The Danish Society of Internal Medicine (DSIM) and the Novo Nordisk Foundation have awarded the Hagedorn Prize 2026 to Professor Aleksander Krag, whose research has contributed to the development of new tools for assessing the severity of chronic liver disease in patients and identifying those patients at greatest risk of serious complications. This makes it possible to target treatment and follow-up much more precisely, even in seriously ill patients.
The prize is awarded annually to a researcher in Denmark in recognition of outstanding research or development efforts in the field of internal medicine.
Advanced liver disease has long had an almost inevitable course, with the disease breaking down liver function over many years and significantly shortening life expectancy. Today, clinicians are much better able to predict who is heading towards the most serious stages and intervene with close follow-up and more targeted treatment.
One of the driving forces behind this development is Aleksander Krag, who works as a professor and senior consultant at Odense University Hospital and the University of Southern Denmark, where he has spent more than a decade building a strong clinical research environment around chronic liver disease.
It is precisely this work that has earned him the Hagedorn Prize, according to Tavs Qvist, chair of DSIM.
“This prize is a recognition of Aleksander Krag’s important scientific work for people with chronic liver disease,” says Qvist, highlighting Krag’s outstanding work to show liver disease as a continuum of increasing organ damage, offering hope even for patients with serious complications.
“His influence on European liver research has been significant, and we highly value his mastery of communicating research-based knowledge to both peers and the public. We at DSIM are therefore delighted to award Aleksander Krag the Hagedorn Prize 2026.”
The award will be presented on 20 March 2026 at the Novo Nordisk Foundation headquarters in Hellerup.
Krag’s research is changing patient pathways
The choice of Aleksander Krag is based in particular on the fact that his research has been translated into concrete applications in clinical practice. Together with colleagues in Odense and international partners, he has shown how advanced and non-invasive measurements of liver condition, scar tissue, and circulation are closely linked to the risk of deterioration, hospitalisation, and premature death. This has led to risk models and threshold values that help doctors assess how advanced the disease is and when extra measures need to be taken.
Whereas previously it was necessary to perform repeated liver biopsies to monitor the progression of the disease, hospital departments for liver disease can now use Krag’s non-invasive methods to systematically monitor the progression of patients with chronic liver disease and adjust treatment before the disease gets out of hand. This continuous risk assessment was a key factor in the DSIM Board’s selection of Krag.
“I am very honoured and grateful to receive the Hagedorn Prize – a great recognition that places me in a long tradition of Danish researchers who have had a decisive impact on the development of medical science,” says Aleksander Krag, who emphasises that for him, the award is not only a personal recognition, but also a signal of the value of clinically relevant and patient-focused research.
“The research we do in Denmark, when based on the real needs of patients, can reach a level where it not only changes clinical practice nationally, but also internationally. This underscores how crucial it is that research and clinical practice go hand in hand if we are to truly improve patients’ prognosis and quality of life,” he says.
International influence on liver research
Throughout his career, Aleksander Krag has made a significant mark on the international research scene, including a considerable number of well-cited scientific articles.
He has been president of the European Association for the Study of the Liver and leader of several major European research collaborations, while also engaging in teaching and consulting to ensure that new knowledge reaches patients and the healthcare system.
About the Hagedorn Prize
The Danish Society of Internal Medicine established the Hagedorn Prize in 1966 in honour of diabetes pioneer Hans Christian Hagedorn. Today, DSIM awards the prize in collaboration with the Novo Nordisk Foundation.
The recipient is selected by DSIM’s Board of Directors based on nominations from its members. The prize comes with DKK 1.5 million, of which DKK 250,000 is a personal award and DKK 1.25 million is earmarked for research or development work.
