Clinical research

Children and youth with diabetes, diabetes during pregnancy

Diabetic complications

Epidemiology

Nutrition, obesity and lipid metabolism

Pathophysiology, metabolism and diabetes pharmacology

Early onset type 2 diabetes is a growing and serious health challenge, associated with a higher disease burden, reduced life expectancy, and significant psychosocial difficulties.

Through close interaction between research and innovation, we aim to create lasting improvements in clinical practice and strengthen the healthcare system’s ability to meet the complex needs of younger adults with type 2 diabetes.

Using both quantitative and qualitative methods, we examine disease burden, coping strategies, and the use of healthcare services among individuals with early-onset type 2 diabetes. At the same time, we gain insight into what everyday life looks like for this target group.

This broad knowledge forms the foundation for developing and testing new, innovative solutions in collaboration with patients, the healthcare system, and civil society—solutions that are sustainable and can improve the quality of life for people living with early-onset type 2 diabetes.

Contact

Anette Andersen
anette.andersen@rm.dk

Katrine Holm Lindgaard
katrine.lindgaard@rm.dk

Annelli Sandbæk
anesnd@rm.dk

Evaluation of local developed municipal education for people with type 2 diabetes

EvaKom is a pragmatic, municipality-based randomized controlled trial using a waitlist control design. The aim is to evaluate the municipality’s own educational program based on:

• Participants’ perceived ability to manage and take responsibility for their own diabetes care, assessed using the Perceived Competence in Diabetes Scale (PCD)
• Selected health indicators associated with increased risk of diabetic (late) complications
• A health economic analysis comparing economic resources with clinically relevant outcomes

Contact

Tina Quist
tinaquist@rm.dk

Anette Andersen
anette.andersen@rm.dk

Evaluation of a municipal education for people with type 2 diabetes

Educational programs to strengthen disease management and competence, along with programs focusing on citizens' health behavior, are the cornerstones of the patient-oriented prevention efforts that municipalities provide today for people with type 2 diabetes.

LIVING is a pragmatic, municipality-based randomized controlled trial. The evaluation includes effect analyses, qualitative studies of municipal health personnel's perspectives, and a health economic analysis. 

Contact

Jonas Munk Jensen
jonas.munk.jensen@rm.dk

Anette Andersen
anette.andersen@rm.dk

The Machine Learning and Clinical Prediction Lab (Hulman Lab) is an interdisciplinary research group at Steno Diabetes Center Aarhus, affiliated with the Department of Public Health at Aarhus University, Denmark.  

Our research lies at the intersection of machine learning, clinical prediction, and epidemiology, with a focus on developing data-driven tools to improve disease prevention and patient care.  

We are particularly interested in integrating multimodal data - such as images, time series, text, and clinical variables - using deep learning methods to enhance clinical risk prediction. 

By reusing and adapting models across datasets and domains, we explore how knowledge can be transferred from epidemiological research to clinical applications.  

Our team brings together expertise in data science, mathematics, sports science, and medicine. We are collaborating across disciplines to generate and communicate insights that benefit both research and clinical communities. 

Being based within a hospital setting provides us with valuable perspectives on healthcare needs, enabling us to work closely with clinicians, patients, and other stakeholders to ensure our research remains patient-centered and relevant to real-world challenges. 

More information 

Read more about Machine Learning and Clinical Prediction Lab here

Contact

Adam Hulman
adahul@rm.dk

ON LiMiT is a large randomized controlled intervention study conducted in collaboration with the Steno Diabetes Centers in Aarhus, Odense, and Copenhagen, as well as the University of Copenhagen and Bispebjerg Hospital.

The aim of the study is to investigate whether remission of type 2 diabetes can be achieved and maintained through weight loss and lifestyle changes.

The project runs from 2025 to 2030 and involves approximately 1,500 participants with type 2 diabetes.

The background for the study is the increasing prevalence of type 2 diabetes, which places pressure on the healthcare system and negatively affects patients’ quality of life.

Weight loss and lifestyle changes have been shown to induce remission; however, there is a lack of knowledge on how remission can best be sustained.

It is hoped that the trial will contribute to a reduced need for pharmacological treatment, improved overall health, new recommendations for lifestyle-based remission of type 2 diabetes, and a cost-effective approach that is implementable, scalable, and acceptable to people with type 2 diabetes.

ON LiMiT is funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation. The grant amounts to DKK 101,811,237 and covers the dietary and physical activity intervention as well as salaries for the staff.

Read more

Learn more about On LiMiT here:
onlimit.org (website in Danish)

Contact

Søren Gregersen
Clinical professor and principal investigator in ON LiMiT
Mail: soeren.gregersen@aarhus.rm.dk
Tel.: 30 13 42 45

Daniel B. Ibsen
Associate professor and project manager in ON LiMiT
Mail: dbi@ph.au.dk
Tel.: 28 83 53 17

Diabetes is associated with a range of complications, including oral and dental issues such as dry mouth, caries, periodontitis, and oral cancer. Many people are unaware of the connection between diabetes and poor dental health, including individuals with diabetes and healthcare professionals.

Both type 2 diabetes and poor oral health are socially unequally distributed. However, there are not many Danish studies that examine diabetes, oral health, periodontitis, and dental visits from an inequality perspective, which is therefore the aim of this project. 

Contact

Anette Andersen
anette.andersen@rm.dk

Patient Reported Outcome Data Among Persons with Type 2 Diabetes in General Practice

PRODIAP is a research project aimed at investigating the effect and significance of using a diabetes-specific PRO questionnaire in the annual consultation with people with type 2 diabetes in general practice.

The project is conducted as a pragmatic randomized trial and has three sub-studies focusing on:

1. Effectiveness of using the PRO questionnaire on the perceived quality among people with type 2 diabetes
2. How the annual consultation with or without the use of the PRO questionnaire is conducted and what content is included in the conversation
3. Whether the use of the PRO questionnaire is economically effective in the annual consultation.

Contact

Annesofie Lunde Jensen
annesjen@rm.dk

Katrine Bruun Bonnén
katbon@rm.dk

Anette Andersen
anette.andersen@rm.dk

Annelli Sandbæk
anesnd@rm.dk

Individuals with cardiometabolic conditions, such as overweight and type 2 diabetes, have an increased risk of developing cancer and tend to experience poorer outcomes following cancer treatment, compared to individuals without these conditions.

This project explores the link between cardiometabolic health and cancer, with a focus on: 

• Participation in national cancer screening programs 
• The potential of the colorectal cancer screening program to also identify individuals at high risk of having or developing type 2 diabetes 
• Differences between cancer patients with and without cardiometabolic disease in terms of symptoms, tumor biology, cancer stage, treatment, late effects, and survival 

Contact

Tinne Laurberg
tinlaurb@rm.dk

Medical/Steno Research Laboratory (M-Lab) is a highly specialised clinical research lab with a distinct focus on metabolism, diabetes, endocrinology, adiposity and nutrition.

• We carry out advanced “state-of-the-art” metabolic studies in patients and healthy subjects.
• We conduct invasive, mechanistic clinical trials to identify physiology, disease processes and effects of treatments.
• We develop hormone and metabolite analyses to improve biological understanding, diagnosing and treatment.
• We forge and advance cell and tissue models to define and understand cellular processes of diseases.
• We conduct clinical research trials employing biomarkers for identification of late diabetic complications and cardiovascular disease.

Medical/Steno Research Laboratory focus on patient safety and high-quality data, and comply with all pertinent national/international guidelines.

Facilities

• Examination/operating clinical research rooms
• Laboratory
  • Freezer capacity: -80C and -20C
  • 24 hour temperature surveillance of all storage facilities
  • GC mass spectrometry/isotope dilution methodology
  • A/v techniques
  • Indirect calorimetry
  • Ultracentrifuges
  • Beta counter
  • PCR and western blot facilities for examination of biopsy specimens
  • HPLC
  • Immunoassays (TRIFMA, ELISA, FRET, Cobas, IDS, multiplex)

Competences

• High level of knowledge, experience and skills in conducting glucose clamp experiments and other controlled clinical metabolic protocols.
• Blossoming collaboration with internal and external laboratories and departments nationally and internationally.

Read more

Find more information on Medical/Steno Research Lab here (Aarhus University)

Contact

Niels Møller
niels.moeller@clin.au.dk

Niels Jessen
niels.jessen@biomed.au.dk

Steno Diabetes Center Aarhus welcomes Pharmaceutical Companies, Biotech Industry, Start-up Companies and Academia to conduct clinical studies at Steno Trials. Patient safety, effective recruitment and high-quality data is key.

We are in full compliance with the Helsinki Declaration, ICH-GCP & GLP guidelines, and national and international authorities. We comply to stringent SOP’s from Pharma, CRO’s and Steno Trials.

We offer highly professional support in planning and execution of clinical trials. The site staff has more than 20 years of experience in performing phase I-IV clinical studies and tests. High quality in monitoring, audit and inspection reports. Recruitment form outpatient clinics, GPs and community. Special focus on recruiting the right patient and retention.

Facilities

• Examination rooms including beds for inpatient investigations
• Laboratory
  • Freezer capacity: -80º C, -20º C
  • Non-freezer capacity:  +5º C, +18º C, +25º C
  • 24 hour temperature surveillance of all storage facilities
  • Centrifugation (refrigerated)
  • ECG machines
• Access to comprehensive metabolic phenotyping (e.g. clamps, MR/CT/PET scans)
• Access to all medical specialities at Aarhus University Hospital
• Research Secretary and legal Advisors
• Monitoring facilities with internet access
• Recruitment from in- and outpatient clinics, GPs and community.

Competences

• High level of knowledge and skills in conducting clinical trials phase I-IV within adult and pediatric endocrinology and related medical fields
• The staff and Investigators are continually updated in running clinical trials through training programs within ICH-GCP, IATA and commonly used EDC systems
• High expertice in structured laboratory work including collaboration with internal and external laboratories.

Contact

Søren Gregersen
soegre@rm.dk

Niels Jessen
niels.jessen@biomed.au.dk