Young genetics researcher receives talent prize

Lin Lin is only 29 years old. She is already an experienced and ambitious researcher who has achieved a number of results that have caught the attention of the scientific world. She comes from China but has been based in Aarhus in recent years. Having Lin Lin based in Aarhus is something that the Department of Biomedicine at Aarhus University is certainly pleased about, as it is here that the young researcher makes a contribution with her knowledge of genetics and epigenetics, which is the study of how cells control which genes are turned on and off.

Lin Lin received her PhD from Aarhus University in 2011 and has subsequently worked within several genetic and epigenetic research areas. Now she is being honoured for her research and has just received the Lundbeck Foundation Talent Award of DKK 100,000.

"I have had many good experiences and collaborations in the research environment at Aarhus University, so it was natural for me to continue working with the talented and inspiring people at the department. That I am now receiving the Lundbeck Foundation Talent Prize for this work is a recognition that I am really proud of and it is also a pat on the back which all young researchers dream of," she says.

Important steps in treatment

Lin Lin’s primary area of research interest is to examine how we can handle and modify a special type of cell so that it can be used for a better understanding of diseases or for what is known as regenerative medical prevention and treatment. Something which can come to benefit patients with the above-mentioned neurodegenerative diseases in particular.

Lin Lin graduated as a genetic researcher from the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2009. At the same time, she was awarded three years full salary to complete a PhD project at Aarhus University.

In the near future she will focus her research on the identification of the therapeutic “targets” or target molecules, which appear to be the most critical for the neurodegenerative process. Her goal is to develop options for the prevention and treatment of Huntington's Chorea, a hereditary brain disease which most often affects persons in the age range 35-45 years of age and which leads to severe disability and dementia.

"I hope that I can take some important steps forward in the treatment of this disease. I am certainly highly motivated after receiving this recognition with the Lundbeck Foundation Talent Award, and the cash prize that follows with the award is also an important contribution to my research," says Lin Lin.

Further information

PhD Lin Lin
Aarhus University, Department of Biomedicine
Mobile: +45 5333 5252
lin.lin@biomed.au.dk