ResearcherID: P-6583-2014

Scopus Author ID: 12774513500

Our research focus on the mechanism(s) by which physical activity promotes metabolic health. Our studies have focused on the role of the energy sensor AMP activated protein kinase in promoting adaptations to exercise training and to a single bout of exercise. Of particular interest for now more than 20 years have been the interaction at the intracellular level between exercise-induced signaling events and those induced by insulin trying to elucidate the mechanisms by which exercise can improve muscle insulin sensitivity.

Our approaches to gain such insights include invasive studies of healthy and diseased subjects in combination with mechanistic studies using animal models - including various transgenic approaches. We seek to adapt state of art technologies in our research - including multiomics technologies. Further, we seek to gain insight at the single muscle fiber level using both biochemistry and imaging techniques. In collaborations with various clinical laboratories and pharma industries we aim to translate our findings into relevance for patients and society.

Active research areas includes:

Molecular muscle adaptations induced by exercise leading to improved insulin sensitivity

Exercise induced exosomes/proteins/metabolits release from skeletal muscle  

Role of AMPK and mTOR in metabolic regulation during and in recovery of exercise

Role of TBC1D4/TBC1D1 in metabolic regulation by insulin and exercise

Mechanisms allowing muscle glycogen supercompensation after exercise

Development of pre-clinical human muscle model

• Muskelstofskifte
• Fysisk aktivitet
• Sundhed
• Træning
• Molekylær signalering
• Insulinfølsomhed

Jørgen Frank Pind Wojtaszewski (JFPW) (b.,1964) achieved his MSci in Human Physiology in 1992 from the Faculty of Science and his MSci in Human Biology in 1994 from the Faculty of Health both at The University of Copenhagen. He was in 1997 awarded the degree of PhD in Natural Science based on the thesis entitled: Signalling transduction in exercise and insulin stimulated glucose transport in skeletal muscle.

JFPW received 8 years of post doctoral training in physiology and molecular physiology through research conducted at the August Krogh Institute, University of Copenhagen, at the Copenhagen Muscle Research Center, DK and at Joslin Diabetes Center, Harvard University, Boston US.

JFPW was appointed Senior Research Officer at the Copenhagen Muscle Research Center in 2003, was awarded the esteemed Hallas Møller Fellowship/Grant from the Novo Nordisk Foundation in 2003 and in 2005 awarded the prestigious Young Investigator Research Grant from the Danish Health Research Council. In 2022 he was awarded the EFSD/NNF Precision Diabetes Medicine Award, and in 2023 he received the NNF Distinguished investigator award in endocrinology and Metabolism. In 2004, he was appointed associate professor, and in 2008 professor at the Molecular Physiology Group, Section of Human Physiology, Department of Exercise and Sport Sciences at University of Copenhagen.  In 2010-2011, JFPW was Vice Head of Research and through 2012 acting Head of Department at the same Department.  2012-2023 JFPW served as member in the educational board at Danish Diabetes Academy.

Today JFPW serves as head of the August Krogh Section for Molecular Physiology, and is heading the research group for Molecular signaling in muscle metabolism. JW is heading the August Krogh Club at University of Copenhagen and he serve as NamedPerson at the Faculty of Science (UCPH). 

In his 25 years research career JFPW has authored more than 250 original papers as well as +20 review articles in the area of metabolism and cellular signaling describing studies of animal models as well as human in both health and diseased conditions. The papers appear in leading international diabetes, medical and physiological journals such as Nature Biotechnology, Medicine, Nature Genetics, Journal of Clinical Investigations, Cell Metabolism, Diabetes, PNAS, Diabetologia, FASEB J, Journal of Physiology, American journal of Physiology and Molcelular Metabolism.

JFPW H-index is 72 and the total number of non-self citations is +13000.

JFPW was Senior Research officer at one of the early centers sponsored by the Danish National Research Foundation (GF); The Copenhagen Muscle Research Center, and his research group has been involved in to European funded consortiums under the 5^th and 6^th Framework programs (AMPDIAMET and EXGENESIS, receptively). In 2009- JFPW became partner in the Danish UNIK program Food, Fitness and Pharma. In 2012- JFPW became the leader of the August Krogh Club (www.akc.ku.dk). In 2013 - JFPW became WP leader of the UCPH Excellence Programme for Interdisciplinary Research 2016. JFPW (2018->) has collaborative research programs with Novo Nordisk a/s (EXERKINES) and Pfiser a/s (COBOS). These companies are sponsoring these programs. Also, in 2024, JFPW is associated with Pfizer as a consultant.

JFPW has served as member of the Editorial Board of Diabetes and Associate Editor at Journal of Applied Physiology.  He has served as organizer of both national and international meetings/conferences, and has been co-organizing international post graduate courses and summer schools.

The research of JFPW has continuesly been supported by private foundations (~1/3), public foundations (~1/3) and private companies (~1/3).  He has supervised or co-supervised >100 project students, 25 PhD students and his laboratory has so far hosted 16 post dotoral fellows.

Currently, JFPW is leading a research group of ~6 people consisting of an associate professor, two post dotoral fellows, two PhD students, several master project students. The group is support by both academic technician staff as well as bioanalytical staff.