The Else Kai Sass Award is presented annually across Aarhus University to a researcher who successfully applies their knowledge in society and who has distinguished themselves in research communication, collaboration, or innovation.

This year's award recipient is Professor and Entrepreneur Karin Lykke-Hartmann.

"It means a lot to me to receive the Else Kai Sass Award. It is proof that we have managed to translate raw research into something concrete and useful," she proudly states.

As a young researcher, Karin Lykke-Hartmann was drawn to the mysterious and fascinating fundamental questions of biology: How an egg and a sperm cell can fuse and become life, and how something so simple can evolve into something so complex.

Since then, Karin Lykke-Hartmann and her research group have worked to understand the molecular processes that are crucial for fertility and to address the challenges that can arise in this context.

Courage to explore new paths

But her career has not only been marked by significant basic research and scientific breakthroughs. Karin Lykke-Hartmann's journey has also been a story of courage—courage to step out of the laboratory and into a world where research results must stand the test of practice.

Karin Lykke-Hartmann's entrepreneurial adventure began when she and her team made a discovery with the potential to change fertility treatment for women with diminished ovarian reserve (DOR).

The discovery involves a unique hormone-free fertility treatment that can help women who do not benefit from the traditional hormone treatments currently available.

When Karin Lykke-Hartmann reported her findings to Aarhus University's Technology Transfer Office (TTO), she was introduced to a world she was unfamiliar with at the time.

"I pushed the commercial aspect of the project ahead of me until we secured the patent because I couldn't really manage it," she explains. "But once we had the patent, I felt obligated and realized I had to make an effort to bring this treatment out into the real world, where it can make a difference for a large group of women."

"It requires nerves of steel"

Karin Lykke-Hartmann, therefore, boldly became an entrepreneur and fearlessly founded Notify Therapeutics, even though it sent her back to the classroom, where she had to learn everything from pitch training to legal language. Eighteen months later, her company, Notify Therapeutics, secured its first investment, and today, Karin Lykke-Hartmann is a part-time researcher at Aarhus University while simultaneously leading the company.

"It requires nerves of steel to transition from research to innovation," she admits. "It's like learning a whole new language—there are so many new concepts and rules to familiarize yourself with."

Notify Therapeutics has raised over 55 million kroner in funding, including support from the Innovation Fund, BioInnovation Institute, and most recently, a significant investment from Lundbeckfonden BioCapital and +ND.

The funding is a big step towards the professor's dream of making a difference for women with fertility issues.

"We are still in the preclinical phase of developing the fertility treatment—that is, the stage before testing the treatment on women. But it is an incredibly exciting project because we are working on something entirely new that goes beyond hormones and involves the fundamental processes in the egg. It has the potential to make a colossal difference in future approaches to fertility," says Karin Lykke-Hartmann.

Firmly rooted in the research environment

In addition to her unique dual role as professor and entrepreneur, Karin Lykke-Hartmann has also engaged as a mentor for younger researchers, especially helping them navigate the complex world of research and innovation.

"I try to share my experiences and hopefully help others take the first steps into unknown territory. I hope to be a support, just as I have had role models and a strong network that greatly helped me when I took the leap into entrepreneurship," she says.

Despite the significant progress in her company, the professor still has one foot firmly planted in the research environment at Aarhus University.

"It is incredibly rewarding to see how the two worlds can complement each other. I dream that our hormone-free fertility treatment can one day help couples worldwide, but at the same time, we are working on other extremely important research projects that, in their own way, can open new doors to understanding human fundamental biological processes."

For other researchers considering taking the leap into entrepreneurship, this year's recipient of the Else Kai Sass Award has clear advice:

"Reach out. The earlier, the better. Both to people from your own institute and to places like The Kitchen. And bring someone along on the journey. It takes many hours, and it's just more enjoyable to do things together. Maybe it will succeed—maybe not. But the journey is not wasted, and if you can enjoy it, then dive in with both feet."

Contact

Professor Karin Lykke-Hartmann
Aarhus University, Department of Biomedicine
Phone: +45 29 39 05 58
Email: kly@biomed.au.dk