DKK 177 million goes to six of Denmark’s most outstanding professors of neuroscience
The Lundbeck Foundation is awarding its 2021 LF Professorships, and six projects representing brain research with ground-breaking potential are receiving funding.
Freedom and time are two of the most important ingredients of a successful research environment.
The freedom to define a hypothesis and to design the project you want to work on – and time to unearth new knowledge.
However, for researchers to have the necessary time and freedom, they must have funding – this is a third key ingredient. And if the research projects are large, lasting six years or more, lots of money is needed.
Every second year, the Lundbeck Foundation awards a number of grants under the LF Professorships programme for this exact type of neuroscience project.
Applicants for an LF Professorship need to be conducting research at professorship level at a non-commercial Danish research institution – in practice, a hospital or university – and they can apply for up to DKK 40 million, to be paid out over a period of six years.
Neuroscience – brain research – is the Lundbeck Foundation's special focus area, and Scientific Programme Director for the Lundbeck Foundation’s strategic programmes, Lars Torup, explains that LF Professorships play an important role:
‘The Lundbeck Foundation's ambition is to make Denmark one of the world’s leading neuroscience nations. One element of our strategy is to work towards this goal by supporting some of the extremely strong profiles within Danish neuroscience with one of these major grants. This gives talented researchers at professorship level the chance to conduct research with ground-breaking potential. It also enables them to develop an inspiring research environment. However, one of the key elements of the LF Professorships is the recipients’ commitment to training the next generation of researchers by involving younger colleagues in their projects.’
When LF Professorships were awarded last, in 2019, six researchers received a grant, and the same applies this year.
As Torup explains, the six projects selected by a panel of international peers are each extremely exciting in their own way.
‘They represent a broad array of key neuroscience topics, from questions about how Parkinson’s disease is actually caused to which role the neurotransmitter and reward chemical dopamine plays in both behaviour and brain disease.’
Recipients of the 2021 LF Professorships
Has received a Lundbeck Foundation LF Professorships research grant worth DKK 36,175,638.
Professor Finnerup seeks to understand the molecular mechanisms associated with pain caused by nerve injury (neuropathic pain). Nerve injury can be caused, for instance, by a stroke or in connection with spinal cord injuries, and the pain can be extremely difficult to treat with medication. During her research project, Professor Finnerup will study genetic factors that may increase the risk of developing neuropathic pain caused by nerve injury, the aim being, in time, to contribute to design of precision medicine.
Has received a Lundbeck Foundation LF Professorships research grant worth DKK 28,232,500.
Professor Paludan’s research focuses on disease prevention and the immune system, including the defence mechanisms in the brain intended to prevent brain damage caused by viral infections. Professor Paludan has identified a hitherto unknown defence against virus attacks in the brain. He will make use of this project to study this defence mechanism. He will also seek to identify any correlations between virus infections in the brain and neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease.
Has been awarded a Lundbeck Foundation LF Professorships research grant worth DKK 29,984,865.
Professor Borghammer’s research focuses on the neurodegenerative disease Parkinson's as well as other Parkinson's-like disorders. One of the key aspects of his research is the question of where Parkinson's originates. Professor Borghammer’s hypothesis is that the disease either begins in the brain and works its way out from there into the body, or it begins in the digestive system and works its way up into the brain. His project will incorporate a wide range of studies, including PET scans of patients, sleep research, analyses of urine and faeces, and studies of the brains of deceased individuals.
Has received a Lundbeck Foundation LF Professorships research grant worth DKK 28,717,253.
Professor Issazadeh-Navikas’ research focuses among other things on mitochondrial DNA damage, i.e. damage to the genetic material in the “energy factories” of our cells. The hypothesis she seeks to study in her research project relates specifically to this type of damage. Professor Issazadeh-Navikas will investigate whether this damage can spread from cell to cell within the brain and result in pronounced cell death.
Has received a Lundbeck Foundation LF Professorships research grant worth DKK 39,998,934.
Professor Gether conducts research on neurotransmitters and receptors in the brain. Among other things, he is studying the impact these mechanisms have on disease, and how they may be influenced by drugs. In his project, Professor Gether will use highly sophisticated molecular investigative techniques to gain new insights into the basic role of dopamine – one of the brain’s neurotransmitters, also known as a reward chemical – in behaviour and brain disease.
Has received a Lundbeck Foundation LF Professorships research grant worth DKK 14,851,880.
Professor Mathiesen specialises in the treatment of meningioma, the most common form of brain tumour. These occur in the meninges – the tissue surrounding the brain – and are usually benign. Meningiomas can also appear around the spinal cord. Once the tumour has been surgically removed, a new, benign tumour will often appear 10–12 years later, accompanied by a range of problems such as epileptic seizures and psychiatric symptoms. With his project, Professor Mathiesen will seek novel insights into the genetics underlying meningiomas and whether there are any correlations between inflammatory conditions and psychiatric symptoms.
