Henrik Friis

Henrik Friis is a Professor of International Nutrition and Health at the Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, University of Copenhagen. With over thirty years of research experience, he has collaborated extensively with institutions across Africa (Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Guinea-Bissau, Burkina Faso) and Asia (Cambodia, India, Vietnam).

His educational background includes:

• MD from University of Aarhus, Denmark (1985)
• Physician certification from National Board of Health, Denmark (1988)
• PhD from University of Copenhagen, Denmark (1994)

Professor Friis's research focuses on nutrition in relation to infections (particularly parasites, TB, and HIV), pregnancy and lactation, early growth and development, and chronic diseases with emphasis on interactions between infectious and chronic diseases. His work spans both intervention trials and observational studies across multiple continents. He has conducted numerous nutrition intervention trials among schoolchildren, pregnant and lactating women, and patients with HIV and TB.

His recent publications (2025) demonstrate continued focus on malnutrition interventions, particularly examining lipid-based nutrient supplements, the relationship between early malnutrition exposure and later health outcomes, and the interplay between nutrition, infections, and metabolic disorders. His research portfolio shows a strong emphasis on severe acute malnutrition, gut health, and metabolic consequences of nutritional interventions.

Professional recognition includes:

• Honorary Professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK (2007-present)

Professor Friis has extensive experience as a teacher and course organizer at master's and PhD levels both in Denmark and internationally. He has served as an advisor to Danida and UN organizations (UNAIDS, WHO, and IAEA) on matters related to mother-to-child HIV transmission, nutrition-HIV interactions, acute malnutrition, and nutrition training. His research has been supported by grants from ARLA Food for Health Centre and Danish Dairy Research Council, with collaborations with GC Rieber Compact (Norway) and Nutriset (France).

His current research portfolio includes multiple ongoing nutrition intervention trials including WinFood (Cambodia and Kenya), TreatFood (Burkina Faso), ProbiSAM (Uganda), ARTFood (Ethiopia), and NUSTART (Tanzania and Zambia), as well as observational studies like SAM (Ethiopia), FeedSAM (Uganda), and iABC (Ethiopia).