Michael Mæng, associate professor and consultant, Aarhus University, Department of Clinical Medicine and Aarhus University Hospital, Department of Cardiology

Patients with diabetes and the precursor of diabetes have a greater risk of blood clots in the heart, but researchers do not yet know why. Michael Mæng will now investigate why this is. By combining studies of the heart’s coronary arteries with follow-up data from the unique Danish health registers, he expects to be able to describe new correlations between diabetes, the precursor to diabetes, atherosclerosis and blood clots. In a sub-project, he will also examine whether we can prevent diabetes and thus reduce the risk of blood clots in the heart.

Jakob Christensen, associate professor and consultant, Department of Clinical Medicine and Aarhus University Hospital, Department of Neurology

Epilepsy is a serious and intrusive disease that can affect people of all ages. Jakob Christensen investigates the reasons why epilepsy occurs in different age groups and looks into how environmental and genetic factors interact. In his research project, he uses data from Danish registers and Danish biobanks which together make it possible to find unique and detailed correlations. This is only possible with the Danish data, and Jakob Christensen therefore expects the results to attract international attention.

Christian Lodberg Hvas, clinical associate professor and consultant, Department of Clinical Medicine and Aarhus University Hospital, Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology

Christian Lodberg Hvas conducts research into intestinal microbiota, which play a crucial role in our health. The intestinal flora may be disturbed by antibiotics, the wrong nutrition or chronic bowel diseases. Fortunately, the balance can be restored in some people with faecal transplantation, also known as FMT. Vitamins and minerals can also help to re-establish the natural intestinal flora following illness. Christian Lodberg Hvas is one of a very small number of researchers with many years of experience with clinical studies of intestinal microbiota. With the help of both basic research and clinical trials, his project will investigate how FMT, together with certain vitamins and minerals, has a positive effect on the intestinal flora. The vision is to provide new knowledge and treatment to patients with intestinal and nutritional problems – which is to say up to twenty per cent of the adult population.

The coverage is partly based on press material from the Novo Nordisk Foundation.