Awards for pioneering preclinical and clinical research

On 19 June 2026, the Kirsten and Freddy Johansen Foundation will present its prestigious research awards for the 20th time. The first time a health science researcher was honoured was in 2006. Since 2011, the foundation has annually awarded two prizes – one to a preclinical researcher and one to a clinical researcher at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences.

This year, the two prizes – each worth DKK 2 million – are awarded to Professor, PhD Ruth Loos from the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research and Clinical Professor at the Department of Clinical Medicine and Consultant Physician at the Department of Cardiology at Rigshospitalet, Christian Hassager. Both have made significant and internationally recognised contributions within their respective fields.

Groundbreaking research in genetics and obesity

Professor Ruth Loos receives the preclinical KFJ Award for her pioneering research into the genetic mechanisms of obesity. For more than two decades, she has helped transform our understanding of how genetic factors interact with lifestyle to influence the risk of overweight and related diseases.

She has contributed to the identification of more than 1,500 genetic variants associated with body weight, and her research has demonstrated that healthy lifestyle choices can significantly reduce genetic risk. Her most recent work enables earlier identification of genetic risk and more targeted prevention, with considerable potential for public health.

"I am truly honored by this recognition. It reflects a journey I have been fortunate to lead with exceptional trainees and collaborators to rethink obesity and its underlying biology, and it motivates me to continue translating scientific insight into meaningful health impact."

Life-saving advances in emergency cardiac medicine

The clinical KFJ Award is presented to Christian Hassager for his pivotal contributions to the treatment of life-threatening heart disease. His research has focused particularly on cardiac arrest and cardiogenic shock – among the most critical and fatal conditions in modern medicine.

Through large-scale clinical randomised trials, he has helped establish a robust evidence base in an area where knowledge was previously limited. The results have had a direct impact on international clinical guidelines and everyday clinical practice – and have contributed to saving lives.

"I am very proud and consider the award to be the greatest recognition for 20 years of research efforts. Academically, the award gives me great motivation to continue, and in day-to-day research operations the substantial unrestricted funding is of great value.”

20 years of research excellence

For two decades, the KFJ Awards have recognised researchers who push the boundaries of health science – from fundamental biological discoveries to clinical breakthroughs that improve patient care.

“Today, the KFJ Awards are an important part of the story of research at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences. The recipients come from many different research fields – spanning both basic and clinical research – and clearly demonstrate the breadth and high quality of our work. The awards also make an important contribution by enabling our researchers to continue their research at the highest level. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the foundation for its many years of support for both medical research and our faculty,” says Dean Bente Stallknecht.

This year’s awards will be presented at a celebratory ceremony at the University of Copenhagen on 19 June, attended by the recipients’ families, members of the research community, representatives and members of the foundation’s Board of Directors, and the two award committees.