Allan Flyvbjerg elected to join the renowned Board of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD)
Allan Flyvbjerg, the Chairman of the Danish Diabetes Academy’s (DDA) Board of Directors (BoD) and CEO of Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen, has been elected to join the BoD of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) by its members.
- I am very proud and happy to be joining the EASD BoD, says Allan Flyvbjerg.
Allan Flyvbjerg will become a full member of the BoD of EASD with a term of office from 01 January 2022 until 31 December 2025.
Strategic focus on transparency and a stronger cooperation profile
Two prominent members of the EASD nominated Allan Flyvbjerg as a potential candidate. Pleased by the nomination and election, Allan Flyvbjerg will enter the BoD for particularly three reasons:
- I want to contribute to developing a clear five-year strategy for EASD. Secondly, as EASD is, in part, sponsored by the life science industry the association needs to develop and implement a code-of-conduct that ensures transparency in the collaboration between EASD and the life science industry, says Allan Flyvbjerg.
Thirdly, as a part of the strategy, he hopes to strengthen the cooperation profile of EASD.
- The collaboration profile should highlight the working relationship between EASD and a wide number of stake-holders, ranging from NGOs, researchers, clinicians, the life science industry to the political level, says Allan Flyvbjerg.
New knowledge from the EASD Annual Meetings should translate into clinical practice
Each year, around 20,000 delegates from over 130 countries participate in the EASD Annual Meeting. Here, participants get the latest results in diabetes research by leading experts in the field. However, at the moment, Allan Flyvbjerg would like more emphasis on how more of the newest clinical research could be implemented into clinical practice.
- With the strategy, I also hope to create a bigger focus within the Board, and at the Annual Meetings, on how to translate the new, valuable clinical knowledge from the conference into daily clinical guidelines and practice following the conference, says Allan Flyvbjerg.
Experienced within the work of EASD
Allan Flyvbjerg is not new to the work of EASD. He has been a part of its organising community at several EASD annual meetings and worked as an Associate Editor of its journal, Diabetologia. Furthermore, early in his career, Allan Flyvbjerg received the EASD Castelli Pedroli Prize in 2001. The Prize is granted to researchers and clinicians who work to diminish late complications to diabetes.
- The Castelli Pedroli Prize is the most important prize within my field. At that stage in my career and as a young researcher, it was an important recognition to receive, says Allan Flyvbjerg.
Ruth Loos, Vice Executive Director at the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center, also joins the board
The second seat of the board went to another Copenhagen-based Professor Ruth Loos. Ruth Loos is the Vice Executive Director at the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen.
- I am very happy to be joining the EASD Board with such a distinguished researcher as Ruth Loos, says Allan Flyvbjerg
Ruth Loos is also a former recipient of a visiting professorship from DDA in 2016. She only recently moved from New York to Copenhagen.
- The visiting professorship from the DDA has most definitely been a stepping-stone for my move to Copenhagen; it allowed me to truly value the research opportunities and appreciate Danish life, says Ruth Loos.
Ruth moved to focus her research on health and metabolism and to be surrounded by scientists who are equally passionate about the research of obesity, diabetes and metabolism.
- I applied because becoming a board member would be an extension of this focus. It would allow me to engage with the community of diabetes researchers across Europe. Furthermore, I am very much looking forward to working with Allan Flyvbjerg and the other board members to provide EASD members with the best possible return of their membership; such as facilitating and supporting career development opportunities, develop new research programmes, and contribute to the planning of the annual meetings. All in all, I am very excited to be joining the EASD Board, says Ruth Loos.