Meet Health’s ambassador for Innovation
For the first time, Health has appointed a distinguished researcher to a new, prominent role: Karin Lykke-Hartmann has been named the faculty’s Distinguished Senior Innovator. Over the coming years, she will focus on blending scientific insight with an entrepreneurial spirit.
Aarhus University has, for the first time, selected seven researchers for the innovation and research program Distinguished Senior Innovators (DSI) – the first of its kind in Denmark. The aim is to inspire more researchers to explore new applications of their work.
Therefore, Aarhus University's DSIs are tasked not only with producing groundbreaking research but also with leading the way in demonstrating how academic excellence and innovation can go hand in hand.
Karin Lykke-Hartmann, from the Department of Biomedicine, conducts research in fertility, genetics, and molecular biology, with a special focus on the genetic mechanisms underlying human development and disease. She has now been appointed as DSI at Health for a three-year term, with the option for extension.
Aarhus University's Distinguished Senior Innovators
- Distinguished Senior Innovators are affiliated with both their department and AU’s innovation hub, The Kitchen.
- Researchers are tasked with transforming research into business or developing solutions for significant societal challenges in collaboration with investment advisors, business developers, and other experts.
- Researchers gain access to workshops, business networks, and assistance with external funding, including Proof-of-Concept funds and investors.
- Their work is supported with office spaces, laboratories, and expert assistance for up to five years.
- In addition to Karin Lykke-Hartmann, other DSIs at Aarhus University include:
- Professor Heather Anne Swanson, Department of Anthropology
- Professor Helle Neergaard, Department of Business Administration
- Associate Professor Christian Dindler, Department of Communication and Culture
- Associate Professor Jens Vinge Nygaard, Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering
- Associate Professor Ulf Andersson Vang Ørom, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics
- Associate Professor Christoffer Karoff, Department of Geoscience and Department of Physics and Astronomy
For more information, visit the Aarhus University website.
From researcher to entrepreneur
Karin Lykke-Hartmann is well-rooted in the entrepreneurial world. Together with her team, she discovered a unique hormone-free fertility treatment that can assist women who do not benefit from today’s conventional hormone treatments. Based on this discovery, she launched her entrepreneurial journey and founded the company Notify Therapeutics. You can read more about her venture into the world of pitch training and legal terminology in this article from Inside Health.
In recent years, Notify Therapeutics has raised over 55 million DKK in funding. Today, Karin Lykke-Hartmann balances her time as a part-time researcher at Aarhus University and as the leader of Notify Therapeutics.
"The appointment as Health’s Distinguished Senior Innovator allows me to focus even more on translating my research into tangible action that can help patients and inspire particularly younger researchers," says Karin Lykke-Hartmann. She adds, "It’s crucial to me that we not only generate knowledge but also ensure that it is applied to improve people’s quality of life."
“It requires nerves of steel”
As Health’s DSI, Karin Lykke-Hartmann will lead the QUEINI project. The goal is to revolutionize fertility treatments by developing new methods that can enhance egg fertilization in women, thereby improving their chances of achieving pregnancy.
"Moving from research to innovation requires nerves of steel. It’s like learning an entirely new language, with numerous new concepts and rules to grasp. That’s one reason I stepped into this new role – to show that it really can be done," says Karin Lykke-Hartmann.
The DSI program provides researchers not only with a new title but also with extensive support through the university’s network and resources. The Kitchen, the university’s entrepreneurship hub, will play a central role in supporting researchers’ work by offering workshops, networking with the business community, and guidance on external funding.
Contact
Professor and Distinguished Senior Innovator Karin Lykke-Hartmann
Aarhus University, Department of Biomedicine
Phone: +45 29 39 05 58
Email: kly@biomed.au.dk