September 24th 2025
With a groundbreaking 313 million DKK grant from the Lundbeck Foundation, this he Lundbeck Foundation Parkinson's Disease Research Center brings together leading researchers from basic science, neurology, and neuroepidemiology under one roof at Aarhus University Hospital.
As Dean Anne-Mette Hvas stated during the ceremony:
"Parkinson's disease is a silent thief that slowly steals movement, speech, independenc - and ultimately identity. It affects not just the body, but also personality. And it doesn't just affect the individual, but entire families."
Director of Aarhus University Hospital - where PACE resides - Thomas Balle Kristensen emphasized the significance of this milestone, noting how this cutting edge research center builds on Aarhus' long tradition of excellence in brain research.
The ambitious goal is to conduct clinical trials within 10 years and develop new treatments that can slow or stop the progression of Parkinson's disease and other Lewy body diseases.
With approximately 12,000 Danes living with Parkinson's disease and 17.5 million people expected to suffer from it globally by 2040, this research couldn't be more crucial.
Professor Per Borghammer took the stage to outline his ambitious plans for PACE - detailing how the center will transform Parkinson's research in the coming years.
Rector at AU Brian Bech Nielsen and Lene Skole, CEO of the Lundbeck Foundation, was also among the speakers at the ceremony, alongside other distinguished attendees including 87-year old John Rasmussen, whose wife through 64 years died with Parkinson's last year. As promised to his dying wife he donated one million DKK to Parkinson's research earlier this year, establishing a scholarship in Kirsten's name - a reminder of why this work matters so deeply to patients and families everywhere.