More than 75 people just returned from an enlightening experience at the DCAcademy Cardiometabolic Summit held at the beautiful Sinatur Hotel in Gl. Avernæs, Funen. The summit was a four-day event, starting from Saturday, January 27-30, 2024, and was designed to provide extensive insights into several translational cardiometabolic aspects. 

The event brought together international experts, leading Danish Cardiometabolic researchers, and Danish PhD and Postdoctoral fellows. The presentations covered a wide range of topics, including the interplay between cardiac metabolism, cardiometabolic genomics, global health and heterogeneity in risk and disease, novel aspects in cardiometabolic clinical pharmacology, early risk markers of diabetes and CV disease, and the comorbidity between atherosclerosis and microvascular disease. 

Professor Jens Juul Holst (UCPH) and Professor Michael J. Davies (UCPH) gave keynote lectures connecting cardiac and metabolic research areas.  

The format of the summit was a mix of lectures, group work, discussions, oral & poster presentations, and networking activities. “It was a fantastic opportunity to learn from the best in the field and to network with other professionals working in cardiovascular and metabolic research”, says Thomas Jespersen, Executive Training Director, DCAcademy. 

Key insights from Professor Jens Juul Holst 

Attendees at the summit had the privilege of experience a keynote lecture by Professor Jens Juul Holst, MD, MSc at the recent Cardiometabolic Summit. Prof. Holst, a renowned researcher from the Department of Biomedical Sciences at University of Copenhagen, and the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, delivered an insightful lecture on the impact of obesity and diabetes treatment with incretins. 

Prof. Holst’s research focuses on appetite regulation and hormones that regulate metabolism. He leads a research group that investigates obesity and type 2 diabetes. His contributions to the field have been monumental, leading to the development of a range of drugs for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. 

In his lecture, Prof. Holst shared his extensive knowledge and experience in the field of GLP1 physiology. His insights into the role of incretins in the treatment of obesity and diabetes were particularly enlightening. 

Key insights from Professor Michael Davies 

Professor Michael J. Davies, a leading figure in the field of cardiometabolic health, delivered an insightful lecture that left a lasting impression on all attendees. Prof. Davies is a prominent researcher from the Department of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Copenhagen. 

The lecture focused on the latest research and advancements in cardiometabolic health. He shared his extensive knowledge and experience, providing valuable insights into the current challenges and future directions in the field. His presentation was both informative and inspiring, and it highlighted the importance of continued research and innovation in addressing cardiometabolic health issues. 

One of the key takeaways from Prof. Davies’ lecture was the interconnectedness of various factors contributing to cardiometabolic health. He emphasized the need for a comprehensive approach to patient care, considering all aspects of health including diet, exercise, mental health, and genetic factors. 

Celebrating the poster session winners  

On Sunday and Monday, more than 30 early carrier researchers presented their project in the form of oral and poster presentations at the summit.  

Each presentation presented a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities in managing cardiometabolic risk and preventing cardiovascular and metabolic diseases on both basic and clinical research levels. The winners demonstrated exceptional skills in communicating their research and results leading to development of new strategies in implications for improving patient care. 

The winners are:  

The best oral presentation: Roman Thielemann: Genetic regulation of CVD-related plasma proteins in children and adolescents with obesity. 

Poster session 1: Søren Elsborg: A mouse model for uremic syndrome and increased cardiovascular risk. 

Poster session 2: Stephanie Kavan: Somatic mutations reveal clonal cell populations in atherosclerotic plaques. 

Future collaboration?

Lastly, a huge thanks to Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen for a fruitful collaboration. 

Now, you have the possibility to expand your professional network through a DCAcademy Summit. The concept is based on having 10-15 Danish young researchers and their supervisors visiting ‘top centre’ in either Europe or the USA where you will meet up with 10-15 foreign researchers and their supervisors. The length of the summit is about two days and includes a mixture of teaching and scientific exchange within the cardiovascular field. 

Contact Christian Aalkjær, DCAcademy Director ca@biomed.au.dk or Emil Toft Brøndum, Executive Managing Assistant etb@biomed.au.dk for more info or suggestions for a potential upcoming summit.