11 April 2022 – Susanne Mandrup says she appreciates the excellent Danish healthcare and social system and the respect for family life. “We’re a bit spoilt!” she says. She also loves being close to the sea: “I couldn’t imagine living far from the coast. It’s relaxing and humbling to walk by the sea.”
Mandrup’s lab at the University of Southern Denmark in Odense studies how transcriptional networks drive adipocyte differentiation and control adipose tissue plasticity. “We want to determine adipocyte function in the complex tissue context and understand how molecular changes in adipocytes impact human health,” she explains. Interdisciplinary collaboration is a hallmark of Mandrup’s research; as director and initiator of several centers and research units, her group works with academic and clinical groups across Denmark and beyond.
Particularly characteristic of Danish research is the significant funding contribution from private foundations, says Mandrup: “This is a great asset to Danish research.” This contribution has increased considerably over the last decade or so, she adds, especially in biomedicine. Mandrup, an EMBO Member since 2017, says EMBO events have been some of her favourites: “EMBO Courses & Workshops are always just the right size, very interactive and with a highly international crowd.”
