Please comment on receiving the award and what it means to you.
Receiving the Leon Goldman Award is an incredible honor. Leon Goldman's contributions to laser medicine and surgery are legendary, and to be recognized with an award bearing his name is truly humbling. Realizing that I’m now part of the historic list of Leon Goldman Award recipients makes me extremely proud.
You will be delivering your award presentation, "Channels for Change," at the Awards Brunch on Sunday, April 16. Can you share some highlights of your talk?
Since the nomination, I’ve thought a lot of about what lessons I may have learned during my career in research, patient care, and education, that are important enough to share. My humble attempt is called “channels of change.” In the talk, I’ll go through how tiny microchannels became the focus of my research path for more than 10 years, leading to the concept of laser-assisted drug delivery, one of the most important personal changes of my career. I’d like to share how I’ve lately come to think about how doctors and researchers have the potential to be major channels for change ourselves — as medical authorities, leaders at our organizations, teachers to our residents, and thanks to our proximity to patients. In the talk, I’ll cover how I’m trying to do just that back in Copenhagen.
Please share highlights of your background that have contributed to who you are today.
I have been privileged to have two amazing mentors, my Danish mentor Hans Christian Wulf, who invented daylight PDT, and my international mentor, Rox Anderson, who opened his lab to me to pursue laser-assisted drug delivery. Working together with these gifted guys has changed my career. I was a foreigner, a deeply rooted Danish physician who suddenly found my way to the international scene. I’ve learned that sharing a deep motivation to innovate can lead to lifelong friendships.
How has your involvement in ASLMS contributed to your career? Why should young researchers become involved with ASLMS?
ASLMS is the world’s largest professional organization dedicated specifically to pioneering in lasers and energy-based devices. Thanks to ASLMS, I’ve had access to a wealth of brilliant, international minds. These colleagues have been a major source of inspiration and cooperation through the years as we steadily get better together. For me personally, being involved in ASLMS and LSM, the great red journal, means having the entire world as my research playground. I never get tired of discussing new ideas with colleagues in this community.
Tell us something our members may not know about you.
I’m the first college graduate in my family, born and raised by the most loving and caring parents, who taught me that change rarely occurs spontaneously; it comes from yourself. I took the most influential decision of my life, when I was 21 years old, marrying my husband Carsten, who made it possible for me to combine family life with having an international academic career. My best career advice is “choose the right partner to live your life with.”