At the end of 2025, Sundhedsdonationer donated over DKK 20 million to five projects at Health, all contributing to improved prevention, treatment, and public education about diseases.

The grant recipients at Health are:

Professor Nicolai Birkbak from the Department of Clinical Medicine and the Department of Molecular Medicine (MOMA) receives DKK 7,096,425 for the project “Implementing thymic health assessment into routine clinical care in Denmark”.

The project investigates whether the thymus can function as a biomarker for the state of the immune system – and thereby indicate the risk of age-related diseases and predict how patients, particularly those with cancer, respond to treatment. The project will develop an automated measure based on imaging scans that can be used in clinical practice while also providing new insights into how the immune system ages and the implications for disease and prognosis.

Associate Professor and Constituted Research Leader Merete Gregersen from the Department of Clinical Medicine and the Department of Geriatrics at Aarhus University Hospital receives DKK 6,570,216 for the project “IRONCARE: Iron treatment in elderly patients with hip fracture – a double-blind randomised trial”.

The project explores whether intravenous iron therapy is more effective than oral tablets in supporting rehabilitation in elderly patients after a hip fracture. Researchers will measure outcomes such as fatigue, cognitive function, physical performance, and quality of life in nearly 600 patients aged over 75. The results aim to provide evidence for the most effective and well-tolerated treatment for this vulnerable patient group.

Professor Asger Granfeldt from the Department of Clinical Medicine and the Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care at Aarhus University Hospital receives DKK 5,050,540 for the project “Bicarbonate for the Treatment of Metabolic Acidosis in Critically Ill Patients”.

This international clinical trial investigates whether treatment with sodium bicarbonate can improve survival and reduce the need for life-sustaining therapy in critically ill patients with metabolic acidosis – a severe condition in which blood pH drops. The study is part of The Intensive Care Platform Trial (INCEPT) and may have direct implications for intensive care both nationally and internationally.

Two additional projects receive smaller grants:

Medical Doctor and Postdoc Simon Chang from the Department of Clinical Medicine and the Department of Hormonal and Bone Diseases at Aarhus University Hospital receives DKK 800,000 for the public education project “Better lives with a sex chromosome anomaly: Resources for families and professionals”, which aims to promote earlier diagnosis and better support for individuals with sex chromosome anomalies.

Professor Nanna Brix Finnerup, Head of the Danish Pain Research Centre at the Department of Clinical Medicine, receives DKK 641,550 for the project “The maze of pain – What is pain, and how do we treat it?”, which will communicate knowledge about chronic pain and evidence-based treatments through videos aimed at patients, relatives, and the general public.

This article is based on press material from Sundhedsdonationer.