Neuroscience
Academy Denmark

About NAD

Neuroscience Academy Denmark aims to educate the neuroscientists of the future and support and motivate national collaboration, networking and awareness of research activities between neuroscience research groups in Denmark.

Mission

The vision behind Neuroscience Academy Denmark (NAD) is to educate the neuroscientists of the future by creating a unique learning, development and research environment in Denmark at PhD level as well as motivate national collaboration, networking and awareness of research activities between neuroscience research groups in Denmark. NAD is funded by the Lundbeck Foundation. NAD’s key initiatives include:
  • A unique 4-year PhD programme with 16 fully funded NAD PhD fellowships offered per year (from 2022-2028)
  • Development of new PhD courses and streamlining of existing courses
  • Facilitation of collaboration and networking within the Danish neuroscience community

NAD in numbers

731researchers357laboratories23institutions64NAD Fellows0NAD alumni

Open calls

Present Your Research Among the Stars at the NAD 2026 Annual Meeting

Have you ever dreamed of showing your neuroscience research on the dome screen of the Copenhagen Planetarium?

Read the call

Every call, including the closed ones

Boards and Committees

Governing Board

The Governing Board is responsible for the overall strategy of NAD and provide a framework and specific tasks for each NAD committee. The Governing Board will select and approve members for all committees that will operate under NAD. It sets and maintains the guidelines for the NAD review processes and for the Education and Training Committee. Furthermore, the Governing Board is responsible for the formal approval of grants offered by NAD. It is also responsible for the performance of the Executive Office.
Christian Bjerggaard Vægter Governing Board Member Associate Professor · Department of Biomedicine · Aarhus University Write to Christian Bjerggaard Vægter
Claus Ziegler Simonsen Governing Board Member Clinical Professor · Department of Clinical Medicine · Aarhus University Write to Claus Ziegler Simonsen
Gitte Moos Knudsen Governing Board Member Clinical Professor · Department of Clinical Medicine · University of Copenhagen Write to Gitte Moos Knudsen
Mikael Palner Governing Board Member Associate Professor · Department of Clinical Research · University of Southern Denmark Write to Mikael Palner
Peter Thostrup Observer - The Lundbeck Foundation Scientific Programme Director · Lundbeckfonden Write to Peter Thostrup
Rune Berg Observer - Danish Society for Neuroscience Associate Professor · Department of Neuroscience · University of Copenhagen Write to Rune Berg
Thomas Graven-Nielsen Governing Board Member Professor · Department of Health Science and Technology · Aalborg University Write to Thomas Graven-Nielsen
Ulrik Gether Chair Professor · Department of Neuroscience · University of Copenhagen Write to Ulrik Gether

Scientific Board

The Scientific Board takes an active role in the evaluation and selection of candidates for NAD Fellowships. The members will take part in the development of PhD courses, and they have responsibilities to align the scientific content of the pre-PhD year. Each Scientific Board member is the local contact and has responsibilities to facilitate the engagement of their local scientific community.
Åsa Fex Svenningsen Scientific Officer Associate Professor · Department of Molecular Medicine · University of Southern Denmark Write to Åsa Fex Svenningsen
Carsten Dahl Mørch Scientific Officer Professor · Department of Health Science and Technology · Aalborg Unviersity Write to Carsten Dahl Mørch
Jakob Balslev Sørensen Scientific Director Professor · Department of Neuroscience · University of Copenhagen Write to Jakob Balslev Sørensen
Mai Marie Holm Scientific Officer Associate Professor · Department of Biomedicine · Aarhus University Write to Mai Marie Holm

Education and Training Committee

The tasks of the Education and Training Committee include establishing, planning and coordinating education and training activities for the broader NAD community, developing PhD courses to expand the currently available course catalogue and processing input and proposals from the NAD Research Columns. The committee will meet at least twice annually.
Anjali Sankar Committee Member Senior Researcher · Department of Neurology · Copenhagen University Hospitals - Rigshospitalet Write to Anjali Sankar
Anna Mathia Klawonn Committee Member Associate Professor · DANDRITE · Aarhus University Write to Anna Mathia Klawonn
Birger Brodin Committee Member Professor · Department of Pharmacy · University of Copenhagen Write to Birger Brodin
Cesar Ramon Romero Leguizamon Committee Member Postdoctoral Researcher · Department of Clinical Biochemistry · Copenhagen University Hospitals - Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Write to Cesar Ramon Romero Leguizamon
Micah Allen Committee Member Professor · Center of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience · Aarhus University Write to Micah Allen
Sabata Gervasio Frahm Committee Member Associate Professor · Department of Health Science and Technology · Aalborg University Write to Sabata Gervasio Frahm

Advisory Board

The tasks of the Advisory Board are to deliver input to NAD’s overall strategy and to provide feedback and recommendations to the Governing Board in regard to NAD’s activities. The Advisory Board consists of three international members, all renowned scientists with experience in postgraduate research training. The Advisory Board will participate in one Governing Board Meeting annually.
Arjen Brussaard Advisory Board Member Professor · Scientific Director of Amsterdam Neuroscience · University of Amsterdam Write to Arjen Brussaard
Christophe Mulle Advisory Board Member Professor · Director, Bordeaux School of Neuroscience/CNRS · University of Bordeaux Write to Christophe Mulle
Leonie Taams Advisory Board Member Professor · Head of the School of Immunology & Microbial Sciences and Director of the Centre for Inflammation Biology & Cancer Immunology · King's College London Write to Leonie Taams

Executive Office

The Executive Office develops and proposes activities that lie within the scope of NAD. It acts a secretariat and is responsible for practical aspects in relation to meetings involving the Governing Board, Scientific Board and NAD committees.
Ann Lee Berger Christensen Programme Administrator Write to Ann Lee Berger Christensen
Colin Grisel Programme Coordinator Write to Colin Grisel
Ima Mustafic Programme Administrator Write to Ima Mustafic
Mathilde Sejer Bozard Communication Officer Write to Mathilde Sejer Bozard
Nicolas Caesar Petersen Executive Director Associate Professor Write to Nicolas Caesar Petersen
Søren Grubb Education Manager Write to Søren Grubb

Documents and publications

Looking for more info about NAD and the NAD PhD programme? Download important documents here.

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