Zach Gerhart-Hines Awarded First Flemming Quaade Prize for Outstanding Obesity Research
CBMR's Associate Professor Zachary Gerhart-Hines is recognized for his pioneering discoveries on how fat tissue regulates energy balance and opening new treatment avenues.
The Danish Association for the Study of Obesity (DASO) and the Novo Nordisk Foundation have awarded the first Flemming Quaade Prize for Outstanding Obesity Research to Zach Gerhart-Hines, Associate Professor at the University of Copenhagen's NNF Center for Basic Metabolic Research.
Associate Professor Zach Gerhart-Hines' discoveries have reshaped our understanding of how fat tissue influences insulin sensitivity, energy expenditure, and appetite control. These insights have opened new avenues to improve the quality of weight loss, for example, aspects related to health, tolerability, and sustainability. Several of his findings are already being translated into potential treatments for obesity, for example, through the spinout Embark Biotech, which was acquired by Novo Nordisk in 2023 in a deal worth up to €456 million.
Receiving the Flemming Quaade Prize is an incredible honour that marks a deeply meaningful personal and career milestone. This recognition affirms the collective impact of our team's efforts and serves as inspiration to continue advancing therapies that can make a lasting difference for those living with obesity
The Flemming Quaade Prize for Outstanding Obesity Research was launched in 2025 to honour the legacy of Professor Flemming Quaade (1923–2007), a Danish pioneer within the prevention and management of overweight and obesity. The prize is accompanied by DKK 1 million, of which DKK 900,000 is for new research and DKK 100,000 is a personal award. An independent, international assessment committee selects the award recipient.
With the research funding prize, Associate Professor Zach Gerhart-Hines will launch a new project to test a novel therapeutic combination that can overcome some of the limitations of current obesity treatments by increasing muscle preservation, energy expenditure, and long-term weight maintenance.
Gerhart-Hines will be honoured at DASO's Annual Meeting on 14 November 2025 in Nyborg, where he will present his research. He is also invited to return in two years to share the outcomes of his prize-funded project.