Lene Juel Kjeldsen appointed professor of hospital pharmacy at the University of Southern Denmark (SDU)

Lene Juel Kjeldsen has been appointed professor of hospital pharmacy at the University of Southern Denmark.

The professorship is anchored in the Hospital Pharmacy Research Unit (HoPRU), where she serves as head of research, and broadly covers the same research areas as the pharmacy’s research unit: clinical pharmacy and the sustainability of medicines.

To the best of current knowledge, the professorship is the first in the world within hospital pharmacy, and Lene Juel Kjeldsen is the only hospital pharmacist in Denmark who is also a professor.

The research is practice-oriented and aims to be implemented directly in clinical practice.

Within clinical pharmacy, the focus is on optimising medical treatment. The research group is a co-applicant on a major international Horizon grant (AIM-SAFE) of DKK 125 million, which among other things investigates how artificial intelligence can provide a rapid overview of patients’ overall medication. In addition, complex models for medication reviews are being tested in controlled randomised studies in order to identify the patients who benefit most from the intervention – in close collaboration with clinical departments at Hospital Sønderjylland and general practice.

Within sustainability, the research applies the principles “Reduce, reuse & recycle”. A PhD project has been launched on medicines in wastewater from hospitals and possibilities for prevention. Research is also being conducted on medicine waste across the entire chain from procurement to use – including the potential for reusing unused medicines.

Where the professorship is anchored

The professorship is anchored in HoPRU and collaborates closely at local, regional, national and international levels. Hospital pharmacies in Denmark collaborate broadly, and HoPRU coordinates both regional and national research networks.

The research unit has recently completed a national project on the prescribing of medicines in cases of impaired kidney function, where they acted as project leads. Currently, the research group is participating in a collaboration with hospitals in Maastricht and Leuven on key concepts within clinical pharmacy and is part of the international Horizon project led by the Clinical Research Department at Hospital Sønderjylland.

About the academic profile

Lene Juel Kjeldsen graduated as a pharmacist in Copenhagen in 1997 and completed her PhD at the Department of Medicine, University of Queensland in Australia, in 2002.

For most of her career, she has worked with research and development within hospital pharmacy – particularly clinical pharmacy – including positions at Amgros, Pharmakon, Odense University Hospital and most recently at Hospital Sønderjylland.

Her research has a strong patient-centred focus and combines clinical quality, interdisciplinary collaboration and an increasing emphasis on sustainability in healthcare.