PhD students from Aarhus University will now have the opportunity to learn from researchers at one of the world's leading hospitals as a new collaboration between Aarhus University and Mayo Clinic will shortly be formalised.

The collaboration gives PhD students who conduct research within neuroscience the opportunity to study at the American hospital. Researchers at the Mayo Clinic are particularly specialised in neurodegenerative diseases, i.e. diseases that break down or degenerate the brain and its functions. These are diseases such as Parkinson's disease and dementia diseases such as Alzheimer's.

"The collaboration is a unique opportunity to educate the very best PhD students and create high-quality research. At Mayo Clinic they have extensive knowledge about the correlation between hereditary factors and the risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases, while in Aarhus we work more with disease mechanisms on a molecular and cellular level," explains Professor Anders Nykjær from Aarhus University and continues:

"In addition, Aarhus University Hospital has strong traditions for following the development of diseases in the brain via scanning images, as well as considerable experience of treating Parkinson's disease with deep brain stimulation, where an electrode is operated into the brain. So we have different areas of experience and complement each other well when it comes to research," explains Anders Nykjær, who has spent the past year working closely with the researchers at Mayo Clinic.

New collaboration with development potential

Initially the collaboration provides the opportunity for PhD students from Aarhus University to travel to the USA. Work is underway to allow students from the Mayo Clinic to come to Aarhus in the future.

"Mayo Clinic is one of the most esteemed research institutions in the USA. It is important for PhD students to travel abroad and learn how things are done elsewhere. This means they progress faster. And you can also build-up an international network which you can draw on in the future," says Vice-Dean for Talent Development and Head of Graduate School at Health, Lise Wogensen Bach.

New professor at Mayo Clinic

The collaboration has been finalised following Anders Nykjær’s close collaboration with researchers from the hospital. Earlier this year they jointly published new research findings on ADHD. In addition to his current professorship at Aarhus University, as of 1 October he will be appointed professor at Mayo Clinic and will continue his research both at Aarhus University and Mayo Clinic in Florida, where he has his own research laboratory.

"We are creating an incredibly exciting and fruitful collaboration and it is important to emphasise that PhD students from Aarhus can be attached to their own particular area of research at Mayo Clinic. So this new agreement does not simply mean they will be part of my laboratory, but instead gives them a much broader opportunity within neurological research," explains Anders Nykjær.

About Mayo Clinic

Mayo Clinic is USA's leading hospital and among the best hospitals in the world. It comprises hospitals and research units in Minnesota, Arizona and Florida. Mayo Clinic treats more than one million people a year. Patients come from USA and approx. 150 other countries. 

Further information

Professor Anders Nykjær
Aarhus University, Department of Biomedicine
Direct tel: +45 8716 7812
Mobile: +45 2899 2384
an@biomed.au.dk

Vice-Dean for Talent Development and Head of Graduate School, Health, Lise Wogensen Bach
Direct tel: +45 8715 2012
Mobile: +45 2548 8522
lwb@au.dk