Tine Rask Licht is the new Head of Department of DTU Food, a position she has been acting in since 1 January.
Tine Rask Licht has been at DTU since 1999, where her research primarily has focused on gut bacteria and health, and she has held several positions, ranging from postdoc to senior researcher, professor, head of research group, and deputy head of department.
"Health, disease, and sustainable food are all research areas that are important to DTU, so I'm pleased that Tine Rask Licht will also be heading DTU Food in the future. Not only does she have a wealth of experience to draw on and is widely recognized for her research, which has even earned her the Order of Dannebrog, but she also knows DTU and DTU Food thoroughly," says DTU President Anders Bjarklev.
Variety of tasks
Tine Rask Licht has a strong research profile and will lead DTU Food, a department that in addition to research and teaching also provides research-based advice to the authorities. The vision is still for DTU Food to help prevent disease, promote health, develop new and better foods for the growing population, and create sustainable technological solutions.
"I am grateful for the trust in me and look forward to leading an exciting workplace with incredibly talented employees who contribute with important knowledge, especially within food and sustainability," says Tine Rask Licht.
"In my six months as acting director, I have learned even more about the incredible variety of tasks the department handles and the many agendas we are dealing with."
Continued research activities
Tine Rask Licht will continue to have some research activities, as she will co-lead the virtual research centre Microbiome Health Initiative, which has just received a grant of DKK 150 million from the Novo Nordisk Foundation to uncover possible links between gut bacteria and obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and she will continue as head of the collaborative project PRIMA, where researchers are investigating the role of gut bacteria in the importance of diet for our individual health.
"I hope and believe that the department will benefit from me staying close to the research, even though my main focus will of course be on my role as director," she says.
