Professor receives international recognition for research in child psychiatry
Anders Børglum, Professor at the Department of Biomedicine at Aarhus University, has been awarded the 2025 Richard Todd Award. The prize is one of the most prestigious in the field of psychiatric genetics and is given to researchers who have made outstanding contributions to the genetics of child psychiatry.
Anders Børglum is being honoured for his longstanding work in discovering the genetic factors behind psychiatric diagnoses in children and adolescents. He has led major international collaborations and identified the first genetic risk variants and genes in autism, ADHD, conduct disorders, and related conditions.
In subsequent studies, he and his international partners have further uncovered the genetics and biology underlying these conditions. These studies have provided new insights into why some individuals develop these diagnoses and which biological processes in the brain are affected.
The research has also played a major role in shaping the understanding that these diagnoses are part of a continuum of neurodiversity in the population, where we all carry a greater or lesser number of predisposing genetic variants. This has helped to reduce the stigma surrounding children and young people with mental health challenges.
“I am deeply honoured to receive the Richard Todd Award. It represents many years of work within large research collaborations, and it means a great deal for the entire field. To be selected among so many talented colleagues – and by my international peers – is truly special and means a lot to me,” says Anders Børglum.
In his current research, he continues to investigate the genetic and biological mechanisms, as only a small part of the explanations is currently known. The studies now include a broader range of factors to gain deeper insights into how genetic, biological, environmental, and clinical profiles influence the often very different individual courses and outcomes that these lifelong diagnoses can entail.
The long-term goal is for this new knowledge to be used to improve diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of the problematic aspects and associated conditions that can arise from child and adolescent psychiatric diagnoses.
Contact
Professor and Centre Director Anders Børglum
Aarhus University, Department of Biomedicine
Phone: +45 60 20 27 20
Email: anders@biomed.au.dk