“During the past five years I have had the big pleasure of being a part of Danish Diabetes Academy (DDA) as a senior researcher and member of the Education Committee. From my personal point of view there is no doubt that DDA has played a significant role in developing the research areas (diabetes/obesity in pregnancy and fetal programming) that are my main interests.

Thematic symposia followed by smaller workshops to cover specific areas in depth have been held and many of these have been highly interdisciplinary and may lead to joint publications and future collaborations.
As one in many good examples, I would like to mention the symposium “What happens after a gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) pregnancy? - Perspectives on prevention of type 2 diabetes in a family, life-course and health systems perspective” held in Copenhagen May 2017, headed by Helle Terkildsen Maindal (HTM), Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen. The organizing committee and presenters included obstetricians, nurses, endocrinologists, basic scientists, public health scientists, general practitioners and a patient with previous gestational diabetes. On behalf of the group, Karoline Kragelund Nielsen, Louise Groth Grunnet and HTM later submitted a review paper on GDM follow-up and a number of persons in this group are also involved in the planning of a national follow-up GDM study “FACE-IT” headed by HTM.

The funding of PhD students, postdocs, and formal educational activities has facilitated networking both on the national and international level. At PhD Summer Schools and postdoc Winter Schools covering many aspects of basic and clinical science, it has been possible to invite leading scientists as teachers, and the interaction in a relaxed and informal atmosphere has formed the basis of fruitful scientific networks and future mentorships. In a number of cases sabbaticals abroad have been planned during these events, and as an extra bonus, Denmark has been able to attract visiting professors on a very high level.”
The professional organization of DDA activities and visibility on the website and social media are also important factors in the success of all this. We need to remind ourselves that this is unique.

I wish to express my personal gratitude to all scientific colleagues and staff members in the DDA and in particular to Tore Christiansen, Kristine Melgaard Michailidis, Tina Hansen Barbisan and Tine Pallisgaard for fantastic support and collaboration over the years.”

Consultant, Associate Professor Dorte Møller Jensen, Odense University Hospital