About
About Lotte
Lotte Bjerre Knudsen is a pioneer of obesity medicines. One of the few people who saw the potential in treating obesity with GLP-1 and stayed tuned on it for 30 years. She graduated from the Danish Technical University (DTU) in 1989 and joined Novo Nordisk where she worked for 36 years. Her first job included creating what became the very first color detergents. She then went on to become a pioneer in GLP-1 and worked diligently for decades to help unfold the biology of the now so famous medicines for diabetes and obesity. Copenhagen University made her a Doctor of Scientific Medicine in 2014. Her latest role at Novo Nordisk was Chief Scientific Advisor and Head of IDEA, Innovation and Data Experimentation Advancement, where she worked to advance the combination of biology, AI and entrepreneurship.
She is currently an Honorary Professor in Translational Medicine at Aarhus University.
Lotte is one of the world's most decorated scientists. The only Dane to ever win a Lasker Award – the Lasker Award is often called America's Nobel Prize. Other prestigious awards include The Breakthrough Prize of Life Sciences. The American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Journal Science has also awarded Lotte their Breakthrough Prize.
- 36 years
- at Novo Nordisk
- 30 years
- pioneering GLP-1
- Honorary Professor
- Aarhus University
Awards & Media
Honoured across medicine and science
Awards
- Lasker~DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award2024
Lasker Foundation · shared with Svetlana Mojsov and Joel Habener
- Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences2025
Breakthrough Prize Foundation · shared with Jens Juul Holst, Joel Habener, Svetlana Mojsov and Daniel Drucker
- Mani L. Bhaumik Breakthrough of the Year Award2024
Science / AAAS · shared with Richard DiMarchi
- Cameron Prize for Therapeutics2026
University of Edinburgh
- Fierce 502024
Fierce Pharma
- Friends of the National Library of Medicine Award2025
FNLM Annual Gala
- Golden Plate Award2024
American Academy of Achievement
- Paul Langerhans Medal2023
German Diabetes Society (DDG)
- STAT Biomedical Innovation Award2023
STAT
In print, on
film, and on air
Press
- MonocleMagazine
The scientist behind the weight-loss jabs
- Der SpiegelInterview
Interview with the inventor of the weight-loss drugs
Film & TV
- 60 MinutesTelevision
CBS — the GLP-1 story
- The Story of GLP-1Film
Novo Nordisk Foundation · a four-part film series
Podcasts
- AcquiredPodcast
The scientific journey behind Ozempic
- JAMA — A Healthy DialoguePodcast
GLP-1s: from gut hormone discovery to a public health revolution · with Jens Juul Holst
- Shivering with CuriosityPodcast
American Academy of Achievement
- Ground Truths — Eric TopolPodcast
The scientist behind the GLP-1 drugs
- Mother of MoleculesPodcast
On the discovery of GLP-1
Talks and research
- AGM Webinar Series2026
NIH · National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences
- Stanford Drug Discovery Symposium2025
Lifetime Achievement Award lecture
- Google ScholarProfile
Peer-reviewed publications and citations
Contact
Advice & sparring
One-on-one advice and sparring on your journey in science.
- 30-minute sessions
- Select days, 16:00–17:00 (Copenhagen time)
