Professor Asbjørn Hróbjartsson appointed as Head of Cochrane Denmark

Asbjørn comes with extensive experience as a researcher and leader. He has had multiple roles in Cochrane, including as a senior researcher at the Nordic Cochrane Centre from 2001-2015. Currently, he serves on the Cochrane Scientific Committee, is editor of the Cochrane Methodology Review Group, and is a joint leader of the Cochrane Bias Methods Group, which CEBMO hosts.

With a strong international research profile in evidence-based medicine, Asbjørn has focused on the quality of clinical research, especially systematic reviews and clinical trials. He has an interest in ways to assess and minimize bias in clinical studies. He has published extensively on blinding, placebo, reporting bias, conflicts of interest, and guidelines for good scientific reporting.

Asbjørn states:
- To lead Cochrane Denmark, in close affiliation with CEBMO, is a great opportunity for strengthening the production and dissemination of health care evidence, and for supporting evidence-based choices made by patients, health care providers and decision makers. Synthesis of well-performed clinical research, e.g. Cochrane Reviews, are essential for assessments of when health care interventions do more good than harm. I look forward to an adventurous journey and invite all with an interest in evidence, Cochrane and health to join.

Mark Wilson, Cochrane’s Chief Executive Officer says:
- I warmly welcome Asbjørn’s appointment as the new Head of Cochrane Denmark. His extensive involvement in Cochrane’s work combined with his leadership within the Danish evidence synthesis community makes him perfectly equipped for the post. This marks an exciting new chapter for Cochrane Denmark. Asbjørn will lead a dynamic and experienced team of key staff, and I’m sure that Cochrane Denmark’s influence on evidence-informed health decision making in Denmark and around the world will grow in the coming years.

Ole Skøtt, Dean of The Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southern Denmark, adds:
- It is a great honour for the University that Asbjørn Hróbjartsson has accepted the position as Head of Cochrane Denmark, in addition to his position as a successful Head of the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine Odense. It is of paramount importance for patients, health care providers and the public to be sure that our treatments and recommendations are supported by the best available evidence, and to highlight where such information is missing. The combination of Cochrane Denmark and CEBMO, and the extensive international collaboration within the Cochrane network, is a significant step forward in achieving these goals.