He delivers impressive research results and is an unusual research talent. These are among the grounds for Associate Professor, MD, PhD, Ebbe Bødtkjer from Aarhus University, Health, today receiving the Jens Christian Skou Award 2019.

2019.10.04 | Sabina Bjerre Hansen

Dean Lars Bo Nielsen presents the Jens Christian Skou Award 2019 to Ebbe Bødtkjer. Photo: Lars Kruse/AU.

While still a student, Ebbe Bødtkjer from the Department of Biomedicine was captivated by the human body’s fascinating ability to adapt to diseases. His particular field is the circulatory system and cancer research. He is also an extraordinarily focused and talented researcher. Otherwise, he would not receive the faculty’s most distinguished award, established in the name of Nobel Prize Laureate Jens Christian Skou, and reserved for the most talented younger researchers.

The award was presented on Friday afternoon by the Dean of the Faculty of Health, Lars Bo Nielsen, who used his speech to underline how Ebbe Bødtkjer’s research is based on scientific values that closely mirror those of Jens Christian Skou: ambition, diligence and curiosity.

“Over the past decade you’ve become a pioneer in both cardiovascular diseases and breast cancer, and you’ve made a significant contribution to our understanding of how diseases develop and even discovered new methods that, in the long term, can lead to better treatment,” said Lars Bo Nielsen.

Started in the same place

Ebbe Bødtkjer started his career at the department, where Jens Christian Skou had his impressive research career.

“I’ve always regarded Jens Christian Skou as a role model. He was more than a groundbreaking researcher. He was engaged in research policy and fought for non-targeted research. So it’s a great honour to receive an award named after him,” said the award winner.

"The award also brings positive awareness and I'm grateful for that. This is crucial for being able to attract funding and establish ambitious research partnerships with the most talented researchers at home and abroad,” says Bødtkjer, who – in addition to being honoured with the award – also receives DKK 100,000. He will use the money to establish new microscopy techniques in the laboratory which can benefit future research projects.

Ebbe Bødtkjer is the fourth recipient of the Jens Christian Skou Award, which was presented for the first time in 2016.

Contact

Associate Professor, MD, PhD Ebbe Bødtkjer
Aarhus University, Department of Biomedicine
Mobile: (+45) 24 87 02 40
Email: eb@biomed.au.dk

Read more about Ebbe Bødtkjer and his research in the portrait article (incl. a video interview) at the faculty’s staff site.

About the Jens Christian Skou Award

Each year in October, Health presents the Jens Christian Skou award to a younger researcher who is among the international elite. A researcher who is extraordinarily talented within his or her field of research, and who is both creative and productive. Last year, the Skou award went to Associate Professor, Medical Specialist and PhD Maiken Stilling from the Department of Clinical Medicine.

Health’s five department heads are the only people who can nominate candidates for the Jens Christian Skou Award and each candidate must meet a range of criteria. It is not possible to apply for the award.