Professor Henrik Elvang Jensen receives 2025 Award for Outstanding Research in Veterinary Medicine

It recognises outstanding contributions to veterinary medicine and animal welfare. The Award for Outstanding Research in Veterinary Medicine was established in 2024 and is now being presented for the first time. With a prize sum of one million Swedish kronor (SEK), it is one of the largest research awards in the world in its field.

A lifetime contribution to animal health and welfare
Professor Henrik Elvang Jensen, is currently based at the University of Copenhagen and has, for several decades, combined groundbreaking research with a strong commitment to preventing and reducing animal suffering. He has contributed to new scientific standards for assessing animal welfare, not least through the development of veterinary forensic science. His work has had a significant impact on both farm animals and companion animals in the Nordic countries and internationally.

Professor Henrik Elvang Jensen, receives the award for the impressive breadth of his research and his pioneering contributions that have improved the health and welfare of many animal species – from farm animals to companion animals. He has successfully combined fundamental science with practical application, leading to concrete improvements in animal husbandry, including new guidelines that have reduced the incidence of shoulder ulcers in sows. Through his pioneering work in veterinary forensic pathology, he has also strengthened the role of veterinary medicine within the judicial system and contributed stronger protection of animals. His groundbreaking research on fungal infections (mycoses) – a growing problem worldwide among both animals and humans – has resulted in internationally applied diagnostic methods, crucial for assessing disease progression and enabling proper treatment. Taken together, his research has made veterinary medicine more evidence-based, applicable, and socially relevant – with direct and lasting benefits for animal welfare.

“Veterinary medicine is often associated with animals – and rightly so. However, at SLU, we also recognise the discipline’s vital role in benefiting people and society. As we celebrate 250 years of veterinary medicine in Sweden this year, it is particularly gratifying to recognise Henrik Elvang Jensen. Through his research, specialist expertise and strong societal engagement, he has become a role model for many. His work clearly demonstrates how science and animal welfare go hand in hand, reminding us of veterinary medicine's central role in a sustainable society,” says Maria Knutson Wedel, Vice-Chancellor at SLU.

“I am proud that we, together with SLU, have established this award and that we can announce a winner for the first time. It feels especially meaningful to highlight an extraordinary lifetime achievement that has been of great significance for both animals and people,” says David Haak, CEO at Agria.

The laureate Henrik Elvang Jensen is honoured by the award:

“When my phone rang, showing a Swedish number, I thought it was a call from one of my colleagues in Uppsala. Therefore, I was indeed surprised and overwhelmed hearing the message from the chairman Nils Fall, that I was the recipient of the Award for Outstanding Research in Veterinary Medicine. In the spring, I was humbled to be nominated for the Award, and so I will indeed be when going to Uppsala for the award ceremony in November.”

The award will be presented at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Award ceremony in Uppsala on 26 November.

The jury’s motivation (abridged)
Professor Henrik Elvang Jensen is awarded the 2025 Award for Outstanding Research in Veterinary Medicine for his groundbreaking contributions within veterinary pathology and veterinary forensic science. His work has set new standards for assessing and preventing animal suffering, with significant impact on animal welfare and veterinary medicine in the Nordic countries and internationally.

About the Award for Outstanding Research in Veterinary Medicine
The Award for Outstanding Research in Veterinary Medicine was established in 2024 by SLU and Agria and is awarded annually. The Vice-Chancellor of SLU appoints the recipient following the recommendation of an award committee of veterinary experts. The award is given to an individual researcher or a research group whose work has made lasting contributions to advancing veterinary medicine, animal health and welfare. With a prize sum of one million Swedish kronor (SEK), it is one of the largest research awards in the world in its field. In 2025, the award will be presented for the very first time. 

Contact

Henrik Elvang Jensen, Professor at the University of Copenhagen +45 51 360 373, elvang@sund.ku.dk

Nils Fall, Chair of the award committee, +46 18 67 13 69, nils.fall@slu.se

Patrik Olsson, Country Manager, Agria, +46 70- 258 60 13, patrik.olsson@agria.se