Prizes
Lundbeck Foundation honours Anton Pottegård with the Young Investigator Prize
The researcher from the Department of Clinical Research receives the award from the Lundbeck Foundation for his groundbreaking work on improving the use of medicines in healthcare.
How can medicines be used in the best and safest way possible? That question has driven Professor Anton Pottegård’s research at the University of Southern Denmark (SDU) for over a decade.
His work has now been recognised with the 2025 Young Investigator Prize from the Lundbeck Foundation – an award given to researchers under the age of 40. This year, the prize includes DKK 1 million, of which DKK 700,000 is earmarked for further research, while the remainder is a personal honorary award.
Research with a direct impact on patient care
Anton Pottegård is the author of nearly 400 scientific publications on the effects – both beneficial and harmful – of medicines. His research has, for instance, shown that the widely used antihypertensive drug hydrochlorothiazide increases the risk of skin cancer. This finding led to changes in treatment guidelines both in Denmark and internationally.
His research group also played a key role during the COVID-19 pandemic, providing data within just six days that helped authorities decide to halt the use of a vaccine suspected of causing blood clots.
From the pharmacy to society
Alongside his research, Anton Pottegård has been committed to ensuring that new knowledge is put into practice.
– It’s a huge pat on the back for the work my colleagues and I have done over the past years. It shows that this hasn’t just been an academic exercise, but that we’ve generated real knowledge that is now being used to make a difference in the healthcare system, he says.
Most recently, he has contributed to developing new recommendations for deprescribing in frail older patients – an important step towards gentler treatment for a growing patient group.
Meet the researcher
Anton Pottegård is a professor at the Department of Public Health and conducts research into the use of medicines.
Key findings from Anton Pottegård’s research
Hydrochlorothiazide and skin cancer
Studies from 2017–18 showed that the antihypertensive drug hydrochlorothiazide increases the risk of skin cancer. The findings led to changes in treatment guidelines both in Denmark and abroad – and to over 100,000 Danes switching medication.
COVID-19 vaccine and blood clots
During the pandemic, Pottegård’s group led a Danish-Norwegian study that rapidly assessed the risk of blood clots from a COVID-19 vaccine. The work helped inform the Danish health authorities’ decision to stop using the vaccine in 2021.
Antibiotics for conjunctivitis
A 2025 registry study on conjunctivitis formed the basis for a national recommendation from the Choosing Wisely initiative: mild cases should generally not be treated with antibiotics. The study revealed extensive and geographically varied use of eye antibiotics in Denmark.
New ideas need room to take off
With the flexible research funding that comes with the award, Anton Pottegård plans to explore new directions in pharmacoepidemiology:
– The prize includes a large amount of unrestricted research funding. That kind of flexible support is incredibly valuable, and I’ll use it to invest in new projects – I’m really looking forward to pursuing a few quirky ideas that deserve the chance to take off, he says.
A growing research environment
Anton Pottegård became a professor at just 32 and has since built up a research group at SDU’s Department of Clinical Research. Seven years on, he now leads a team of 47 people. The group includes pharmacists, statisticians, doctors and other healthcare professionals – and this interdisciplinary approach has been central to his vision.
His research environment has also been recognised for its strong communication – both with health professionals and the general public – as well as its commitment to nurturing talent.
Looking ahead
With the Young Investigator Prize in hand, Anton Pottegård is now turning his attention to new research projects that can help improve the use of medicines in Danish healthcare even further. The prize marks not just a personal milestone, but also a clear example of how research at SDU is making a tangible impact on society.
About the prize
The Lundbeck Foundation’s Young Investigator Prize is awarded annually to an early-career researcher under the age of 40 who has made an outstanding contribution to health science. The prize is worth DKK 1 million. Read more here: