Health flagship turns 25: Henrik had the vision - Tove created the organization

On July 1, 2025, the Department of Clinical Epidemiology (KEA) at Aarhus University could celebrate its 25th anniversary. A milestone that few had foreseen when the department saw the light of day in 2000.

Back then, the grim prophecy from a research colleague to the newly appointed director Henrik Toft Sørensen was: "You'll close again before two years have passed."

Three people showed up for work on the first day. Today, a quarter of a century later, KEA employs over 100 staff members with 12-14 different nationalities. The department has established itself as an international flagship in clinical epidemiological research and has helped change treatment practices around the world.

According to Henrik Toft Sørensen, there are many ingredients to the success. Hard work, unique health registers, benevolent foundations, and visionary colleagues.

But after a conversation with Tove Nilsson, who has been Henrik Toft Sørensen's right hand for the past 15 years, it becomes clear that KEA's success is largely the result of teamwork – not least between the two of them.

Chance meeting became turning point

Tove Nilsson was supposed to retire as a 70-year-old in 2010. But when she showed up at KEA on a Monday in August to "do some consulting work," she was suddenly employed as administrative director on Tuesday.

This would prove to be a turning point for the department.

The experienced chief physician had already followed the department closely for nearly a decade. Since 2001, she had been a member of KEA's board and therefore knew the organization from within. As a former surgeon and chief administrative physician at the surgical department in Aalborg, Tove Nilsson had both the medical background and administrative experience that KEA needed.

"Even though she had retired and doesn't have an epidemiological background, she has played a completely decisive role in the organization because she has an exceptional talent for administration, organization, and orderliness," says Henrik Toft Sørensen.

From chaos to structure

And Tove Nilsson threw herself into the task with great thoroughness. Until then, Henrik Toft Sørensen had handled job postings himself, but Tove Nilsson ensured the creation of a small HR department. Before Tove, KEA had never employed lawyers, even though the department had contracts with major foundations and pharmaceutical companies. Tove made sure to bring the necessary legal expertise in-house.

Financial management also got a thorough makeover. KEA had taken on extensive research commitments to international partners but lacked the necessary financial planning to handle long-term projects.

"We got control of liquidity and long-term financial planning. Even if revenue suddenly stopped, we could still complete what we had committed to with our major foreign research partners," explains Tove Nilsson.

Overall, she established the entire infrastructure around KEA and ensured, for example, that an employee committee was created.

"Gradually, the contours of an organization began to emerge," says Tove Nilsson.

Teamwork is the core

The solid structure meant that Henrik Toft Sørensen could concentrate on what was actually his task, namely...

The award-winning and globally recognized professor today highlights the close collaboration with Tove Nilsson as a crucial factor in KEA's success.

"I am deeply grateful for Tove's efforts, her integrity, and friendship. She ensured that the finances were streamlined and structure was put on the organization, and that's one of the reasons why things have gone really well for KEA up to today," says Henrik Toft Sørensen.

Tove Nilsson also believes that she and Henrik made a good partnership.

"We agreed that decisions should be made on a solid foundation. A well-functioning administrative infrastructure meant that he could focus on securing large research projects and collaborations," she says.

But what is it about Henrik Toft Sørensen that has made him such an effective leader?

Tove Nilsson, who has worked closely with him for 15 years, points to several key qualities.

"He has a very sharp mind, he is very diligent, and he has great curiosity. And then he has the ability to make things happen. If he or someone else in the department gets an idea, and it turns out there's substance to it, then he gets it implemented," she says.

A significant part of Henrik Toft Sørensen's success, according to Tove Nilsson, also lies in his ability to secure funding for large projects.

"You have to remember that he has been responsible for raising money for this entire operation. We only have a fixed grant of around ten million kroner per year, and our expenditure is around 60 million," says Tove Nilsson, who adds:

"At the same time, Henrik is the most modest person on this earth."

Research that saves lives

Even though Henrik Toft Sørensen may be modest by nature, KEA's research results speak their own clear language.

Over the years, the department's work has saved lives and changed treatment practices worldwide.

A study of pregnant women showed, for example, that ibuprofen increases the risk of spontaneous abortion – a discovery that led to new guidelines for medication during pregnancy. Conversely, research on arthritis medication showed that regular use can halve the risk of colon and rectal cancer.

In the cancer field, KEA's research has illuminated why some patients with the same disease react differently to treatment, thereby giving doctors better tools to choose the right treatment for individual patients. And the list continues.

In short, KEA has managed to translate disciplines like statistics and epidemiology into knowledge that matters for patients around the world.

Million-kroner turnover and clear values

Today, KEA has a turnover of around 60 million kroner per year. The vast majority of funds come from international collaborations and external contributors.

KEA's success is also built on clear values. Together with colleagues, Henrik Toft Sørensen developed what he calls "KEA's paradigms," which can be summarized in three core points: to share knowledge, to share data, and to invest surplus in activities that benefit research.

What was supposed to be a small senior job for Tove Nilsson ended up becoming a full-time position. Today, at 85 years old, she is still affiliated with KEA.

"I'm typically here one day a week, and then I handle some tasks from home. I still think it's fun to participate in discussions about what should happen in the coming five years."

The collaboration between Tove Nilsson and Henrik Toft Sørensen is symptomatic of a fundamental value that characterizes KEA.

Henrik Toft Sørensen precisely highlights teamwork as the core of the department's success.

"It may well be that I have led KEA for 25 years, but I have done so because there have been some fantastic colleagues. What I value most and am proudest of today is that we have a department that is thriving. And that we have also created a unique environment for researchers from around the world – I am naturally very pleased with that too."