Foto: Heymut Omran recieved the KFJ Award at a ceremony at Rigshospitalet.
For children and adults living with the rare lung disease primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD), even a common cold can develop into prolonged infections and shortness of breath. Today, many of them enjoy far better treatment and prospects than in the past – thanks in part to the research led by this year’s KFJ Award recipient, Professor Heymut Omran.
Just a few decades ago, understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms behind PCD was extremely limited, and treatment options were equally scarce. Professor Heymut Omran, Head of the Department of General Paediatrics at University Hospital Münster, has helped transform that picture dramatically.
For nearly 20 years, Heymut Omran has collaborated closely with Professor Kim Gjerum Nielsen, Head of the Danish PCD Centre at Rigshospitalet, who nominated his German colleague for the KFJ Award. The prize is given annually to outstanding international researchers who collaborate with Rigshospitalet.
- I have had the privilege of collaborating with Professor Omran for almost two decades. Since the beginning of his research, he has led pioneering work within rare diseases, particularly ciliopathies. His contributions have advanced our understanding of chronic respiratory disorders such as Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia, says Professor Kim Gjerum Nielsen.
Upon receiving the award, Professor Omran says:
- Receiving the KFJ Award is a deeply meaningful recognition — not only for me personally, but especially for my colleagues in Copenhagen. This award highlights the value of our sustained, collaborative research in rare diseases.
Professor Omran currently coordinates the PCD Core within the European Reference Network for Rare Respiratory Diseases (ERN-LUNG), now comprising 40 expert centres. He also leads the International PCD Registry, which include data from over 3,500 patients across 50 centres in 26 countries.
When a milestone becomes a new treatment
The long-standing collaboration between Heymut Omran and Rigshospitalet has been highly fruitful. By combining clinical expertise with genetic and molecular research, their partnership has resulted in the identification of numerous disease-causing genes, new diagnostic standards, and the development of more targeted treatment strategies for PCD patients.
Their joint efforts have also led to a strong international research network. In 2022, the PCD Clinical Trial Network (PCD-CTN) was established, coordinated by the Danish PCD Centre at Rigshospitalet, to promote translational research and patient-centred clinical trials.
The latest milestone is the development of an innovative mRNA-based therapy, designed to replace the missing or defective protein in PCD patients. The treatment is delivered by inhalation, where messenger RNA (mRNA) enables airway cells to produce the protein necessary for normal ciliary movement. The first human clinical trial (Phase 1) has just been completed, offering hope for entirely new therapeutic options for this rare respiratory disease.
Heymut Omran emphasizes the importance of this collaboration:
- Our collaboration with Rigshospitalet has been at the heart of many of our most important achievements. From the very beginning, this partnership has combined complementary strengths — world-class clinical expertise in Copenhagen and our focus on genetics and molecular mechanisms. This collaboration exemplifies how long-term trust, shared vision, and international cooperation can transform a rare and poorly understood condition into a field of active, translational research.
Tailored to the molecular defect
A consistent theme in professor Omrans work is translating scientific discoveries into clinical benefit for patients. With the KFJ Award, he hopes to further accelerate research, focusing on identifying yet unknown disease genes, strengthening molecular diagnostics, and developing personalized treatments. According to the award recipient, the ambition is clear:
- By combining genetics, molecular biology, and clinical research, we are moving closer to a future where each patient can benefit from a therapy tailored to the underlying molecular defect.
The award was presented to Professor Heymut Omran at a ceremony at Rigshospitalet on 5 November 2025.
Previous recipients of the KFJ Award
2024: Russel A. Poldrack, Professor and leader of Center for Open and Reproducible Science at Standford University, USA.
2023: Kaj Blennow, Professor at Gothenburg University og leader of Clinical Neuochemistry Lab at Salgrenska University Hospital in Gothenburg, Sweden.
2022: Mark Febbraio, professor and head of the Cellular & Molecular Metabolism Laboratory within Drug Discovery Biology at the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia.
2021: Elie Azoulay, Professor at the Paris Diderot University and head of the critical care department at St. Louis Hospital in Paris, France.
2020: John McMurray, Professor at University of Glasgow, Scotland.
2019: Kári Stefánsson, professor at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Iceland, CEO and founder of deCODE genetics.
2018: Jorma Toppari, professor in physiology at Turku University, Finland.
2017: Tom Eirik Mollnes, senior researcher at Nordland Sykehus in Bodø, Norway, professor in immunology at Oslo and Tromsø universities and professor at the Centre of Molecular Inflammation Research (CEMIR) at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim.
2016: John E. Dick, professor and senior researcher at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre at the University Health Network in Toronto, Canada.
2015: John C. Burnett, professor and cardiologist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
2014: Mary Relling, pharmacist at the Pharmaceutical Department, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA.
2013: Søren Bentzen, professor in epidemiology and radiotherapy at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, USA
2012: Tomas Olsson, professor in neurology at the Center for Molecular Medicine and the Department of Neurology at Karolinska Sjukhuset in Stockholm, Sweden
2011: Bruce R. Rosen, professor of radiology at Harvard Medical School and Director of the Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, USA.