HEALTH
Meet the new dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences: Jakob Grauslund
Jakob Grauslund is set to take over from Ole Skøtt, who will step down this summer after 18 years as Dean. Here, you can get to know the new Dean, who already has a long-standing connection with SDU.
– I am most looking forward to working together with so many talented staff and students, and to helping to shape the faculty together with them so that we can create the healthcare system of the future, says Jakob Grauslund.
– At the Faculty of Health Sciences, we have great potential, with many excellent research environments, strong education programmes and a strong administration.
Jakob Grauslund has been part of the Faculty of Health Sciences and the University of Southern Denmark since 1997, when he began his medical degree programme. He then went on to complete a PhD and a doctoral dissertation on diabetic eye disease, after which he continued as clinical associate professor, clinical professor and head of research at the Research Unit of Ophthalmology at the Department of Clinical Research.
In addition to his academic career, Jakob Grauslund has worked at the Department of Ophthalmology at Odense University Hospital, where from 2015 he held positions as a consultant and later as a senior consultant. In 2025, he was appointed head of department at the Department of Regional Health Research, and he is now looking forward to his new role as dean.
Jakob Grauslund highlights talent development as an area where the Faculty of Health Sciences is already strong – and where there is potential to become even stronger.
– In many places, I see a level of agility that is quite unique. We are very good at creating strong frameworks for talent development within the health sciences environments. I hope – and believe – this is an area where we can become even stronger in the future, explains Jakob Grauslund.
The faculty’s new dean has published 266 research articles in international journals and led the work on the national guidelines for screening and treatment of diabetic eye disease.
Jakob Grauslund was born and raised in Haderslev and now lives in Odense, in the Hunderup area. He has been married to Julie Grauslund since 2010; she works as an educational consultant at Nordvestsjællands Erhvervs- og Gymnasieuddannelse. Together, they have two children, Noah and Vilma, aged 12 and 15. He spends his limited spare time with his family, and his personal interests include Danish and American history, port wine, chess and football.
Jakob Grauslund will officially take up the position of dean on 1 June 2026 – you can read more about it here.Five quick questions for Jakob Grauslund
Which research result are you most proud of – and why?
I had the honour of leading the work on the Danish national guidelines for diabetic eye screening, and in an associated research project we demonstrated that low-risk patients have an extremely low risk of developing sight-threatening complications. Based on this, we were able to change the guidelines, saving society – and not least patients – tens of thousands of unnecessary examinations each year.
Which three words describe you as a leader – or how you aim to be as a leader?
Inclusive, strategic and results-driven. I believe in the importance of setting a clear strategic direction and in involving everyone along the way.
Have you recently read, heard or seen anything you would recommend?
I have two interesting books on my bedside table. Ending Medical Reversal is about the importance of supporting new initiatives in healthcare with solid scientific evidence, and I am also very much looking forward to reading the Oxford Handbook of Clinical Dentistry, so I can help support the establishment of the country’s best dental and oral health education programmes. In addition, I enjoy making my way through a number of fascinating books on the Swedish wars of the 17th and 18th centuries.
As a long-standing member of the Funen Port Wine Club, which port would you recommend to a novice?
I was born in 1977, which was an outstanding vintage, but otherwise you can never go wrong with a Late Bottle Vintage or perhaps a good 10-year-old tawny. I personally have a particular fondness for Quinta das Lamelas 30-year-old white port.
What was your most recent DHL time?
I was comfortably under half an hour for 5 kilometres – by several seconds, in fact. I seem to recall that I was the fastest in the joint secretariat for the Department of Clinical Research and the Department of Regional Health Research, and I fully expect to be the fastest at the faculty as well – especially if no one else can run under 30 minutes.
