Marie Engel.

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omeless people in the hotel corridor, no locks on the outside door and no heating or bathroom were some of the conditions Karin Petersen had to deal with almost 20 years ago when she travelled to the US for research as a young, ambitious and hopeful doctor. The hotel she ended up in housed the homeless at night and was located in San Francisco's most crime-ridden area. The energy she should have spent on research and creating a network was, instead, spent on frustration and practical issues.

“It took four months to get properly established and I fell so much behind that I couldn't finish my research project within the planned deadline.”

Although Karin never gave up and ended up staying in the US and making a career

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for herself in, among other things, research into chronic pain, she never forgot her first meeting with America. Nor would she wish the experience on any other students. Karin took matters into her own hands and began to develop an exchange programme based on the principle of ‘hitting the ground running’.

The idea was that all practical matters would be handled in advance so that students could start their research immediately.

“Medical studies don't include much research tuition. And just as you need a licence to drive in traffic, you need to learn how to manoeuvre in the world of clinical research. I wanted to give students that kind of driver's licence.”

For this reason, Karin Petersen applied to Lundbeckfonden for DKK 5.6 million in the autumn of 2014, and this culminated

A research secondment to Stanford University; who would say no to that?

— Mathias Loft

Lundbeckfonden’s annual magazine | #01 April 2016

Innovative incubator is a breeding ground for Danish research A new exchange programme brands Denmark and paves the way for five medical students who have been accepted to Lundbeckfonden's clinical research programme in California.

This is a unique programme that takes Danish medical students to, among other places, Stanford University for training in clinical research with an innovative twist — Text: Siff Malue Nielsen | Photo: Shutterstock et al

in her appointment as Programme Director of Lundbeckfonden’s Clinical Research Fellowship Program. Each year, five medical students from Denmark are given the opportunity to go to the beautiful Bay Area in California for ten months for training in clinical research at among others Stanford University and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). All of the practical details are arranged in advance, paperwork handled, accommodation found and paid for. There’s even an ocean view.

Hairs on their chest Mathias Loft, who is studying for his Master’s in medicine at the University of Copenhagen, heard about Lundbeckfonden’s exchange programme when Karin Petersen held a lecture for students at the University.

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“It sounded almost too good to be true. It looked as though the programme had everything I was aiming for. I didn't just want to do a research year for the sake of it - it had to have substance. I would also be able to combine it with my desire to continue research into cancer diagnosis and, on top of all that, some of the best and most reputable scientists would be available for discussion and input. A research secondment to Stanford University; who would say no to that?” says Mathias Loft who contacted a Danish supervisor and an American supervisor straight after the presentation and quickly prepared an application.

“Some people might say that I mollycoddle my students. But the secondment is a huge challenge in itself, so I’m convinced that the practical details should be in place. I’m sure

they’ll come home with hairs on their chest anyway,” says Karin, and she stresses that it is necessary to have completed a research project and published the results in an internationally renowned journal before you can call yourself a Lundbeckfonden Clinical Research Fellow.

Network is key “The aim is to motivate medical students to follow a career in clinical research, to give them international exposure and send them back to Denmark with a priceless network of high-profile scientists, professors and entrepreneurs,” says Karin Petersen.

Karin activated her extensive network and secured the interest of some of the most reputable universities and institutions in California, including Stanford University, UCSF

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It sounded almost too good to be true.

It looked as though the programme had everything I was aiming for.

— Mathias Loft

and California Pacific Medical Center. She also got the Danish universities to jump on the bandwagon as well as Innovation Centre Denmark, which is a collaboration between the Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science and the Foreign Ministry, and she recruited prominent scientists and business people. The programme was almost ready to launch. She had a team of 18 volunteers ready to give the students the experience of their lives. The only problem standing in the way of her life project was generating stable funding.

“I almost gave up,” says Karin. “If it hadn’t been for my husband and Mikkel Skovborg from Innovation Centre Denmark, who kept up the pressure and suggested that I contact Lundbeckfonden, I wouldn't have stood where I stand today.”

Fellows pave the way for new international collaboration The first round of applications for the unique exchange programme opened in June 2015.

In addition to providing a description of their research project, applicants must find their own Danish supervisor and an American supervisor in order to be considered. After seven Skype interviews, Mathias Loft ended up being one of the five lucky students to be selected for the first batch of fellows to be sent over the Atlantic in September last year.

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All fellows are carefully selected and matched to ensure variety of gender, field of research and projects. Another important aspect is how they collaborate with both supervisors. As Karin explains: “It’s important that the collaboration between fellow and supervisors works from day one. This is the best way of ensuring good results but also that the collaboration develops and produces other exciting, unexpected projects.”

This is exactly what happened to Mathias Loft and his supervisor, Professor Andreas Kjær, who is attached to Copenhagen University Hospital and the University of Copenhagen. During the first months of Mathias’ stay in California, an opportunity suddenly arose for a spin-off project to compare historical data from prostate cancer patients in the US with those of patients in Denmark.

“This is an example of what we can achieve across borders, independently from institutions and universities. Ultimately, the programme helps create a generation of extremely talented and innovative doctors,” says Andreas Kjær, co-chair and member of the programme’s voluntary Advisory Board.

He stresses that, apart from the fact that the individual fellows benefit from the programme, it is also a good investment for the volunteer supervisors.

“We gain access to a broad network of highly respected American scientists and entrepreneurs, many of whom we wouldn't otherwise have met. Our fellows also help consolidate and pave the way for new collaboration to the great benefit of the Danish research environment.”

Nor is Mikkel Skovborg, science attaché at Innovation Centre Denmark in Silicon Valley, in any doubt that this constellation helps brand Denmark.

“Due to their convincing academic abilities, the students clearly help prepare the ground for new and further research collaboration between Denmark and some of the strongest institutions in the world.”

Good role model And Mathias Loft is already a good role model. His research project involves testing a new radioactively labelled tracer in mice.

It is hoped that, in the future, it will be possible to inject it into the bloodstream of prostate cancer patients, among others, and then to use a PET scan to determine how advanced and aggressive the cancer is.

“Clinics currently lack the tools to predict the development of prostate cancer in an individual patient. In other words, will the patient die with prostate cancer or from prostate cancer?”

Lundbeckfonden’s annual magazine | #01 April 2016

It is necessary to have completed a research project and published the results in an internationally renowned journal before you can call yourself a Lundbeckfonden Clinical Research Fellow.

— Karin Petersen

Mathias has scanned around 20 mice to date but hopes to scan at least 50. The project is part of a greater plan: Mathias hopes to be able to conduct a major randomised clinical trial with the tracers he has tested in the mice. As he says himself, it’s important that basic research is linked to human beings. Ultimately, the aim is to improve the prognosis for patients.

Like Mathias, the other fellows work on their own projects during their stay but, once a week, a professor comes by their home and gives instruction on all elements of clinical research and registry research. Lessons cover a broad range of topics, from idea generation, setting up hypotheses, project descriptions, fund-raising, recruitment of patients for trials and analysis of data to how to write and put together a scientific article suitable for publication in a reputable journal.

“During my six months here, I’ve learned more about how to conduct research than I did during the first five years of my medical studies in Denmark. And the concept of all five of us living together is ideal because we can bounce ideas off each other,” explains Mathias who hopes to specialise in clinical nuclear medicine and to continue his research career while he works in a clinic.

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Solid foundation The fellowship programme has initially received funding for a two-year period. Lundbeckfonden’s Enno Hoffmann-Dose has been project manager since the very beginning and, in his opinion, Karin and her team have done some great groundwork and developed a solid foundation that will generate quality over time. Innovation Centre Denmark, home to the programme’s secretariat in San Francisco, is also very enthusiastic about the initiative: “Two plus two don't often equal five, but this programme is an outstanding example of how an ambitious foundation and the Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science can collaborate. The Ministry can open doors, arrange for cooperation agreements with the American universities and share an extensive network within the academic community and the business sector in the USA. On the other hand, Lundbeckfonden's generous grant provides substance and range,” says Mikkel Skovborg.

As Enno Hoffmann-Dose explains, Lundbeckfonden found the project’s combination of internationalisation, innovation and research particularly important and attractive: “We would like to help give Danish medical students the opportunity to go out into the world and establish networks across borders and hierarchies; to get out of their super-

visors’ laboratories and define their own projects. We’re also fascinated by the idea of presenting our fellows to so-called ‘disruptive thinking’; getting them to sit down with well-known entrepreneurs and learn to think about research in an untraditional way.”

Think outside the box More specifically, the students will be participating in a ‘10$ Challenge’. They have to find an idea, product or project that does not cost more than 10 dollars per patient and that will benefit everyone, worldwide.

Karin Petersen wants to send the Danish fellows home with some of the many qualities of Silicon Valley.

“In the US, we’re lateral thinkers when it comes to networking. People are always on the look-out for ways of helping each other and are very open to interdisciplinary collaboration. The students really come to realise what non-medics have to offer,” she explains.

Mathias Loft agrees: “Daring to think outside the box can help us medical students and future doctors when it comes to identifying new research projects and convincing investors and fund managers why they should support our project in particular,” says Mathias, and he stresses how impressed he was that both Amazon’s CFO and senior managers at Hewlett-Packard

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voluntarily provide their priceless expertise on business development.

Mathias’ group’s contribution to the 10$ Challenge is a smartphone app that can be connected to a pill box to ensure that patients take the right dose of medicine at the right time.

“We hope that our Fellows will take this offbeat approach to research home to Denmark and pass it on to other students.

They may even change the traditional way of thinking about research,” says Enno Hoffmann-Dose.

Future of the programme Even though Lundbeckfonden's Clinical Research Fellowship programme has not

yet existed for a year it is already being evaluated. The programme’s director, Karin Petersen, is in no doubt about her aims for the programme.

“Our fellows will be the next generation of scientists. Consequently, they need to be taught by world-leading experts in, for example, stem cell research and research methods.

But they should also be encouraged to aim their research at the health challenges faced not only by Denmark and the Bay Area but by the undernourished child in Burkina Faso.

“We’ve identified an ‘unmet educational need’ and we’ve created a unique and innovative programme. We really hope that funding will continue so that we can gene-

rate more ongoing contact to the universities and, in the longer term, have more students here at a time,” says Karin, and she emphasises that she hopes that fellows will be considered for Lundbeckfonden grants when they return home. As she says: “We send out the best and we must be ready to develop them when they come home.”

Mathias Loft is also sure that the research secondment is the start of something big.

“It’s a huge opportunity but also an investment in the future which, I’m sure, will and already has changed my life in several ways, both personally and in terms of research.”

10$ Challenge The competition is about finding an idea, product or project that does not cost more than 10 dollars per patient and that will benefit everyone, worldwide. The project must meet an ‘unmet medical need’. Students are divided into groups, each with a medical student from UCSF or Stanford, a trainee from Innovation Centre Denmark and a faculty member from one of the universities in the Bay Area. Each group is assigned an experienced venture capitalist or entrepreneur whom they meet with once a month. At these meetings, they present their projects and are taught how to build up their own business, how to achieve funding and sell their concept and how much network means. The students’ first job was to add the members of all five groups to their LinkedIn profiles and then arrange a lunch date with someone they hadn’t met before.

The team that wins the challenge receives the 10 dollar prize.

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Lundbeckfonden’s annual magazine | #01 April 2016

Mikkel Bohm welcomes the keynote speaker, Astronaut Andreas Mogensen, at the latest Big Bang conference, which was held in Aarhus in March 2016. Lundbeckfonden has supported Big Bang since its beginning in 2014.

BIG BANG Science for the future

When Big Bang opens its doors it becomes the arena for Denmark's largest natural science conference. Lundbeckfonden supports this conference which pays tribute to the natural sciences and clearly signals that science is the future — Text: Helle Horskjær | Photo: PR

Mikkel Bohm is director at Astra and extremely enthusiastic about stimulating Danish school children's interest in sciences. He is also the main person behind ‘Young Scientists’, a science festival for school children across the country, held each year and supported by Lundbeckfonden.

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BIG BANG B

ig Bang’s motto is ‘science for the future’, not that Denmark’s youth today is convinced. The majority can't be bothered with physics, chemistry and biology, and that could have huge consequences for Denmark.

“If we don’t arouse their interest, we’ll be short of engineers and science graduates in the future,” says Mikkel Bohm, director at Astra, who organises Big Bang in collaboration with a range of organisations.

Big Bang is Denmark's largest conference for anyone who teaches, conveys or researches into natural sciences in our schools and higher education system. The conference attracts around 1000 participants.

Two days of nerdery The aim of the conference is to pay tribute to science teachers and, at the same time, to equip them for the future.

“Science teachers are in the minority in schools. They meet kindred spirits at the conference where they have the time and freedom to surrender themselves to their own nerdiness,” says Mikkel Bohm, Britta Bøge Dahl agrees. She is a physics, biology, geography and maths teacher at Bække Skole.

“It’s my first time here and I was fascinated. I can use several of the presentations in my lessons. At the moment, I’m talking

about water with a class of 13-year-olds and I can almost use the material from the conference to the letter. I was very inspired, both by the enthusiasm of the participants and by the content. It was exciting because everything was focused on the subjects I teach,” she says.

And according to Mikkel Bohm, the conference centres precisely on inspiration and a spirit of professional community.

“At the same time, we can't get away from the fact that technology is rapidly advancing, and a different type of teaching is required if we’re to keep children and young people interested in sciences.”

Mikkel Bohm is sure that the interest in natural sciences will grow if teachers base their lessons on the everyday lives of their students. It also helps that science has a few role models.

The astronaut as a role model One example is the first Dane in space, Andreas Mogensen.

“He is the essence of cool science and technology. Who doesn't look up to Denmark's first astronaut? We must exploit the interest in him and his mission to make the subject more appealing,” says Mikkel Bohm.

Andreas Mogensen qualified as an aeronautical engineer from Imperial College London, and he received a PhD in aerospace engine-

Andreas Mogensen — Andreas Mogensen (born in 1976) works at the European Space Agency, ESA. In 2009, he was selected by ESA from over 8000 candidates to be one of the six ‘young’ astronauts of the future. The candidates underwent x-ray examinations, ultrasound scans, MRI scans, ear, eye and lung capacity tests and psychological testing. He then participated in a 14-month-long basic training programme, focusing on physical and mental tests to determine the candidate’s memory, intelligence and mathematical ability.

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ering from the University of Texas, Austin, USA. This is where he researched into the control of spacecraft during entry into the atmosphere, descent and landing.

Space travel as an inspiration In 2015, Andreas Mogensen was sent on a ten-day mission to the International Space Station (ISS), which orbits the earth at an altitude of 400 kilometres.

“A country such as Denmark must also be able to compete on expertise and high technology in the future. Consequently, sciences are important,” says Andreas Mogensen, who had lots of scientific equipment on board his spacecraft to solve technical tasks and perform a range of experiments.

One of his jobs was to carry out physiological experiments to help scientists understand what happens to astronauts’ bodies when weightless.

“There’s something about space travel that appeals to everyone, young and old. We’re fascinated and have a natural curiosity. I hope my mission will open doors to the natural sciences,” says Andreas Mogensen.

Astra — Big Bang is organised by Astra in collaboration with a range of other contributors. Astra is the Danish national Centre for Learning in Science, Technology and Health (NTS). The centre is a merger between NTS, the Danish Science Factory and, from 2016, Science Talents. Astra’s objective is to empower teachers and to strengthen the scope and stimulate the development of science teaching in schools and youth education programmes. The aim of the centre is to ensure that all children and young people in Denmark gain skills in science.

Lundbeckfonden’s annual magazine | #01 April 2016

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Commercial foundations add value Dividends from Lundbeckfonden's three subsidiaries and returns on the foundation’s other investments help ensure annual donations to society of up to DKK 500,000. These primarily take the form of grants to Danish-based, biomedical research — Text: Regitze Reeh | Photo: Thomas Tolstrup

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rete Lundbeck was a far-sighted businesswoman when, in 1954, she set up a foundation gradually to take over her interest in H. Lundbeck A/S and to acquire more shares in Lundbeck companies. She also appointed the foundation sole beneficiary of her assets, which chiefly consisted of shares in H. Lundbeck A/S. Lundbeckfonden's history is by no means unique. Numerous visionary business people and scientists, who, over the years, have helped found or continue some of Denmark's most prominent commercial enterprises, have established foundations to secure their life’s work. Enterprises such as A. P. Moller – Maersk, Carlsberg, Novo Nordisk, Grundfos, Danfoss, William Demant and Velux are all examples of companies owned by a foundation.

Consequently, you would think that foundations would be both familiar to and

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well-regarded by the Danish people, but this is far from the case. Foundations have a reputation for being introspective, powerful and lacking in transparency. As owners, they are often referred to as ‘the dead hand that manages ownerless money’. This certainly doesn’t imply modern, active ownership with a strong interest in the community.

“We have a clear goal: to be transparent in all of Lundbeckfonden’s dealings and give more people an insight into the actual nature of a commercial foundation and the significance of Denmark's many foundations for the business community, research and society as a whole,” says Lene Skole, Lundbeckfonden’s CEO since 2014.

“When my new job was announced, there were many who wished me well in my preretirement job. There were lots of comments about having time to improve my golf. Someone even asked if I would be going to work every day!” says Lene Skole. “That gives you

an idea of the scale of the communication task facing us.”

Lene Skole is responsible for Lundbeckfonden's entire operation. This includes both commercial and investment activities as well as charitable activities such as grants, chiefly for biomedical and health science research and, in particular, brain health.

“It’s a great privilege to work for Lundbeckfonden, and a great responsibility. A foundation doesn't have an annual general meeting or shareholders to look over our shoulders and keep our noses to the grindstone. As a foundation, we manage a longdead individual’s requests and fortune to the best of our ability. To do this, we need to be disciplined and good at setting ourselves ambitious goals. The Danish Business Authority under the Ministry of Economics and Business Affairs has the ultimate authority over our foundation. However, on a daily basis, there must be close collaboration

Lundbeckfonden’s annual magazine | #01 April 2016

As a foundation, we manage a long-dead individual’s requests and fortune to the best of our ability.

— Lene Skole CEO Lundbeckfonden

between executive management and the board of trustees and constant respect for the foundation's charter and the founder’s values and visions.”

Active ownership is important Lundbeckfonden is best known for its affiliation with its subsidiary H. Lundbeck A/S, 70% of which is owned by the foundation.

The company is listed on the Copenhagen Stock Exchange. The remaining shareholders include many institutional investors, both Danish and from abroad, as well as private Danish investors. Lene Skole is vice-chair of the board of directors.

“My work on the board of directors is exactly the same as the work on all other boards. My role is vice-chair and that’s how I’m regarded by the rest of the board members. We endeavour to add value for all shareholders. Lundbeckfonden doesn’t buy and sell shares in Lundbeck on a daily basis.

General requirements for commercial foundations • The foundation’s assets must be irrevocably separated from the founder’s assets and may not return to the founder.

• The foundation must have one or more specific objectives (described in the articles).

• Management of the foundation’s assets and interests must be transferred to independent management.

• The majority of the members of the board of trustees must be independent from the founder.

• Foundations must describe once a year how they distribute their funds.

• Foundations must describe once a year how they remunerate their board of trustees and executive management.

• The foundation must present accounts and is subject to audit.

• A commercial foundation’s contributed capital must be at least DKK 300,000.

• On its foundation, a non-profit trust must have assets of at least DKK 250,000.

Commercial foundations The Danish Act on Commercial Foundations specifies when a foundation is commercial and whether it may be exempt from this Act. However, in principle, a foundation is commercial if it: • produces goods or provides services, • sells or leases real property, or • owns or has control over a commercial enterprise.

Source: https://erhvervsstyrelsen.dk/fonde

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Consequently, the minority shareholders and their investment choices determine the value of the shares,” says Lene Skole.

Jørgen Huno Rasmussen, chairman of Lundbeckfonden's board of trustees since 2012, adds: “In my opinion, the combination of being owned by a foundation and being listed on the stock exchange is the ideal form of ownership. A foundation ensures a company’s long-term perspective and its stability whereas a listing ensures that the company doesn’t grind to a halt or have a tendency to use foundation ownership as a pretext for doing nothing.”

The chairman refers to Sweden where, many years ago, a number of major pharmaceutical companies were in Swedish hands.

Today, most of these have gone; typically, sold to global companies which have relocated activities. If they had been owned by foundations, they may still have been in the Nordic region: “Listed companies live from quarter to quarter and constantly have to optimise value in the short term. During difficult periods, this can put workplaces at risk, and demerger into smaller units may become necessary. A foundation is a more patient, long-term owner but no less demanding,” he explains. He refers to the fact that Novo Nordisk and H. Lundbeck, both of which are trust-owned and listed on the stock exchange, are world-leaders in their fields.

Lundbeckfonden also has two other subsidiaries, quite unrelated to H. Lundbeck. The foundation has held controlling interests in asthma and allergy group ALK-Abellò A/S for many years and in insurance company Falck A/S since 2011. Lene Skole is vice-chair of both companies.

“We aim to be a good, active owner. Active ownership is important to us because we feel a responsibility to encourage the companies to optimise and supply the best they can. As a matter of principle, out of consideration for minority shareholders, we hold ourselves at arm’s length but, at the same time, we need to be close enough to the company to be able to make the right ownership decisions, in times of both crisis and prosperity.

As chairman of the foundation’s board of trustees, I’m not personally active in the companies but our CEO is deputy chairman of the boards of directors and this is a good and transparent way of demonstrating active ownership,” says Jørgen Huno Rasmussen.

was to identify and invest in small biotech companies based on research from Danish universities. After a few years of limited activity, Lundbeckfonden Emerge was given a mandate in 2015 to invest DKK 300 million over the next four years to increase its portfolio to a handful of companies.

“This allows us to cover the entire food chain: from major listed subsidiaries and medium-sized venture capital companies to small start-ups that need both capital and management skills to grow out of the university laboratories and take root on the international life science market,” says Jørgen Huno Rasmussen. However, he neither promises nor expects that the small Emerge companies will automatically be transferred to the foundation’s portfolio of venture capital companies.

“That’s not the point. Our aim is to facilitate the emergence of good ideas from the universities, since, as a private trust, we have both the money and the risk appetite. This is another way of contributing to society. We have a commercial goal but, obviously, if our only aim was to make money, we could find other ways of ensuring a more reliable return than engaging in completely new research when no-one knows if it will ever result in viable drugs.”

The foundation also manages its own free assets of approximately DKK 14 billion.

The funds are invested in liquid shares and bonds and do not focus specifically on pharmaceutical companies.

“The funds are our safeguard against times of recession. They ensure that we can continue to award our research grants even if our subsidiaries aren’t doing so well. It’s important for the research community that our grants remain stable and don't fluctuate wildly depending on the state of the foundation. The money also enables us to act promptly if suitable opportunities such as potential acquisitions and investments arise,” Lene Skole explains.

Over the past few years, Lundbeckfonden has distributed between DKK 400 and 500 million a year, and it will continue to do so in the coming years. This is equivalent to the salaries of about 600 full-time Danish researchers every year.

Jørgen Huno Rasmussen, chairman of the board of Lundbeckfonden • Professional board member since 2013 • Group chief executive at F L Smidth & Co, 2004-2013 • H. Hoffmann & Sønner A/S, 1983- 2004, as group managing director from 1988 • Assistant professor at CBS in Copenhagen from 2013 • Member of the boards of Otto Mønsted A/S, Thomas B. Thriges Fond, Bladt Industries A/S, vice-chair of the boards of Haldor Topsøe A/S, Terma A/S and Rambøll Group A/S, chairman of the boards of Lundbeckfonden, Trygheds Gruppen and Tryg Forsikring A/S

Lene Skole • CEO at Lundbeckfonden since 2014 • CFO and EVP at Coloplast, 2005-2014 • AP Moller-Maersk group (1978- 2005), most recently as CFO at The Maersk Company (UK), 2000-2005 • Lene Skole is a member of the board of Tryg A/S and vice-chair of the boards of DONG Energy A/S, H. Lundbeck A/S, ALK-Abelló A/S and Falck Holding A/S

Covers the entire food chain In 2010, Lundbeckfonden decided to develop an international portfolio of life science venture capital companies. Today, Lundbeckfonden Ventures has almost 20 companies in its portfolio and a continual investment framework of DKK 1.6 billion. In 2012, a department was created to supplement these activities. Its purpose

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Lundbeckfonden’s annual magazine | #01 April 2016

From researcher to director of research with a fellowship Much is expected of researchers who receive a fellowship from Lundbeckfonden. They are suddenly head of their own research team, responsible for a project they have defined themselves.

It’s a great responsibility but the five years and DKK 10 million that accompany the fellowship provide the freedom and time they need to devote themselves to their research — Text: Helle Horskjær | Photo: Claus Sjödin

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hey are inquisitive and their ideas are original. And their backers expect them to help set the agenda for Danish health science research in the future. These are the prerequisites for researchers who receive a fellowship.

Since Lundbeckfonden awarded its first fellowship back in 2007, 49 scientists have been chosen as fellows and can now add the title of Lundbeckfonden Fellow to their business card.

Consultant Per Borghammer from Aarhus University and Aarhus University Hospital was told that he had been awarded one of Lundbeckfonden’s fellowships at the end of 2015. “I’ve reached a point in my career where I’m ready to lead my own team of researchers,” Per Borghammer said when explaining his reasons for applying.

Fellowships are aimed at visionary young scientists who have gained a PhD within the past five to seven years and who have the courage and ability to take on the responsibility of a research team.

“There’s no doubt that there’s a heavy responsibility on my shoulders. Both I and the foundation expect ground-breaking results from the project so that the funds aren't wasted. But, naturally, it’s difficult to give any guarantees in advance - such is research.”

A pale small intestine can give the answer Per Borghammer’s research investigates whether Parkinson’s disease begins in the gut many years before it affects the brain.

His research is expected to give us a better understanding of Parkinson’s, among other things. The project may also pave the way for new treatment methods.

Parkinson’s disease is one of the most common neurological diseases. In Denmark, 7000 people suffer from the disease and, at a conservative guess, there are seven to ten million people living with Parkinson’s worldwide.

Per Borghammer and his colleagues have developed the world’s first method to take pictures of the nerve pathways which control, among other things, gut function.

Consequently, they can now identify whether the nerve pathways were already damaged years before symptoms develop.

“We’ve scanned over 30 patients with Parkinson’s disease and almost all scans show the same ‘pale small intestine’ compared to healthy controls. We expect to see indications of this nerve damage in the gut many years before diagnosis,” he explains.

Earlier diagnosis and better treatment He will now examine a larger number of patients who have not yet been diagnosed with Parkinson’s but who most likely will develop the disease.

“We know that a large number of patients with REM sleep behaviour disorder later develop Parkinson’s disease. By scanning these patients and following them in the subsequent years, we can investigate our hypothesis that the earliest indications of

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Monika Golas, who was born in Germany, received a fellowship five years ago: “As far as I was concerned, it was an indication that there were people who had faith in me and would like to see me stay in Denmark.”

Parkinson’s can be detected by scanning the gut,” says Per Borghammer.

The earlier the patient is diagnosed, the better the potential for treatment. If it is proven that the first signs of Parkinson’s can be seen in the gut, his method can be used to make a diagnosis much earlier than we can at present.

Five years’ thorough study Drugs have not yet been developed that can halt Parkinson’s disease. However, as soon as a treatment comes on to the market, early diagnosis will be crucial so that we can treat patients before they develop serious symptoms.

“We know very little about Parkinson’s disease before the patient is diagnosed. We need to understand what goes wrong in the early stages and improve identification of patients before they develop symptoms,” Per Borghammer explains.

His is looking forward to five years of being able to work in peace and concentrate on his research.

“A grant of this kind is hugely important for a researcher. It allows me to devote my-

self even more to my research. I usually spend a great deal of time on applications to funding bodies. It’s absolutely fantastic when a reputable foundation sees the potential in your research ideas.”

Research rather than applications for funding Monika Golas from Aarhus University is another scientist who has been able to devote herself to her research. She was awarded a Lundbeckfonden fellowship in 2011.

“The grant gave me breathing space. At the time, I was employed on a short-term contract as an assistant professor at the university. I was always under pressure to write applications and it was difficult for me to focus on the things I wanted to focus on.

It was an indication that there were people who had faith in me and would like to see me stay in Denmark,” says Monika Golas, who grew up in Germany.

She used the fellowship to set up her own research team with three post doc positions and two PhDs. “Not only does it give me time to work in peace, it means a lot to my staff on the

Lundbeckfonden’s annual magazine | #01 April 2016

We’ve scanned over 30 patients with Parkinson’s disease and almost all scans show the same ‘pale small intestine’ ...

— Per Borghammer

“A grant of this kind is hugely important for a researcher. It allows me to devote myself even more to my research,” says Per Borghammer, Lundbeckfonden fellow in 2015.

project that we have five years in which to concentrate. The long-term perspective increases our opportunities to expand our network and work across disciplines.”

Faulty cells can lead to dementia Her aim was to continue her research into molecular mechanisms together with her team. The objective was, and still is, for the results to provide a basis for discovery of new medicines for serious dementia disorders such as Huntington’s disease.

“We wanted to understand how our neurons develop from stem cells and what destroys them. This is crucial to our understanding of serious dementia disorders,” Monika Golas explains.

Even when studying for her Master’s degree, she was preoccupied with the correlation between serious diseases and their molecular mechanisms.

“If something’s wrong with the molecules, elements of cell function, or even the entire cell, get destroyed. It’s these ‘faults’ in the cells that can result in the development of neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer's and Huntington’s disease."

Results that lead to progress Although there is still one year of the project to go, Monika Golas and her colleagues have already presented a number of results.

Fellowships 2015

“We’ve succeeded in growing new neurons from stem cells in cell cultures and making them functionally active. The cells can potentially be used for cell transplants in the future. We believe that the newly formed cells from cell cultures could replace the diseased neurons in the patient's brain. The next step is to transplant the neurons into disease models.”

The aim is for the new cells to perform the tasks in the brain that the diseased neurons are no longer able to perform. With the help of their disease models, the research team can define the optimal conditions for cell transplant.

“The project has also investigated which proteins contribute to neurodegeneration.

Many drugs change the function of specific proteins in the cell by binding to these proteins. It’s significant for the development of new drugs that we understand which proteins are impaired by neurodegeneration,” Monika Golas explains.

In 2015, fellowships were awarded to: Anders Bach, PhD, assistant professor Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen Guojie Zhang, PhD, senior lecturer Centre for Social Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen.

Per Borghammer, MD, PhD, consultant Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, and Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET Centre at Aarhus University Hospital.

Simon Bekker-Jensen, PhD, senior lecturer Centre for Healthy Aging, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Copenhagen.

Sine Reker Hadrup, PhD, senior lecturer Section for Immunology and Vaccinology, National Veterinary Institute, Technical University of Denmark.

Tune Pers, PhD, post doc The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen.

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Potential for new drugs They used this knowledge to develop a cell-based system for drug screening. The team is currently in the process of testing chemical substances with the potential to become new drugs. The project also gave the research team the opportunity to work with researchers at Aarhus University Hospital.

“We’ve set up a laboratory at the hospital so that we have direct access to people who work with related issues in clinics. It enables us to exchange viewpoints and ideas and to develop joint projects,” says Monika Golas who, during this period, has progressed from her position as assistant professor to a permanent position as senior lecturer.

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Communication takes us into the engine room of science

Science communication often focuses on results and omits essential back-stage scenes that would help paint a truer picture of the research. Eske Willerslev and Linus Mørk are trying to change this.

In their documentary film trilogy, The DNA Detective, they provide a rare insight into a scientist’s successes and failures on the path to ground-breaking discoveries — Text: Siff Malue Nielsen | Photo: Zachary Halberd

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Lundbeckfonden’s annual magazine | #01 April 2016

Linus Mørk (left) in the field with Eske Willerslev during filming of The DNA Detective, seen on TV by almost 900,000 Danes.

If I can inspire and motivate others by telling my stories on screen, that’s wonderful.

— Eske Willerslev

E

ske Willerslev is now a world-famous professor and DNA researcher who regularly rewrites ancient human history. On the one hand, his research team is one of the best at extracting DNA from ancient genetic material and, on the other, Eske has a tendency to dig much deeper than his international colleagues when hunting for those hard-to-reach DNA samples. However, the road to ground-breaking results is strewn with dilemmas and controversies, which can be just as exciting for the layman to follow as the scientific discoveries themselves.

“Most people think that science is always very exact and stringent but the process that leads to discoveries is a jungle of human motives, politics, strategy, ambitions and competition,” says Linus Mørk, the director behind the production of three documentary series, all of which have been shown on national TV. Rather than trying to interest viewers in the actual research, Linus Mørk’s aim was to invite viewers into the engine room of science, to meet the people behind the research. And it was this concept that convinced Eske Willerslev to agree to the project and to apply with Linus Mørk for funding from Lundbeckfonden.

Science is a journey Today, science communication is primarily about scientific results: what our research has taught us. However, for the scientists themselves, scientific work is a laborious daily search for new data and new discoveries. It is not just a result, it’s a journey.

And Eske Willerslev soon realised, during his early years as a researcher, that the journey is often far from uncomplicated. His search for unique data was chock full of chal-

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lenges, and he often found himself in the crossfire between competing scientists and administrative interests. Scientific work is pitched in perpetual battle against time and budgets, and Eske is eager share an insight into a researcher’s daily life with the world.

“The result of the research is what's always communicated but of small concern to the scientist on a daily basis. The interminable processes, frustrations and problems we have to deal with before we end up with a published article are what we spend our time on. And the population and politicians won’t understand what a researcher does before we explain all of that,” says Eske Willerslev, who is concerned about the general lack of understanding of a researcher’s work.

Linus Mørk shares his concerns and feels that science's uniqueness will vanish if scientists only sell their successes: “When research institutions are under pressure, they only dare convey their success stories, and this can create a distance to the public. The idea behind this series was to introduce people to the actual reality of research and the sensational human adventure that it is. And I believe this may ultimately lead to the public recognition that research really deserves,” says Linus Mørk.

He is frequently contacted by people, even boys as young as ten years of age, who would like to be scientists and experience the same adventure. This is not so strange when you consider that over 880,000 Danes switched on the TV to see The DNA Detective.

“If I can inspire and motivate others by telling my stories on screen, that’s wonderful.

That’s how my career started. I was inspired

by Knud Rasmussen and his gripping tales and films about his expeditions to Greenland, but when I began my own research, it was the research itself rather than the adventure that attracted me.”

Director Linus Mørk explains that the most important point of the films was to give as many people as possible - even those who are not usually interested in science - an understanding of the importance of research and of generating new knowledge.

“You don’t have to have a personal interest in genetics to watch the films. You can just relate to Eske’s challenges and experiences.

And I think that will do more to interest people in science than any attempts to convince them that science is fascinating,” says Linus Mørk, who followed the insatiable scientist around the world for four years.

The genuine product attracts viewers The fact that Eske Willerslev plays himself in the films increases the potential of attracting the interest of viewers at home, regardless of background, age or gender. As the main character himself says: “We shouldn’t underestimate the impact of the genuine article on the population.

Presenting the actual human being, the specialist and the scientist makes it easier for the viewer to relate to what’s being explained,” says Eske Willerslev, already a role model for many.

Should scientists also communicate?

Having a camera team with you wherever you go for four years may sound exhausting but the result is solid. The series has been described as ‘some of the best and most gripping science television produced in Denmark’. On the other hand, some have questioned whether such an extensive film project meant that Eske spent too much time on communication; time which could have been spent on important research.

“It was the film team that adapted to my

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daily life rather than the other way round.

They followed me on trips that were necessary for my research projects,” says Eske Willerslev. And he hasn't been completely unproductive. During the four years of production, Eske Willerslev published 28 scientific articles in the prestigious journals Nature and Science. He points out that scientists should be just as keen to communicate their knowledge to the broad public as they are to publish their results in reputable journals. He also hopes that his message will reach the politicians.

The prevailing political winds do not favour funding of ground-breaking adventures into basic research. Politicians want efficiency improvements and basic research relevant to society, with results that benefit the health of the population.

“But it’s just as important to understand who we are and where we come from,” says Eske. He stresses that it is the scientist’s duty to communicate the importance of basic research and bring it to the attention of the politicians.

“If that means that I have to expose myself on TV every now and then - as some people would put it - then I feel it’s worth it. I hope that more scientists will join in and take to the stage to tell their stories.”

Eske Willerslev is professor of genetics and director of the Centre of Excellence in GeoGenetics at the University of Copenhagen.

In 2010, Eske Willerslev and his team were the very first to sequence the genome of an individual from an extinct culture. They used a lock of hair from a man of the Saqqaq culture who lived in Greenland 4,500 years ago.

In 2011, the team was again able to sequence a genome, this time from a lock of hair from an Australian Aborigine. The results proved that Australian Aborigines claim direct descent from early migration into Asia that began around 70,000 years ago. This is at least 24,000 years before the migration that resulted in present-day Europeans and Asians.

Linus Mørk produced and directed The DNA Detective series and is the owner of Magus Film.

When research institutions are under pressure, they only dare convey their success stories, and this can create a distance to the public. The idea behind this series was to introduce people to the actual reality of research and the sensational human adventure that it is. And I believe this may ultimately lead to the public recognition that research really deserves.

—

Behind the film: Linus Mørk followed Eske closely for four years and filmed both everyday situations and significant research moments.

The topics are controversial and there was a lot at stake for both Eske and many of the contributors. Consequently, the camera was not able to film everything and Linus staged scenes based on Eske’s reality.

This mixture of real and staged situations was then used to illustrate three main stories based on a master interview with Eske Willerslev that runs as a thread through the films.

The DNA Detective, Part 1: Dreamtime journey The DNA Detective, Part 2: The Sumerian queen’s secret The DNA Detective, Part 3: The Anzick child’s inheritance When initially broadcast, each of the three episodes was among the ten most viewed programmes on DR2.

Linus Mørk

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Lundbeckfonden’s annual magazine | #01 April 2016

From accidental discovery to research breakthrough In 2005, Lundbeckfonden injected DKK 50 million into the MIND research centre.

After ten years and a further DKK 50 million from Lundbeckfonden, the centre is being wound down. During this time, the scientists behind the centre have made headlines with ground-breaking brain research and launched several budding projects — Text: Helle Horskjær | Photo: Claus Sjödin

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T

wenty years ago, an accidental discovery led to the foundation of MIND (Membrane-receptors In Neuronal Diseases), a neuroscience research centre at Aarhus University. A laboratory trial revealed not just one but two new, hitherto uncharted proteins in the brain. Professor Claus Munck Petersen was the scientist behind the discovery. He was actually looking for something else entirely. These two proteins, sortilin and sorLa, proved to be the first two members of a previously unknown family of receptors called Vps10p-D, or simply sortilins. Sortilins are able to bind and transport substances from the cell’s surroundings and send a signal into the cell.

Claus Munck Petersen joined forces with Professor Anders Nykjær to uncover sortilin function. After a number of years and many hours in the laboratory, they discovered that sortilin, which is expressed in particular in the brains of mammals, plays a significant role in regulation of neuronal cell survival and death. The scientists’ aim was to explain the molecular structure of the receptors and to pinpoint their roles in the healthy organism and development of disease. This was the basis for their continued research.

DKK 100 million for MIND The discovery resonated with the health science community. So much so that, in 2005, Lundbeckfonden granted DKK 50 million for the foundation of the MIND research centre, to be headed by Claus Munck Petersen and Anders Nykjær. In 2011, the foundation donated a further DKK 50 million.

“The support, both the funds and the belief that we were on to something, gave us free reign to conduct our research. We had permission to follow through on our ideas,” says Anders Nykjær.

The centre also paved the way for interdisciplinary collaboration between what were then the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences and the Faculty of Science at Aarhus University and Aarhus University School of Engineering.

“We could now proceed systematically, and we slowly added more and more scientists to the centre. The fact that our research team is made up of scientists from a variety of disciplines gives us a distinctive perspective. Expertise at MIND ranges from hard-core basic research to clinical studies in genetics.”

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Malfunction can lead to ADHD In their attempts to understand the receptors, the scientists studied transgenic mice; mice whose genetic material has been engineered by either adding or removing specific genes.

“We succeeded in determining the molecular structure of the Vps10p domain, among other things. This is unique in itself and can only be found in sortilins. We also discovered that the behaviour of transgenic mice is affected when they lack these receptors in the brain,” says Anders Nykjær.

They discovered that sortilins play a role in key brain functions. Malfunction can, for instance, lead to Alzheimer's disease and various psychiatric disorders such as bipolar disease, schizophrenia and ADHD. “Strangely enough, the proteins also act outside the nervous system where they’re involved in the development of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. This was new to us and the result attracted attention worldwide.”

New knowledge for the pharmaceutical industry In 2004, Anders Nykjær co-founded NeuronIcon, the first spin-out from MIND, acquired by H. Lundbeck in 2009.

“H. Lundbeck brought to the table the expertise required to ensure successful commercial exploitation of the discoveries we’d made in a number of debilitating, psychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases,” Anders Nykjær explains.

The international pharmaceutical industry soon entered the fray when the news broke that development of type 2 diabetes may be affected by a particular protein.

“The discovery gave us lots of attention.

But we still wanted to be involved and lead the development, and that’s why we decided to found Insusense; also a spin-out. The idea is that we develop new drugs to treat diabetes and obesity.”

Insusense also entered into a partnership with Lundbeckfonden, which has now invested DKK 30 million in the company under the auspices of Lundbeckfonden Emerge.

The support, both the funds and the belief that we were on to something, gave us free reign to conduct our research.

— Anders Nykjær

the new projects generated by MIND,” says Anders Nykjær.

During the lifetime of the centre, three new assistant professorships were created, each with its own, independent research team.

“The people who’ll be continuing the research are talented and both they and the results we have presented to date make it easier to find funding for continued research,” says Anders Nykjær who is continuing his own research activities at the Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience (DANDRITE). The institute was founded by Lundbeckfonden and Aarhus University in 2013, in collaboration with the European research institution EMBL, and conducts basic and translational research into the brain and nervous system.

Research continues What began as an accidental discovery is now a completely new field of research and, today, sets the agenda in the field. MIND is the world’s most cited research team in the field. Even though MIND is closing down, the research will continue at the highest level.

“The centre has been a success. The ten years of research have borne fruit and provided both important, basic scientific insight and disease-related knowledge that can be used in the long term to develop new drugs.

We’ve established a global network and we’re regularly contacted by international scientists who would like to cooperate with us or ask our advice. We aim to continue to remain at the forefront on the strength of

Lundbeckfonden’s annual magazine | #01 April 2016

Lundbeckfonden Emerge — In 2012, Lundbeckfonden established a department named Lundbeckfonden Emerge to identify and promote commercial initiatives to develop Danish scientific results driven by inventiveness, high quality and great commercial potential.

One of Lundbeckfonden Emerge’s first investments was in Insusense, which is run by Anders Nykjær from MIND at Aarhus University.

In 2015, Lundbeckfonden decided to invest up to DKK 300 million with a view to developing a portfolio of early-stage companies over a four-year period under the auspices of Lundbeckfonden Emerge.

Centres of Excellence — Between 2005 and 2009, Lundbeckfonden established 15 scientific centres of excellence dedicated to health or natural sciences. Each of the centres received between DKK 25 and 100 million over a five-year period.

The foundation established research centres in neuroscience in 2005, quantum systems in 2006, translational science in clinical medicine in 2007, intervention research in clinical medicine in 2008 and nanomedicine in 2009.

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Three years’ research in three minutes The PhD Cup is a communication competition. Its aim is to present Danish research to a broad public by drawing attention to the most successfully communicated PhD theses from Danish universities — Text: Julie Ring-Hansen Holt | Photo: Uffe Weng, Jacob Dall and Sigrid Nygaard

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his is a lipstick. It’s my girlfriend’s lipstick and, right now, she’s sitting in the audience with bright red lips, looking delicious. These were the opening words of the three-minute speech given by last year’s winner of the PhD Cup, post doc Johan Andersen-Ranberg. The PhD Cup is organised by Danish daily Information in collaboration with the Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR) and is funded by Lundbeckfonden.

The lipstick did not actually have anything to do with his PhD but it was a clever, catchy way of introducing the audience to natural food colourants and enzyme systems; difficult concepts to explain.

And this competition is all about communicating something very complicated so that

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it appears quite simple and clear: in other words, delivering three years’ research in three minutes.

More voices The PhD Cup is a collaboration between Information, DR, the universities and Lundbeckfonden. It has been spotlighting research communication since 2013, since it is now more important than ever to be able to communicate research-based knowledge to a broad public. Competition for the media’s attention and for opportunities to speak in public is ruthless, and research issues are not high on the agenda. If you can't get your message across, you might have amazing discoveries but no-one will ever hear about them. And according to Information’s direc-

tor, Mette Davidsen-Nielsen, this is not good for us as a society.

“Good research communication equips us as a society. It raises the bar for debates and decisions and is crucial to society’s development.”

Research and education are Information’s niche. Consequently, in Mette DavidsenNielsen’s view, it is quite natural for a business that communicates knowledge to support a competition on research communication.

“We would very much like the research community to be more audible in the public debate so that it’s not just the same old crowd dragging up the same old viewpoints.”

Lundbeckfonden’s annual magazine | #01 April 2016

The candidates for the 2016 PhD Cup attended media school, which involved practical training in an authentic setting at DR.

The PhD Cup • The Cup is a collaboration between Information, DR and Lundbeckfonden • The aim is to present Danish research to a broad public by focusing attention on the most successfully communicated PhD theses in health, science and technology, humanities and social science from Danish universities • The winner receives a gift certificate for DKK 10,000 for travel, for instance to Denmark's innovation centres in Shanghai, Silicon Valley, Munich, São Paulo, New Delhi and Seoul • A team of communications experts and journalists from DR and Information select a shortlist of 30. A panel of judges selects the five finalists who will take the stage at DR on 14 April • This year, 56 students registered for the competition and the five finalists had not been selected by this magazine’s deadline

Plants and lipsticks Just like in X Factor, the five finalists take the stage in DR’s concert hall to present their projects to an audience, with an electronic backdrop to match their story.

Before the presentation, they participate in a three-day training course with DR’s host instructors. They learn to breathe from the bottom of their lungs so that their voice becomes deeper, more authoritative and credible. They practise how to move on the stage and use the simplest possible techniques. And everything is recorded so that they can see how they come across.

For example, Johan Andersen-Ranberg had a green plant and a lipstick with him on the stage which, according to the chairwoman of the PhD Cup’s panel of judges, Maja

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Horst, helped make his communication more playful.

“Johan was an extremely passionate storyteller; he radiated energy and enthusiasm,” Maja Horst remembers. Maja is a professor and head of the Department of Media, Cognition and Communication at the University of Copenhagen.

She is looking for scientists who can tell a good story with significant research content.

“All research is relevant so it’s a question of communicating it relevantly. We need to understand why it’s so obvious to spend three years studying this particular research field.”

It is also important to be able to hear that it is a scientist rather than a journalist telling the story.

“It’s important that they use their authority as a scientist and make an impact with their scientist’s voice. It’s quite alright to play on something that sets them apart; their nerdiness, introversion or obsession with numbers.” She suggests Holger Bech Nielsen as a good example of a communicator who manages to use his personality to convey his research.

According to Maja Horst, another difference between communicating like a scientist and communicating like a journalist is that scientists include some of the process in their stories.

“The scientist is the one who gets up every day for three years and may end up discovering nothing. So the story should take us into the heart of the laboratory because

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Make an impact

an important part of the research is all the things we don’t know.”

More than a competition The five finalists are portrayed in Information’s special issue 'Knowledge Race', which is published with Information and at all of the country’s universities. But for Information’s director, the competition is more than just a three-minute presentation and the award of a prize.

“For us, the Cup is an ongoing project. We hold a range of debates and events and are always on the look-out for anything we can publish. We would like to help eliminate the barrier between scientists and the public,” Mette Davidsen-Nielsen explains.

“Communicating is not something we can automatically do. We need to learn how. One of the initiatives we’ve taken to eliminate the barrier is to establish the Media School where scientists can learn all of the disciplines they need to be heard today,” she says and alludes to the intense struggle for media attention in a world in which other students, such as the English and French, are given more instruction in debate and presentation.

“All in all, it’s important to learn how to communicate research because we’re producing more and more knowledge for use in our society, and because the world is becoming increasingly complex, so it’s become more important that more of us know more.”

A nervous wreck Johan Andersen-Ranberg remembers how it was to stand on the stage of DR’s concert hall like it was yesterday.

“It was scary and I was a nervous wreck. I had a suit with me and took the metro out to the concert hall. But when I got off the metro at DR Byen, I saw my suit disappear with the train. I was so nervous!”

Good research communication equips us as a society.

It raises the bar for debates and decisions and is crucial to society’s development.

— Mette Davidsen-Nielsen CEO, Information

When his three-minute speech was over, he had no idea how it had gone. He would still encourage all other research students to talk about their research on every possible occasion and to participate in the Cup to learn how to talk with effortless ease about lice and lipstick.

“We live in a world full of problems that science needs to help solve; issues such as climate change, overpopulation and hunger. And if I can use communication to inspire some talented young students to do research, then I’ve achieved my goal,” he says.

Here's the best advice for successfully communicating your research to a broad public.

1. When you breathe in, your stomach should rise, not your chest. Otherwise, you’ll tell your brain that there’s danger ahead and this may make you short of breath and (more) nervous.

2. Your non-verbal language has a huge influence on the way your audience will perceive you. Calm (and breathing) is your best friend. Stand up straight!

3. Practise in front of people who don’t know anything about your subject.

Then, ask them to tell you what they remember and how they perceive you.

Lise Mühlhausen, host instructor at DR

Maja Horst, head of department at the Department of Media, Cognition and Communication, University of Copenhagen, and member of the panel of judges for the PhD Cup 1. Imagine who you’re talking to and begin with something they’re interested in hearing about. Even if the audience is large, there’s no harm in thinking about Uncle John. You often make a broader impact if you think specifically.

2. Dwell on your mistakes - or use them.

You’re usually among friends and we usually respect people who dare to make active use of their mistakes in their communication.

3. Talk from within - with your own voice.

If you’re a nerd, make use of that. Or if you’re obsessed with numbers or facts, work out how you can include this obsession in your communication.

Mette Davidsen-Nielsen, CEO, Information

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Lundbeckfonden’s annual magazine | #01 April 2016

Applications for millions It doesn’t take longer than a day to spend DKK 66 million.

At any rate, not if you’re a member of Lundbeckfonden’s health science evaluation panel.

We were there in the meeting when the many millions were awarded — Text: Helle Horskjær | Photo: Thomas Tolstrup

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T

wo steel tables have been wheeled into the corner of the room; towers of papers on each. Hopeful applications lie side by side. Well over 600 have trickled in. At the top table sit the people who will decide the fate of these applications: Lundbeckfonden's health science evaluation panel. The panel consists of scientists from both Denmark and abroad, all with extensive expertise in their fields of research.

Gunhild Waldemar sits at the head of the table. She is a member of the board of Lundbeckfonden and chairwoman of the foundation’s Research Committee: she directs operations. Applications appear on the screen at the other end of the room.

Then come the judges’ scores; tickets for access to funding. On the programme today

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are grants for PhD students, post doc fellowships, a special fund for secondments abroad and one for running costs.

“This is an excellent, well-written PhD project. The research team is strong and the applicant qualified. I certainly think it’s worth supporting.” Mikael Rørth explains the score he has given. He is one of the two judges for this particular application, professor at the University of Copenhagen and consultant at Copenhagen University Hospital’s Department of Oncology.

Colossal preparation and speedy dispatch All heads in the room are turned to the screen.

“Do we all agree?” asks Gunhild Waldemar.

All nod. No objections mean the grant is awarded. Next application.

“Any applicants witnessing the speed of the process may be a little alarmed, but the preparation behind the scoring is colossal.

We’ve all spent an extremely long time reading the applications and noting the salient points,” says Gunhild Waldemar during a break in the awards.

Each judge has been given 135 applications. They are scored from one to five. One is good, five is bad.

“Each application has two main judges, but everyone on the panel has access to all applications. We can't see the comments of the other judges before we’ve submitted our own, so there’s no risk of influencing each other.” Gunhild Waldemar emphasises that the panel does not evaluate any applications they may be unfit to judge.

Lundbeckfonden’s annual magazine | #01 April 2016

We follow an application from beginning to end

—

Submission of application, describing the applicant’s expectation of the project outcome

The evaluation panel reads and scores the applications individually

Before Lundbeckfonden's health science evaluation panel meets, its members have pored over more than 600 applications. The six-hour meeting is an intense affair and around 10% of the applications for grants for PhD students, post doc fellowships, secondments abroad and running costs are given the thumbs up. The panel recommends that the Board of Trustees reject 609 of the applications, while 64 make it through the eye of the needle.

The panel meets three times a year and processed a total of 1154 applications in 2015.

The evaluation panel meets to discuss the applications

The board decides whether to accept/reject the application, and the applicant is informed of the decision

Lundbeckfonden's health science evaluation panel has ten members.

Judges are appointed for a three-year period with an option to extend for a further three years. � Jan Gunnar Bjålie, head of institute, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Oslo University, Oslo, Norway. � Alastair Compston, professor, head of the neurological clinic, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, UK. � Hans Erik Bøtker, MD, professor, consultant, Department of Clinical Medicine – Department of Cardiology B, Aarhus University Hospital. � Peter Friberg, professor, consultant, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden. � Ulf Hedin, MD, PhD, professor, Department of Vascular Surgery, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden. � Sven Frøkjær, PhD, professor, associate dean, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen. � Mikael Rørth, MD, professor, consultant, Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital and the University of Copenhagen. � Mart Saarma, PhD, professor, Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki.

Three members of Lundbeckfonden’s Board of Trustees also sit on the panel:

Annual status report containing information on progress in the project

Approval of report releases the next instalment of the grant

A final report is submitted one year after payment of the final instalment

� Gunhild Waldemar, MD, chair, professor, consultant, Neurology Clinic, Copenhagen University Hospital. � Susanne Krüger Kjær, MD, professor, consultant, Gynaecology Clinic, University of Copenhagen and the Danish Cancer Society. � Professor Povl Krogsgaard-Larsen, DPharm,professor, University of Copenhagen.

After five years the Foundation requests information on the results of the project

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The health science evaluation panel meets three times a year to review hundreds of applications and distribute millions of Danish kroner.

“We’re not permitted to evaluate applicants with whom we have a connection or collaborate. When applications are distributed, the expertise and requests of our judges are always considered.”

Grants for the best Applications are processed in groups so that those with the best evaluations are discussed first. There is a ‘fine line’ when funds are allocated.

“There are an awful lot of good applications so a good score doesn't necessarily lead to a grant. Whenever we award a grant I’m convinced that the recipients are the very best but there will also be good applicants among the rejections,” she says.

When applications are evaluated, the applicant’s qualifications, quality and novelty of the project and the research environment in which the project will be conducted are taken into consideration.

The evaluation panel meets three times a year to review hundreds of applications and distribute millions of kroner. Today, there is

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broad consensus among those around the table, both on the good applications and on those that are not so strong.

“If we have applications where the judges’ scores are widely discrepant, we look at them again. Naturally, we’d love to give out more money but we feel we make a huge difference with the DKK 65 million we’re distributing today,” says Gunhild Waldemar.

“OK, as long as we leave the room by three, we should all be able to make it.”

When the clock strikes three, it’s home time.

Over the past six hours the judges have discussed each application in the pile and the funds have been allocated. The panel has selected 64 applications to be recommended to the foundation’s Board of Trustees for a final grant and suggested rejection of a further 609.

64 receive grants Back in the room, a breeze from the window wafts over whirring computers, coffee cups and bowls of sweets. There are still grants to be awarded.

Gunhild Waldemar sets the ball rolling. The panel listens intently. Several of the judges have copies peppered with yellow highlighting, others look at their screens.

The first grant is awarded within minutes.

Fingers clatter on a keyboard. Finances are updated.

“When’s your flight?” Gunhild Waldemar also has to keep to a schedule.

Lundbeckfonden’s annual magazine | #01 April 2016

The good teacher makes an impression

for life

There are some teachers whose commitment, methods or good spirits become fixed in our hearts and minds for ever. These teachers are honoured each year with the Politiken Prize for Teaching, funded by Lundbeckfonden — Text: Julie Ring-Hansen Holt | Photo: Jens Dresling and Daniel Hjorth

I

t’s much easier to motivate your students if you find teaching fun. And if you’re having a bad day, fake it! This is Henning Afzelius’ recipe for success. He won the prize in 2014 in the category of ‘Upper Secondary Schools’.

“The key for me is that I have to find it fun myself and I must be motivated. Otherwise, I’ve no chance of motivating the students,” he says.

Henning Afzelius makes a virtue of identifying why his students need to learn the part of the curriculum he is on his way into the classroom to teach. He believes that they need to understand why it is relevant for them before they can understand how it will help them become independent members of society.

Sometimes, this means using advertising flyers in his lessons or calculating the ‘cost per mile’ of a low-energy bulb to make the relevance more clear, and that is precisely why the students at Nørre G nominated Henning Afzelius.

“This is the greatest thing that’s happened to me in my career; a pat on the back from my ‘customers’,” says the mathematics, physics and astronomy teacher who always bows to his students when they enter the classroom because he believes that it is easier to create a respectful learning environment when teacher and students have looked each other in the eye.

Respect for the good teacher For the fourth consecutive year, Politiken and Lundbeckfonden are honouring some of the country’s best teachers in schools and vocational colleges by drawing attention to good examples, good teachers and good tuition with the Politiken Prize for Teaching.

On 1 March, students, parents, rectors, head teachers and colleagues, among others, were invited to nominate a teacher (or teaching team) who has improved class-

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room climate by means of humour and laughter or has given students the desire to learn more than merely German vocabulary or mathematical formulas.

Politiken’s editor-in-chief, Bo Lidegaard, tells us that the aim of the prize, funded by Lundbeckfonden, is to help draw attention to the school's vital role in the development of the individual and as part of the foundation of democratic society.

“Being a teacher is not ‘just a job’. It requires special dedication and insight into the situation, abilities and prerequisites of the individual student,” he says.

“There’s a great deal of focus on the problems in our schools so the aim of our Prize for Teaching was to help acknowledge some of the many things that actually work at our schools on a daily basis. It’s also about restoring respect for the good teacher,” Bo Lidegaard explains.

Courage to experiment Two professional panels of impartial experts identify the winners in the various cate-

gories. The panels focus on expertise in teaching methods, such as the methods Henning Afzelius applies at Nørre G to explain the relevance of the curriculum to his students. He himself calls these methods experiments.

“This award confirms that many of my experiments were successful. It’s given me more courage to experiment,” says the 46-year-old teacher. He is always a little apprehensive when he introduces new ideas to his teaching because the education of young people is at stake.

“But I don’t just repeat what I did last year because I’m afraid I’ll fall asleep and it will become routine. I have to keep myself awake because there are new students every year and each class is different, so I need to make an effort to work out how to motivate them.”

The award has also given Henning Afzelius more courage to speak out when his teaching colleagues discuss what works in class.

”It’s about restoring respect for the good teacher,” Bo Lidegaard, Politiken’s editor-in-chief, says.

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The key for me is that I have to find it fun myself and I must be motivated.

Otherwise, I’ve no chance of motivating the students. — Henning Afzelius winner of the Prize for Teaching in 2014.

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“I’m more open, and the award has made me realise that it’s not just me and the classroom when I teach. There’s a network of subjects and teachers,” says Henning who, this year, will be teaching other teachers how to communicate science at Politiken and Lundbeckfonden's new teacher-to-teacher courses. These in-service training courses gather all of the good experience gained over the three years in which the Prize for Teaching has been awarded and use it to make other teachers even better. The courses are free and have just been launched.

45 minutes of lessons Bo Lidegaard explains that it is precisely this kind of courage and motivation that the Politiken Prize for Teaching aims to nurture and appreciate.

“Good teaching materialises when a talented teacher and his or her students meet.

There’s no simple formula and no standard that suits everyone. But teachers can learn from each other’s experiences and be inspired when they hear about specific teaching programmes that have worked particularly well,” says the editor-in-chief who remembers being told off by his mathematics teacher, being inspired by his history teacher and his biology teacher who came to the class’s first biology lesson with a bag full of live baby cod, a pile of old newspapers and scalpels for all the students. The project was to find the heart, liver and stomach and work out what it lived from.

“There was much squealing and screaming and we realised that a whole new world was opening up. I still vividly remember that lesson. We all learned the basic anatomy of the fish - and that it’s alive until you kill it. Lots of lessons in 45 minutes.”

Prize ceremony Each of the winners of the three main awards receives DKK 75,000. Six special prizes are also awarded to the tune of DKK 25,000 each. The only requirement is that the winners spend a third of the prize money either on projects at the school or on a training course of the teacher’s choice.

This could, for example, be a project such as the one chosen by Henning Afzelius and Nørre G. “We channelled the money into some workshops on how to structure teaching resources better, so that cut backs don’t affect the students,” says the maths and physics teacher, and he can contribute to his own field here.

“In general, there are too many students who fail B-level maths. This means that we need to allocate resources to resits. Our goal is to ensure that all students pass first time.”

All candidates are presented on politiken. dk, and the winners will be honoured at a prize ceremony at Politikens Hus.

• The Politiken Prize for Teaching is a collaboration between Politiken and Lundbeckfonden and has been awarded every year since 2013.

• Each of the winners of the three main awards receives DKK 75,000. The three categories are: primary and lower secondary schools, upper secondary schools and vocational colleges.

• Six special prizes are also awarded to the tune of DKK 25,000 each.

• The only requirement is that the winners spend a third of the prize money either on projects at the school or on a training course of the teacher’s choice.

• The winners are honoured at a prize ceremony at Politikens Hus in May.

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Talent prizes for the elite Every one of the young and talented researchers honoured each year by Lundbeckfonden’s Research Prize for Young Scientists or Talent Prize has a bag full of ambition. These awards are visible proof that their research has resonated with the scientific community — Text: Helle Horskjær | Photo: Pernille Ringsing and Lars Kruse/Aarhus University

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Lundbeckfonden’s annual magazine | #01 April 2016

A

lthough Sigrún Johánnesdóttirs Schmidt’s birth certificate confirms that she was born in1988, she has already been noticed in the health science arena. In fact, she has made such an impression that in 2015 she walked off with one of Lundbeckfonden's five talent prizes. It was Allan Flyvbjerg, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Aarhus University, who nominated Sigrún Schmidt for this prize, which is awarded once a year to young scientists under 30 who have ‘produced particularly promising research in health science’.

“This is an award that spotlights and recognises the efforts of young scientists. It highlights a young scientist’s path towards the scientific elite,” says Allan Flyvbjerg.

It is not possible to apply for the Research Prize for Young Scientists or Talent Prize.

Leading scientists at the Danish research institutions put forward candidates.

Only the very best are nominated Ultimately, Lundbeckfonden's Research Committee names the prizewinners; all scientists who’ve made an extraordinary effort early on in their research career.

"I meet many talented young scientists and some stand out from the rest. Sigrún is one of them. In spite of her young age, she has already made significant contributions to her field of research. I’m in no doubt whatsoever that we’ll see and hear much more of her in the future,” says Allan Flyvbjerg.

Sigrún Schmidt qualified as a doctor at Aarhus University and, since 1 February 2014, has been registered as a PhD student, studying herpes zoster infections and their incidence, risk factors and prognosis in Denmark.

According to Sigrún Schmidt, this award increases her motivation to continue her research.

“I’m still at the beginning of my career and there are so many talented young scientists in Denmark. So, of course, I’m very proud and honoured to be one of the recipients of this award. This is a huge recognition of the work I and my colleagues do.”

All options are open Sigrún Schmidt hopes and believes that the prize will pave the way for new career opportunities. She would like a job combining clinical work with research.

Top: In 2015, Sigrún Schmidt received one of Lundbeckfonden's three talent prizes of DKK 100,000 each.

Left: The four winners of Lundbeckfonden’s talent prizes in 2015.

Right: Robert A. Fenton received the Research Prize for Young Scientists of DKK 300,000 in 2015.

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About the Research Prize for Young Scientists and the Talent Prize In 2001, Lundbeckfonden established a research prize for young scientists under 40. This prize is awarded to ‘a particularly promising scientist who has produced outstanding research in health science’. It is a personal honorary award of DKK 300,000, bestowed once a year. In 2015, it went to Robert A Fenton from Aarhus University.

In 2002, the Talent Prize was awarded for the first time to three particularly talented young scientists under 30. This prize is awarded to scientists who have ‘produced particularly promising research in health science’ and is a personal honorary award of DKK 100,000. In 2015, prizes went to Kristoffer Andresen, doctor and PhD student, University of Copenhagen, Sigrún Schmidt, doctor and PhD student, Aarhus University, Christian Ovesen, medical student, University of Copenhagen, and Anton Pottegård, PhD and post doc, University of Southern Denmark.

This is an award that spotlights and recognises the efforts of young scientists. It highlights a young scientist’s path towards the scientific elite.

— Allan Flyvbjerg Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Aarhus University

“I believe that my experience as a researcher can make me a better doctor, and vice versa; that the clinical work will be able to stimulate new ideas for unresearched fields. But a combined position of this kind requires a certain capability for research and, not least, the ability to acquire funding. I hope that this prize will increase my chances of this.”

Between 2010 and 2011, she completed a research year at the Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Aarhus University. Since then she has been attached to the department while continuing her medical training. There

have also been research visits to Ohio State University in Columbus and the California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute in San Francisco. On 1 December 2015, Sigrún Schmidt moved to London for six months’ research at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

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Meet the staff of Lundbeckfonden’s research grants department — Photo: Thomas Tolstrup

As Director of Research, Anne-Marie Engel has been head of the research grants department for almost ten years. As a doctor and PhD, she worked for a number of years as a researcher at the University of Copenhagen. Consequently, she speaks the same language as many of the health science researchers who are the main recipients of Lundbeckfonden's annual grants of up to DKK 500 million.

Enno Hoffmann-Dose has been with Lundbeckfonden since June 2014 and was recently appointed Head of Grant Strategy and Policy. Like many political science graduates, he has a past in central government, at the Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science. He now helps plan the grant strategy and influence the foundation’s role as an active social player.

Kirsten Ljungdahl is the department’s secretary. She joined the foundation in 2001. Consequently, she has been with it the longest and manages internal procedures crucial to the grant allocation activities with a firm but loving hand.

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Lundbeckfonden’s annual magazine | #01 April 2016

Ulla Jakobsen is science manager and the person most people talk to when they call the foundation with questions about grants. She has been with the foundation for seven years and is an expert in Lundbeckfonden’s digital applications system, LANAS.

Lars Grindsted is the newest addition to the department. As Head of Grant Operations from 1 May 2016, he will further develop and optimise the foundation’s application and evaluation processes. Lars is a qualified geologist and joins Lundbeckfonden from a position at the Danish Agency for Science, Technology and Innovation where, among other things, he was responsible for the Danish Council for Independent Research for many years. His office was not quite finished when the photographs were taken.

Sissel Vorstrup is a doctor and specialist in neurology and was previously a head of department at Copenhagen University Hospital. Since Sissel joined Lundbeckfonden in 2010, she has helped develop many of our major strategic projects and is a valued sounding board for potential applicants.

Camilla Bank Friis is a sociology student, currently studying for her Masters degree. She is a highly valued student assistant in the department, and numerous and varied tasks end up on her desk.

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Her Majesty Queen Margrethe presents the prize to Professor Christine Petit (left), one of the two recipients in 2012, for her research into hereditary deafness.

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Lundbeckfonden’s annual magazine | #01 April 2016

The world’s largest brain prize is Danish Lundbeckfonden's most prestigious award, The Brain Prize, is the world’s largest brain research prize. Our ambition with this prize is clear: to make Denmark the world’s strongest brain research nation — Text: Helle Horskjær | Photo: Jesper Ludvigsen and Thomas Tolstrup

O

nly a few years ago, an idea was hatched in Lundbeckfonden's board room: Denmark ought to have an ambitious prize for brain research. The Brain Prize was awarded for the first time in 2011, and in a few short years the prize has become known as the most distinguished brain prize in the world.

“The prize is awarded for scientific work that has had a ground-breaking impact on brain research. The scientists who receive the prize have accomplished outstanding achievements,” explains Kim Krogsgaard, director of The Brain Prize.

The prize is awarded with a cheque for 1 million euros, or around 7.5 million Danish kroner.

Building bridges The prize is a flagship for Lundbeckfonden and has already reverberated throughout the scientific community, both in Denmark and abroad.

“We’ve awarded the prize five times and we can see that it’s had a major impact on Denmark and Danish brain research,” Kim Krogsgaard explains.

In addition to receiving the prize, recipients agree to come to Denmark and share their knowledge.

The Brain Prize also forges invaluable ties.

The winners are required to make themselves available to Danish brain research in the year after the award and this gives Danish brain researchers the opportunity to generate networks and learn from top international scientists.”

Inspiration for Danish scientists Each year, the Foundation plans an outreach programme in collaboration with the Danish Society for Neuroscience and the country’s three largest universities: Aarhus University, the University of Copenhagen and the University of Southern Denmark.

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“Among other things, we hold an annual meeting with the winners and invite both Danish and foreign brain researchers. Young Danish scientists present their research at the meeting and a junior version of The Brain Prize is awarded,” Kim Krogsgaard explains.

The Brain Prize winners also participate in neuroscience seminars at the three universities.

“The aim of the prize is to inspire Danish scientists and to stimulate interaction and relations between Danish and European brain research,” says Kim Krogsgaard.

Kim Krogsgaard has been director for The Brain Prize since it was established in 2010.

Research on the world map The Brain Prize is certainly already well on track; that is, if you ask Maiken Nedergaard, professor at the Center for Basic and Translational Neuroscience at the University of Copenhagen and one of Denmark's most prominent brain researchers.

“My international colleagues are becoming increasingly aware of The Brain Prize. It makes an immense difference to Danish research and, most importantly, it gives Danish research international recognition.”

The prize has not yet been awarded to a Dane, but Maiken Nedergaard hopes and believes that Danish prizewinners will come.

“The field is strong internationally and the level extremely high but, hopefully, there’ll be Danish prizewinners in the future,” she says.

Over the past couple of years, there have been 100 candidates for The Brain Prize.

“Candidates are nominated by their peers who are then required to provide a professional argument for the nomination. All nominees within a three-year period are in the running for the prize. A selection committee recommends its choice to the board of directors, which then makes the final decision. The prize can be shared,” explains Kim Krogsgaard who, since 2011, has been involved in rewarding 18 scientists for their scientific merits.

The first women In general, prizes are awarded to scientists and projects for outstanding and remarkable results rather than for exciting ideas, the results of which have not yet been seen.

However, receiving the prize is not merely a retrospective event, it can majorly impact the recipient’s future research career. In 2012, The Brain Prize was awarded to Professor Karen Steel from the UK and Professor Christine Petit from France for their research into hereditary deafness. They were also the first, and so far only, female recipients of the prize.

“This very prestigious prize has been a huge source of encouragement and enabled me to research into fields beyond the peripheral auditory system, in particular auditory perception and cognition,” says Christine Petit.

Christine is a specialist in human genetics.

She is head of Genetics & Physiology of Hearing at the Pasteur Institute and professor at the Collège de France, both in Paris.

“The prize has helped me start up an interdisciplinary research institute in Paris. It has also given me the opportunity to initiate studies that require funding on a scale impossible by traditional means,” she explains.

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Health data – horror or delight?

We brought together a professor of general medicine and a lawyer to respond to some of the population’s concerns about the use of personal health data — Text: Siff Malue Nielsen | Photo: Anders Kristensen

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Lundbeckfonden’s annual magazine | #01 April 2016

D

enmark has some of the world’s best health registers, clinical databases and bio-banks. Together with our civil registration number, they help enable us to gain unique knowledge of each individual citizen. The use of citizens’ health data is a recurring topic in the public debate, and opinion is divided between those who are thrilled at the increasing potential for conducting serious research for the benefit of society and the individual and those who are concerned that data will be misused, for instance, for commercial purposes.

During the course of 2015, Professor Mogens Vestergaard, doctor and researcher, and Birgitte Kofod Olsen, PhD and lawyer, have debated these dilemmas at the Lundbeckfonden Lectures in both Aarhus and Copenhagen. We brought them together on a cold winter’s day to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the digitalised world’s increasing potential for collecting and sharing the population’s health data.

If I say ‘health data’, is your reaction ‘horror’ or ‘delight’?

There’s always a risk of security breach and misuse when we’re dealing with digitalisation and technology.

But we’re getting so good at protecting our data that the probability of a leak is small.

What are health data?

— Health data are the details the patient gives when he or she is in contact with the health service, i.e. diagnoses, blood test results, medication, etc.

Health data are sensitive personal details which, in principle, should not be processed without consent or unless there is a legitimate reason for doing so.

Health data also include: • non-medical details related to the physical or mental state of a specific person, collected over a period of time • non-medical details that are processed or evaluated in a medical context or for medical purposes • non-medical data combined with other data indicating a person’s state of health • conclusions about a person’s state of health based on the collected data

— Mogens: “I like the idea of us all sharing some of the details of our state of health. If data are collected safely and analysed methodically, it could benefit both the individual and the health service in the long term.

On the other hand, it’s important to consider whether the growing volume of information now available about each and every individual sets the stage for dilemmas and challenges. Data have come to stay and are a resource but can also be misused.”

Birgitte: “I also start by saying ‘delight’ because the volume of data we have on the population harbours so much potential. It enables us to improve treatment and prevent disease. Ultimately, it could also be of economic benefit to society.

On the other hand, it also frightens me because we can connect health data to big data, which is everything else that is collected about us: how we behave on the net, our social and geographical situation, what we put in our shopping basket, whether we visit the gym, and so on. The combination may interest commercial businesses because they can use it to draw up extremely precise profiles of each customer or patient.

One nightmare scenario would be if insurance companies began systematically taking data from the public health sector and comparing them with health data provided by their customers with the aim of reducing premiums. This would enable insurance companies to assess the risk of each customer and that could certainly lead to discrimination. The same could apply within the health system.”

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Birgitte Kofod Olsen

Who actually has the right to ‘our’ health data?

Birgitte: “Data belong to the private sphere.

In exactly the same way as ‘I own myself, my body, my possessions’, I own my health data. This means that anyone who wishes to use our health data must ask for informed consent unless there is legal basis for collecting data, or it could be argued that society’s interest in our health data is more important than concern for the patient or individual citizen.”

Mogens: “Informed consent is crucial when it comes to research trials that may actually pose a risk to the participating patients. On the other hand, I do recognise a challenge with regard to registry research based on data that have already been collected and, consequently, don’t entail a risk for the individual. In such cases, informed consent only makes studies expensive, difficult and error-prone.

It’s an almost impossible task to acquire the consent of all of a study’s participants.

Some of the patients could, quite simply, be dead. But more often than not, when we send out a consent form, those who give their consent for us to use their data for research are the advantaged, the healthy, the better off and better educated. Whereas the elderly, those with multiple illnesses, people with psychological disorders or dementia

What are personal data?

— Personal data are details associated with an identified person or a person who is identifiable. One of the conditions for processing personal data is that there is legal basis for doing so, for instance the consent of the person to whom the data are related.

What is informed consent?

— Informed consent is approval or consent given based on adequate and understandable information provided by a health professional.

What are Lundbeckfonden Lectures?

— Lundbeckfonden organises a wide range of lectures with the aim of generating debate and raising the public’s awareness of Danish research. Some of the country’s leading scientists give us interesting perspectives on the latest, cutting-edge research.

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or those who are disadvantaged don’t tend to read the paperwork and don’t give their consent. And these are the people we really want to know about.

And therein lies the problem. We end up analysing a selected target group and that can skew the results. Imagine what would happen if doctors and politicians allowed themselves to be guided by incorrect results and implemented treatments that are not beneficial for the entire patient group or, in the worst case, could be harmful. Ultimately, it could have a huge impact on society and the population.”

Birgitte: “One way of getting round the problem would be to introduce ‘privacy by design’, which means that we encrypt data to prevent identification of the individual to whom the data belong. The civil registration number (CPR number) could be replaced by a serial number or depersonalised in some other way so that it’s not immediately obvious who the person is. The concern is that data could be used to locate Mr and Mrs Smith at 14 Main Street. The technology for avoiding this is complicated but the question is whether society is ready to use this method.”

Surely there’s still a danger of misuse, even if data is encrypted?

Birgitte: “There’s always a risk of security breach and misuse when we’re dealing with digitalisation and technology. But we’re getting so good at protecting our data that the probability of a leak is small. In general, I believe that we should try to dispel the fear of misuse of health data.

The population is actually very willing to share data and gives surprisingly little con-

If data are collected safely and analysed methodically, it could benefit both the individual and the health service in the long term.

— Mogens Vestergaard

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Birgitte Kofod-Olsen and Mogens Vestergaard met on a cold winter’s day to discuss the many dilemmas that arise when talk turns to health data and how it can be used.

sideration to protection of their privacy. The Danish people have a tendency to think that ‘politicians probably have that under control and if they use our data it’s to give us better and more effective forms of treatment’. It might be in our interest to be a little more sceptical here and, at least, ask how they’re using our data.”

Isn’t it just a question of ignorance that we don’t know how and with whom we share our data?

Birgitte: “Yes, I think we need to be better at getting the population on the bandwagon.

The legal side of things is in place and, for the most part, the technology and IT security are too, but people need to trust that their data are safely protected. They need to know how their data are being used; how the state ensures that misuse is prevented.

This would make it easier to get consent.

Let’s make use of technology for once and develop an app that sends us a text message after each visit to the doctor asking for our consent to share certain data; just like we’re asked to consent to use of cookies.

Maybe the use of health data should be a mandatory element of the school curriculum; both how such data can benefit society and how we can protect ourselves.”

Can you understand why people are so concerned about data?

Mogens: “Yes, I can. There have been some unfortunate cases that have been given a lot of attention in the media. I actually think that the media have done their bit to whip up the hysteria and, over the past few years, the focus has mainly been on the disadvantages. It’s time to turn the tide and showcase some of the benefits.”

doctor who had access to these data.

Secondly, digitalisation has enabled data sharing and, consequently, optimisation of a patient’s treatment. It can save a life if an allergy to penicillin is noted in the system.

Thirdly, all health data should be seen as experience from which we can gain. Imagine if it wasn't possible to share data. The doctor would only have his own experience to work from. Data is now being collected and organised, which means that our health service is getting more intelligent by the minute. It’s essential that the health service gets cleverer each time a patient is treated.

We need to learn from both the good and the bad procedures.

Lastly, health data form the basis of all good research. The more data we have to work with, the better and more applicable the results because the results can be transferred to the real world for the benefit of the population.”

Birgitte: “I also believe that it’s a great advantage to be able to share data with, for example, pharmaceutical companies. It’s merely a question of conducting as much research as possible for the benefit of us all.

If health data are depersonalised, we could even consider sharing them with grocery chains which could create supermarkets promoting preventative measures and providing goods that suit the health conditions of their customer base. It’s win-win.

There’s huge potential in health data but if we’re to ensure that they remain in a controlled setting security must be tight, data must not be attributable to individuals and the population must know how their data are being used. Otherwise, we overstep the boundary to the private sphere and breach legislation.”

So, what are the benefits?

Mogens: “There are at least four benefits: First of all, patients can gain insight into their own state of health and have easier access to their own personal data. It gives patients a feeling of ownership of their course of treatment. It used to be only the

Lundbeckfonden’s annual magazine | #01 April 2016