Postdoc Jean Farup has received DKK 213,120 from the Riisfort Foundation. The grant will be used for expanded analyses of the stem cells in muscles.

2016.05.26 | Ida Kellemann Thomsen

Postdoc Jean Farup has received DKK 213,120 from the Riisfort Foundation. The grant will be used for expanded analyses of the stem cells in muscles. Photo: Lars Kruse, Aarhus University

At the Department of Clinical Medicine, thirty-one-year-old postdoc Jean Farup can now delve deeper into his research. As a muscle physiologist, he is particularly interested in how muscle function is affected during illness. A grant of of DKK 213,120 from the Riisfort Foundation gives him the opportunity to carry out more and even better analyses as part of his project.

Jean Farup’s studies examine the stem cells that are found in the body's skeletal muscles. Skeletal muscles are the muscles which we can ourselves control the movements of, and which are therefore necessary for us to be active in everyday life. Jean Farup examines the role played by the stem cells of these muscles when a person is ill. Some diseases such as Type 2 diabetes can have a negative impact on the functioning of stem cells and the way in which they affect the muscles.

Sophisticated analyses

"The research is interesting in connection with many different diseases, as these are often characterised by a deterioration of the muscular metabolism and mechanical function. However, it has a direct significance for overweight people and patients with Type 2 diabetes," says Jean Farup.

He is happy to receive the grant from the Riisfort Foundation, which in his words gives him the opportunity to make new discoveries in an attempt to understand how stem cells are regulated in the muscles. The grant makes it possible to carry out more sophisticated analyses, helping to increase the quality of a project even more.

"As a researcher, it’s great when other people can see the idea of the research and are willing to provide the necessary support," says the happy grant recipient.

Jean Farup’s grant is also supported by a Sapere Aude postdoc grant from the Danish Council for Independent Research.

Further information:

Postdoc, PhD Jean Farup
Aarhus University, Department of Clinical Medicine and
Aarhus University Hospital, Research Laboratory for Biochemical Pathology
Mobile: (+45) 2292 7972
jean@clin.au.dk