Merit Award for Cancer Research to BRIC Group Leader

Every year the Danish Cancer Society presents the Junior Researcher Award to one or two researchers under the age of 40 for a special effort within the field of Danish cancer research. The purpose of the award is to inspire young talents and to develop the next generation of cancer researchers.

This year one of two prizes goes to associate professor Jesper B Andersen from Biotech Research & Innovation Centre (BRIC), who conducts research within the field of liver cancers.

Liver cancers - the need for better treatment

Jesper B Andersen, receives the Junior Researcher Award for his promising research in liver and biliary tract cancers. Along with his research team he studies the genetic heterogeneity of liver and biliary tract tumors in order to distinguish patient subsets for improved therapeutic outcome.

- Primary liver cancer consists of several different types of tumors, which require different forms of treatment. The research starts out in the laboratory, where we study the cancer cells and look for unique molecular traits that can help us divide patients into subgroups who need different treatment. This is important because unfortunately, the available treatment we offer today is limited and does not ensure the best survival rate, Jesper Andersen

Jesper B Andersen received his education in molecular and cellular biology at Aarhus University. He continued his research in the US at several leading universities as well as the National Cancer Institute, NIH. Last year he returned to DK, where he was appointed Group Leader at the Biotech Research & Innovation Centre (BRIC). During his career he has built a large collaborative network of clinicians and researchers with a common focus on liver and biliary tract diseases from all over the world, and has received a number of Investigator awards for his research.

Jesper Andersen is very pleased to receive the Junior research Award:

- It is a great honour and recognition of my work to receive the Junior Research Prize from the Danish Cancer Society. It is not only personally of importance to me but also to my laboratory. It will help me attract great Danish and international talents to join my team at BRIC to continue to move forward our research. This prize will help me raise awareness of liver cancer, our research bridging basic and clinical science into this disease and hopefully in the future advance patients outcome. Thank you to the members of my laboratory and the many great colleagues.

The next generation of cancer researchers

According to the president of the Danish Cancer Society Frede Olesen, Jesper Andersen is part of the next generation of top researchers:

- Jesper Andersen has made his mark on the international field of cancer research with his interesting results. He is a very dedicated researcher, who can provide us with a better understanding of the mechanisms behind liver- and biliary cancer. These are types of cancer for which we really need more tailored forms of treatment, so that we will become able to offer patients more hope of survival than we can today, Frede Olesen.

The Junior Researcher Award is presented at the Danish Cancer Society’s annual assembly of representatives on Sunday 31 May 2015. The prize is 75.000 DKK that can be used for conferences and for laboratory equipment.