The PhD students at Health have named Professor Jens Cosedis Nielsen from the Department of Clinical Medicine as the year’s best supervisor.

2016.02.08 | Malene Løvig Nielsen

Jens Cosedis Nielsen has been principal supervisor for PhD students since 2008 and has thus far sent nine PhD students out into the world.

Despite a busy work schedule, finding time to explain and discuss our research projects remains a top priority, and he sets aside the necessary time to meet when a problem arises in the PhD project. (...) Jens Cosedis Nielsen is deeply committed to our education and scientific training. He actively suggests new courses that we can participate in. He encourages us to participate in national and international conferences in our field. (...) He supports us in continuing our scientific work after our PhD and plays an active role in planning future tasks.

These are some of the comments from Jens Cosedis Nielsen's current and former PhD students, who nominated him for the JCD award as supervisor of the year at Health. The presentation of the award takes place in connection with the annual PhD Day at Health. The award is named after the former head of department of Clinical Medicine, Professor, DMSc Jens Christian Djurhuus, and was established to recognise outstanding PhD supervisors at the faculty. And this year the award goes to Jens Cosedis Nielsen.

"It’s a great honour to receive this award. In my position, one of the greatest pleasures is to see how young doctors grow from having a desire to carry out research to being able to independently devise, implement and publish scientific projects in the course of a 3-5 year PhD," says Jens Cosedis Nielsen.

Jens Cosedis Nielsen has been principal supervisor for PhD students since 2008 and has thus far sent nine PhD students out into the world. He has been supervisor for five research year students and is currently supervisor for five PhD students and a single research year student.

Dedicates time and energy to supervision

For Jens Cosedis Nielsen, it is important that the PhD student can always come to him with issues that arise during the project.

"As a supervisor I make a point of devoting enough time and energy to supervising all my PhD students. My door is always open, and when I'm not present at the department, they can always go to others in the research group with any minor problems. This also helps them to feel that they’re part of the research group during the whole of their project," he explains.

Three times each semester Jens Cosedis Nielsen arranges a morning meeting together with the PhD students, at which the department’s PhD students, post-docs and clinicians meet.

"At the morning meetings we discuss formal and informal topics. We also meet once a year in the group at an evening event with an academic programme and where we eat together. These kinds of events help to promote knowledge sharing and collaboration between the PhD students," says Jens Cosedis Nielsen.

The JCD prize has been awarded annually since 2012. The prize is awarded by the PhD Association in close collaboration with the Graduate School of Health. The prize winner also receives DKK 25,000.

Further information

Professor Jens Cosedis Nielsen
Aarhus University, Department of Clinical Medicine and
Aarhus University Hospital, Department of Cardiology
jens.cosedis.nielsen@clin.au.dk
Direct tel.: (+45) 7845 2039