2026 New Investigator Award in Basic Science, Jens Lund

Jens Lund (Denmark), Winner of the Award in Basic Science, is a postdoctoral fellow at the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research at University of Copenhagen. Jens is trained in nutrition, biochemistry, and human biology. From 2023-2025, he was a fellow of the BRIDGE – Translational Excellence Programme at University of Copenhagen. Jens investigates the biological regulation of energy balance and adiposity. His PhD project explored how signaling metabolites, such as lactate, affect body weight and energy homeostasis. This line of research uncovered major overlooked methodological problems that can confound the study of metabolites. More specifically, it revealed that factors related to the administered metabolite solutions, rather than the metabolites per se, can drive the “anti-obesity” effects of metabolites in animals. This is illustrated by the profound sickness response (i.e. loss of appetite and weight loss) seen when laboratory animals are treated with severely hypertonic solutions of metabolite salts (PMID 37055619). Alongside his work on metabolites, Jens investigates why some individuals easily gain weight while others are protected against obesity. This work involves studies across the weight spectrum and the preliminary findings from research in mice challenge the prevailing idea that obesity is primarily driven by hedonic overeating.