The ambition with the new initiative is to establish a national center for the promotion of healthy weight through collaborative research, innovation and the development of evidence-based interventions and preventive efforts that focus specifically on children and their families.
“It is a fantastic opportunity to be able to head the development of a visionary initiative that aims to ensure a healthy weight among children and adolescents, both during childhood and in adult life. It is an important task with great societal impact, which requires the involvement of all relevant actors in the field when developing the initiative,” says Arne Astrup.
“Professor Arne Astrup is an eminent scientist with tremendous insights and years of experience working with problems of obesity and overweight among people. His research is widely recognized internationally, he has a wide international network, and on top of that he is a highly experienced leader. These competencies will be of great value to us in the development of a new national centre,” notes Birgitte Nauntofte, CEO of the Novo Nordisk Foundation.
The Novo Nordisk Foundation currently works on a number of initiatives that focus on the prevention of overweight among children and adolescents. Read more here.
About Arne Astrup
MD (1981), PhD in Medicine (1986) and Professor at the University of Copenhagen.
His research is internationally recognized, and he is one of the most frequently cited researchers at the University of Copenhagen. Between 1992 and 2003, he was chairman of the Danish State Nutrition Council, and between 2005 and 2009, president of the International Association for the Study of Obesity. He is currently associate editor of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. In addition to this, he has been awarded numerous prizes. Astrup has also served as adviser for various companies in relation to nutrition and overweight and is the co-founder of companies that have spun out from the University of Copenhagen.
Positions:
- 2012-2020 Director, Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen
- 2007-2011 Professor, Head of Department, Department of Human Nutrition, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen
- 1996-2006 Professor, Head of Department, Department of Human Nutrition, Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Frederiksberg
- 1990-1996 Professor, Head of Department, Research Department of Human Nutrition, Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Frederiksberg
- 1988-1990 Associate Professor, Research Department of Human Nutrition, Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Frederiksberg
- 1988-1990 Senior Registrar, Departments of internal medicine, Herlev Hospital & Gentofte Hospital
- 1986-1988 Senior Registrar, Cardiology and Endocrinology block, Hvidovre Hospital
- 1984-1986 Research fellow, Department of Endocrinology, Hvidovre Hospital
- 1982-1984 Research Scholarship, Medical Physiology Institute C, Panum Institute, University of Copenhagen
Further information
Christian Mostrup, Senior Programme Lead, [email protected], +45 3067 4805
