My name is Julie Bondgaard Løhde, I am 34-year-old and a medical doctor, graduated from Aarhus University in 2019. After a few years of clinical work (and two maternity leaves), I started a PhD at the Department of Biomedicine and Steno Diabetes Center Aarhus. I am interested in metabolic diseases, and my research is focused on how to prevent and treat them.

Please describe your PhD project
My PhD project focuses on identifying people who may be at higher risk of developing metabolic diseases, as I investigate whether people born with low birth weight have higher levels of liver fat, as a marker of metabolic dysfunction, later in life. By understanding this connection, we might identify people who are more likely to develop metabolic diseases and therefore may benefit from early prevention and targeted treatment. Additionally, I am involved in other studies related to metabolism, ranging from clinical to epidemiological studies.

Your thoughts on the Personalised Medicine Network & the Steering Committee
While working at Department of Pharmacology, I had the chance to connect previous clinical experience with theoretical pharmacology. The job gave me insights into several aspects of personalized medicine, which sparked my interest in this field. I joined the network because I wanted to get involved in ongoing projects and help come up with new ideas. Personalized medicine covers many areas, and I hope that I, by joining the network, can help broaden this message, especially to younger researchers. For me, it is a great opportunity to learn more about this field. From a wider perspective, the network provides an opportunity to connect researchers and increase collaborations as well as sharing research results within personalized medicine.