Jørgen Olsen

Jørgen Olsen is a Professor at the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Copenhagen, specializing in the Morphogenesis and Differentiation Program within the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences. His research focuses on gastrointestinal mucosa development and inflammatory bowel diseases, with significant contributions to translational medicine including the discovery of rectal insulin as a potential treatment for colitis.

Dr. Olsen received his Medical Doctor degree from the University of Copenhagen in 1992 and his Doctor Medicinae (DMSc) from the Faculty of Health Sciences at the same institution in 1998. His academic journey progressed from research assistant to professor, with appointments at the Department of Medical Biochemistry & Genetics and later the Department of Cellular & Molecular Medicine.

His primary research interests center on morphogenesis and differentiation of the gastrointestinal mucosa, with special focus on bioinformatics interpretation of alterations in molecular profiles (transcriptome, metabolome) during mucosal inflammation. His laboratory uses mouse models for intestinal inflammation which are translated into applied research for inflammatory bowel diseases. A significant recent discovery involves the use of rectal insulin as treatment for inflammatory bowel disease, where his team demonstrated that colitis in mice can be treated using rectal instillation of insulin.

Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong focus on medical education during the pandemic era, particularly regarding student perspectives on death, body donation, and professional identity formation. His earlier work shows consistent expertise in gastrointestinal biology, molecular mechanisms of inflammation, and bioinformatics approaches to understanding mucosal disorders. The research spans basic science through clinical translation, with increasing international collaboration in recent years.

Dr. Olsen has served as supervisor for 7 PhD students, 12 masters students, and 2 scholar stipend students, and has participated in evaluation committees for numerous academic positions and theses. His teaching innovations include "The Modern Anatomical Theater," "Q+A livestreamed sessions," and digital learning resources.

His research has been supported by multiple grants from the Novo Nordisk Foundation, Danish Medical Research Council, and other organizations, totaling over 4 million DKK in awarded funding. He is also CEO and co-founder of Enterotarget ApS, which holds a license agreement with the University of Copenhagen for the patent "Rectal insulin for treatment of inflammatory bowel disease" (EP3538132A1).