Lene B. Oddershede, Professor and Center Leader, University of Copenhagen, will head the new efforts of the Novo Nordisk Foundation to strengthen research in the natural and technical sciences and interdisciplinarity.
The Foundation announced in June that it plans to quadruple its annual payouts towards 2023 and will expand the scope of its grants to more areas.
Research in the natural and technical sciences is crucial for achieving progress in improving people’s health and the sustainability of society. Interdisciplinary research is also important, since many great scientific breakthroughs are achieved at the interfaces between disciplines.
Lene B. Oddershede says: “I am looking forward to contributing to strengthening research in the natural and technical sciences. As a researcher, I have operated at the interface between physics, medicine and biology, and I aim to use my knowledge from both Danish and international research to ensure that the Foundation supports research that can achieve pioneering results to benefit people and society.”
Lene B. Oddershede is currently Professor of Physics at the Niels Bohr Institute of the University of Copenhagen. She is also the Center Leader of the Danish National Research Foundation Center for Stem Cell Decision Making (StemPhys), a Center of Excellence of the Danish National Research Foundation. In 2015, she received the EliteForsk (Elite Research) Prize, awarded annually by the Ministry of Higher Education and Science to five Danish researchers at an exceptional international level and younger than 45 years old.
Throughout her career, she has operated at the interfaces between disciplines and has promoted the importance of doctors and researchers from other disciplines communicating more and using one another’s expertise across scientific disciplines to achieve great breakthroughs. She has been responsible for numerous pioneering results and has published more than 100 articles in prominent scientific journals.
Birgitte Nauntofte, CEO, Novo Nordisk Foundation, says: “Lene B. Oddershede is among the best and most innovative researchers within her field. Her great knowledge, expertise and experience will strengthen the Foundation’s ability to increase its grants for research in the natural and technical sciences and interdisciplinary research that can potentially support efforts to improve people’s health and the sustainability of society.”
Lene B. Oddershede’s title will be Head of Natural and Technical Science Research and Interdisciplinarity. She will start in the new position on 1 January 2019.
About Lene B. Oddershede
Born 1970, married, three children
Employment
2015– Center Leader, StemPhys
2015– Professor, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen
2003– Group Leader, Optical Tweezers Group, Niels Bohr Institute
2003–2014 Associate Professor, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen
1998–2003 Assistant Professor, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen
Education
1998 PhD in physics, University of Southern Denmark
1995 MSc in physics and mathematics, University of Southern Denmark
Selected awards
2015 EliteForsk Prize
2014 Member, Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters
2011 Silver Medal, Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters
2011 CeNS (Center for Nanoscience) Publication Award
Further information
Christian Mostrup Scheel, Senior Press Officer, phone: +45 3067 4805, [email protected]
