DCM's incoming head: Ready to listen and build on what's here

A stone's throw from Aarhus University Hospital, on the first floor of the Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Christian Fynbo Christiansen sits in the office he will soon leave behind.

On 1 May, he takes over as head of the Department of Clinical Medicine — Denmark's largest clinical department, responsible for the master's programme in medicine.

As a professor and consultant in clinical epidemiology, he has for many years combined research, teaching and leadership. For the past five years, as head of the regional data support centre CONNECT, he has worked to create better conditions for research. It is largely those experiences he is bringing into his new role.

"I see this as choosing leadership rather than walking away from research. I will still be a researcher and a doctor when I step into this job, but I will scale back my own research — and I'm at peace with that," he says.

Ready to listen before acting

The Department of Clinical Medicine spans the entire Central Denmark Region, with researchers at Aarhus University Hospital and the regional hospitals. Many staff hold dual appointments at both the university and the hospital, and clinical research takes place in direct connection with patient care.

This is the complex organisation Christian Fynbo Christiansen takes charge of on 1 May. And he has no plans to change everything from day one.

"I will be standing on the shoulders of capable leaders who have developed the department into what it is today. There won't be a grand revolution from the first day — IKM has a strong foundation, and I will do my best to build on it."

The first months will be about getting to know the organisation, and above all about understanding what is on the minds of staff across the department.

"I look forward to meeting the managers and employees who make up the department, and to learning more about what is occupying them right now. That's where I'm starting," he says.

Research should be easier to do

Christian Fynbo Christiansen sees strengthening the framework for clinical research as a central task. Many valuable research questions arise in encounters with patients and citizens, and the university and the department's research should, in his view, contribute knowledge that improves prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

He is aware that conditions for research have become more complex in recent years — not least the legal requirements, which weigh heavily on many researchers.

"It has become harder to do research. There is more administrative work, and it can be difficult to navigate the rules. My hope is that we can better support clinical researchers so they can spend more time on the research itself," he says.

"We need to be attractive partners, both nationally and internationally, and the legal framework must not stand in the way of collaboration — so we need to try to find a path forward together."

Wellbeing and collaboration

For Christian Fynbo Christiansen, leadership is not just about strategy and structures. It is also about people.

"We need to create opportunities for talent to flourish, and we need to ensure the wellbeing of our staff. That requires us to see the individual — and to create an environment where it feels safe to be curious and to try new things."

As head of CONNECT, he has seen at close hand how the interplay between the university and the hospitals works in practice. Researchers are based at hospital departments across the entire region, and it is often in the encounter with patients and citizens that the best research questions emerge.

"The close collaboration with the hospitals is one of the department's great strengths. We must protect that. I see it as my job to support that collaboration, so that together we can deliver research and education that makes a difference for patients."

Calm on the water

Outside of work, Christian Fynbo Christiansen finds peace on the water. He has a sailing boat and enjoys taking his family out on it.

"When you leave the harbour, your shoulders drop. That goes for nature experiences in general — whether it's a run in the forest or a sailing trip. The best experiences aren't far away — a sunrise over Knebel Vig on a summer morning is something special."

Professor, Senior Consultant, Head Christian Fynbo Christiansen 
Aarhus University, Department of Clinical Medicine 
Aarhus University Hospital, Department of Clinical Epidemiology 
CONNECT 
cfc@clin.au.dk 
Phone: +45 87 16 82 18