Jørn Wulff Helge is professor in Exercise physiology and Health at the department of Biomedical Sciences at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen.

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JWH key interest areas are adaptation to physical activity and inactivity with a particular emphasis on ageing, skeletal muscle, obesity and type 2 diabetes. JWH has performed a number of field studies with a broad perspective on prolonged excessive exercise and in conjunction a focus on metabolic fitness and flexibility. In addition, JWH has focused on muscle bioactive lipids and insulin resistance.

Curriculum Vitae

Jørn Wulff Helge

Professor

PhD, FECSS

Education

Jan. 1987    Bachelor Maths, Univ. of Aarhus

Jan. 1993    MSc Sport Science, Univ. of Copenhagen

May 1997   PhD at Univ. of Copenhagen

Positions

1997-2000 Post Doc Human Physiology, Faculty of Science, Univ. CPH.

2000-2002 Post Doc Copenhagen Muscle Research Centre, Faculty of Health and Medical Science

2002-2014 Assoc. Professor, Dept. Biomedical Sciences (BMI)

2014-2018  Professor MSO, BMI

2016-2020 Head of Graduate School Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences

2018           Professor, BMI

Administration and Leadership

2006-2017  Section head and board member of BMI

2007-2010  Member of study board for Public Health

2016-2019 Head of Graduate School Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences

2017+         Member of leadership team BMI

Change of environment

1994           7 months research with Prof Len Storlien at Univ. of Wollongong, NSW, Australia

2000           3 months research with Prof Ole Sejersted at Ullevaal Hosp., Oslo Univ. Oslo, Norway

2015/16      3 months research visit with Prof John Hawley at Catholic Univ., Melbourne, Australia

International relations

I have ongoing collaborations with Prof. Jim Cotter, University of Otago, NZ, , Assoc. Prof. Marcin Baranowski, University of Bialystok, Poland and Prof. Paul Greenhaff, University of Nottingham, UK.

Commissions, councils etc.

2017 -         Elected member of European College of Sports Science (ECSS) Executive Board

2019-2021 President elect ECSS

2021-2023  President ECSS

2023-2025 Past President ECSS

2023-          Member of committee to develop new Ageing Center initiative at Univ. of Copenhagen.

Large grants

I was one of four main applicants to receive 24 mill. Danish kr. to the DANHES investigation (a study of 18.000 Danes Smoking, alcohol, diet and exercise habits). I was a partner in the EU-grant,”Metapredict” (6 mill. Euro) that aimed to determine genetic predictor profiles. I was a co-Pi in two 2016 Excellence grants; the Copenhagen Women’s Health (cws.ku.dk, 25.3 mill. Dkk) grant and the LIFESTAT (www.lifestat.dk, 22.3 mill Dkk) grant. I was a senior researcher in the Centre of Healthy Aging (http://healthyaging.ku.dk; (CEHA I + II + III, 2009-2023; 378 mill. kr.) received from the Nordea Foundation.

Awards and prices                                                         

Silver medal in Physiology A 1992 at Univ. of CPH.

ECSS Young investigators prize in Nice, France, 1996.

Received Johan Quintin and wife’s honorary prize, February 2008.

Teaching

I have taught physiology at several courses; Medical students 4^th semester; “Energy metabolism”, “Human Physiology and disease” for Public Health students and exercise Physiology at all levels at Sports Science (Faculty of Science, Univ. CPH). I have been supervisor for >130 bachelor, master and research year students.

Supervision

I have been principal supervisor for eight completed PhD and co-supervisor for thirteen completed PhD´s. I am currently principal supervisor for three PhD-students.

Evaluator and opponent

Since 2001, I have been an opponent and/or chair of the assessment committee on 50 Danish and International PhD-thesis’s.

Scientific focus areas

• Regulation and physiological importance of maximal fat oxidation;
• The effects of bioactive lipids, ceramides and diacylglycerols for insulin resistance and inflammation in man.
• Adipose tissue inflammation, regulation and function and coupling to systemic inflammation
• Factors that determine maintenance of lifestyle interventions and weight loss including applying Biological age as a tool to improve lifestyle and maintenance.
• Estimation and measurement of maximal oxygen uptake applying the Seismofit equipment

Science dissemination

I am an author or –co-author on 15 popular science books/papers. In 2018-2019 I was a consultant on the translation of ”Idrættens Træningslære (Released from Munksgaard, January 2019) from Norwegian to Danish. I was one of four editors on the Norwegian version and have written two chapters in the book.

Publications

I am an author or co-author of 239 peer reviewed scientific papers, 14 reviews or book chapters. My H-index is 50 (R-ID) or 64 (Google Scholar) and my Researcher ID: I-7096-2012 and Orcid-id is orcid.org/0000-0001-9724-5423