- I took on the post based on the idea that I can contribute something positive to the department. I have broad experience from the fields of research, teaching, administration and leadership. It has been rewarding to lead the Section for Anatomy, but I now feel ready to take on new challenges, he says.
Leergaard emphasises that the department’s most important task is to deliver good teaching in basic medicine.
- But the Department of Molecular Medicine has strong research groups with clear ambitions to produce excellent research and competitive funding applications and we must also give priority to these areas, he says and he continues:
- We carry on traditions that can be traced back to 1814 and at the same time, we must constantly innovate and adapt in line with developments in our disciplines. The department has a great deal of technical, teaching and academic expertise which I believe is best utilised by means of good communication and teamwork. We will then bring out the best in each other.
Several challenges await the new leader
The incoming leader is very aware that new challenges are in the offing.
- With generally increasing costs, the financial framework is becoming tighter and we will have to use our resources even more efficiently than before. With the influx of more students, we must make every effort to optimise our teaching, and against the backdrop of increasing competition for research funding, we must submit even better applications. All this will mean that we must think along new lines and work together in a constructive way.
Trygve Leergaard has received several encouraging messages following his appointment:
- I would like to congratulate Trygve Leergaard on his new appointment and I wish him the best of luck in this important and exciting post, says the outgoing Head of Institute, Lene Frost Andersen.
The incoming Head of IMB, Philippe Collas, is very familiar with the role that Trygve Leergaard is taking on:
- We have had a very good and productive working environment at the Department of Molecular Medicine over the last four years. Now I would like to congratulate Trygve on his new role as head of department and I look forward to working with him at Molmed and at institute level.
He will continue with his research
But what about his research – what will Leergaard do about that? Will there be time for it?
- Yes, absolutely! The laboratory for neural systems is very active and has several exciting projects in the pipeline, where we are working towards new approaches for organising, analysing, sharing and reusing brain research data via the research infrastructure EBRAINS.
Trygve Leergaard says that there will be many time-consuming challenges ahead, but he feels motivated by the fact that the different activities help to maintain an internationally attractive and competitive research environment at the department.
- Fortunately, we have competent, experienced and motivated employees at all levels and this is essential if we are to succeed in delivering these projects, he concludes.