Martin Wirenfeldt Nielsen appointed clinical professor of pathology and anatomy at Esbjerg and Grindsted Hospital and SDU

Martin Wirenfeldt Nielsen takes up the position of clinical professor of pathology and anatomy at the Department of Regional Health Research at the University of Southern Denmark (SDU) and Esbjerg and Grindsted Hospital on 1 November 2026. Through his professorship, he aims to strengthen cancer research.

Why does colorectal cancer – cancer of the colon or rectum – sometimes spread to the lymph nodes and other parts of the body? And can analysing cancer help us predict an increased risk of it spreading in the future?

These are key questions in Martin Wirenfeldt Nielsen’s research. His work will include analysing the cancer’s own DNA to gain new insights into how the disease develops. The research also involves studying new, personalised patient pathways in Esbjerg, with hopes and plans for broad regional collaboration.

The professorship gives Martin Wirenfeldt Nielsen the opportunity to further develop pathology research at the hospital.

– We hope that personalised analyses of cancer will help us answer some of the questions that have so far remained unanswered. There is still so much we do not know, and DNA from the cancer cells themselves may hold the key to filling some of these gaps in our knowledge, explains Martin Wirenfeldt Nielsen.

Teacher of the year 2025

As part of his professorship, Martin Wirenfeldt Nielsen will have academic responsibility for anatomy teaching on the Bachelor’s degree programme in Medicine at the University of Southern Denmark in Esbjerg.

In 2025, Martin Wirenfeldt Nielsen received the Teacher of the Year award at the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Southern Denmark for his inspiring and engaging teaching.

– It is, of course, important that we teach future doctors to see the connection between what they learn in their studies and the realities they will encounter when caring for patients. I see great value in creating an inclusive learning environment where students’ questions can help generate ideas for future research projects, says Martin Wirenfeldt Nielsen.

Head of the brain collection

Martin Wirenfeldt Nielsen is also scientific director of the Danish Brain Collection. With 9,479 brains from Danish psychiatric patients, it is one of the largest brain collections in the world.

Several research projects are already associated with the collection, which offers considerable potential for national and international studies of psychiatric and neurological disorders, as well as their socioeconomic and historical dimensions.

The brain collection supports research into psychiatric and neurological disorders and comprises 9,479 brains and approximately 50,000 tissue blocks.