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.

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 from 2022-2028 with a grant of DKK 187 million.

NAD’s key initiatives include:

  • A unique 4-year PhD programme with 16 fully funded fellowships offered per year (from 2023-2025)
  • Development of new PhD courses and streamlining of existing courses
  • Facilitation of collaboration and networking within the Danish neuroscience community

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.

Ulrik Gether

Chair
Professor
Department of Neuroscience
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
University of Copenhagen

Jens Christian Hedemann Sørensen

Governing Board Member
Clinical Professor
Department of Clinical Medicine
Faculty of Health
Aarhus University

Elsebeth Stenager

Governing Board Member
Clinical Professor
IRS - Department of Regional Health Research
Faculty of Health Sciences
University of Southern Denmark

Thomas Graven-Nielsen

Governing Board Member
Professor
Department of Health Science and Technology
Faculty of Medicine
Aalborg University

Gitte Moos Knudsen

Governing Board Member
Clinical Professor
Department of Clinical Medicine
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
University of Copenhagen

Anders Nykjær

Governing Board Member
Professor
Department of Biomedicine
Faculty of Health
Aarhus University

Tiit Illimar Mathiesen

Observer - Danish Society for Neuroscience
Clinical Professor
Department of Neurosurgery
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet

Peter Thostrup

Observer - The Lundbeck Foundation
Scientific Programme Director
Lundbeckfonden

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.

Jakob Balslev Sørensen

Scientific Director
Professor
Department of Neuroscience
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
University of Copenhagen

Mai Marie Holm

Scientific Officer
Associate Professor
Department of Biomedicine
Faculty of Health
Aarhus University

Carsten Dahl Mørch

Scientific Officer
Associate Professor
Department of Health Science and Technology
Faculty of Medicine
Aalborg Unviersity

Åsa Fex Svenningsen

Scientific Officer
Associate Professor
Department of Molecular Medicine
Faculty of Health Sciences
University of Southern Denmark

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.

Kim Ryun Drasbek

Committee Member
Professor
Department of Clinical Medicine
Faculty of Health
Aarhus University

Macarena Gómez de Salazar

Committee Member
Postdoctoral researcher
Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics
Faculty of Health
Aarhus University

Sabata Gervasio Frahm

Committee Member
Associate Professor
Department of Health Science and Technology
Faculty of Medicine
Aalborg University

Birger Brodin

Committee Member
Professor
Department of Pharmacy
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
University of Copenhagen

Vijay Tiwari

Committee Member
Professor
Department of Molecular Medicine
Faculty of Health Sciences
University of Southern Denmark

Jakob Balslev Sørensen

Scientific Director
Professor
Department of Neuroscience
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
University of Copenhagen

Mai Marie Holm

Scientific Officer
Associate Professor
Department of Biomedicine
Faculty of Health
Aarhus University

Carsten Dahl Mørch

Scientific Officer
Associate Professor
Department of Health Science and Technology
Faculty of Medicine
Aalborg Unviersity

Åsa Fex Svenningsen

Scientific Officer
Associate Professor
Department of Molecular Medicine
Faculty of Health Sciences
University of Southern Denmark

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

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

Christophe Mulle

Advisory Board Member
Professor
Director, Bordeaux School of Neuroscience/CNRS
University of Bordeaux

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.

Nicolas Caesar Petersen

Nicolas Caesar Petersen

Executive Director
Associate Professor

The Executive Director is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the NAD Executive Office and ensures that the Executive Office extends the essential administrative backing for Board and Committee sessions.

Ann Lee Berger Christensen

Ann Lee Berger Christensen

Programme Administrator

The programme administrator is responsible for administrative matters regarding NAD lab rotations and PhD employment.

Ima Mustafic

Programme Administrator

The programme administrator is responsible for matters related to funding and finances.

Kathrine Bjerregaard Nielsen

Education Manager
PhD

The Education Manager is responsible for NAD education and training, including the pre-PhD year curriculum. The Education Manager is also responsible for the coordination and support of the Education and Training Committee.

Mathilde Sejer Bozard

Communication Officer

The Communication Officer’s main areas of responsibility include the NAD website (including NAD Connect), social media presence, the NAD newsletter and producing storytelling content about the NAD community.

Documents and publications

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