His research begins when the heart stops
Professor Lars Wiuff Andersen’s research is a matter of life or death. Literally speaking. In just a few years, he has become one of Denmark’s leading scientific researchers in acute, critical illness. Now he has been awarded the 2026 Holst-Knudsen Research Talent Award.
The Holst-Knudsen Research Talent Award
The Holst-Knudsen Research Talent Award is awarded to two talented, young, Danish researchers from Aarhus University, each receiving the award and DKK 100,000.
The other 2026 Research Talent Award is awarded to Professor of Chemistry Dorthe Ravnsbæk.
The awards will be presented at the award ceremony in the Main Hall on Wednesday 27 May – register for the event on the university’s website.
The Rigmor and Carl Holst-Knudsen Award for Scientific Research (the main award) will be presented in connection with Aarhus University’s annual celebration in September.
Cardiac arrest often happens without warning. One moment everything is normal, the next a person is lying dead on the floor. For every minute that goes by without effective treatment, the patient’s chances of survival drop dramatically. But what is the best treatment in those first critical minutes?
This question is central to Professor Lars Wiuff Andersen’s work. From his base at Aarhus University, the Central Denmark Region Prehospital Services and Aarhus University Hospital, he seeks to improve treatment of cardiac arrest patients – in the ambulance as well as in hospital.
And his research has already changed the way we treat cardiac arrest:
“For many years, some people treated cardiac arrest with calcium, mainly to restore the body’s electrolyte balance and improve contractility. However, our research has shown that this treatment did not have the expected positive effects and could even be harmful. Our findings have been integrated into international guidelines for cardiac arrest treatment,” says Lars Wiuff Andersen.
When it comes to cardiac arrest, even small changes can make a huge difference. Therefore, the research also focuses on practical aspects – for example how to get medication into the body. In hospitals, medication is usually administered through the veins, but in the ambulance there is not always time to do that. Instead, paramedics insert the needle directly into the bone in the shin or upper arm.
“Our research shows that the two methods are just as effective, which means that paramedics can continue to use the method they prefer,” says Lars Wiuff Andersen.
Read more about the award and Lars Wiuff Andersen’s research on the university’s website.
Contact
Professor Lars Wiuff Andersen
Aarhus University, Department of Clinical Medicine
Aarhus University Hospital, Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care
Central Denmark Region, Prehospital Services
Phone: +45 51 78 15 11
Email: lwandersen@clin.au.dk