Five young researchers, all of whom had defended their PhDs within the past year, were selected to present three years of research in just three minutes. A challenge that, according to Nanna, required significant sacrifices as a researcher:

"It felt absurd to condense three years of complex research into three minutes for an audience with no prior knowledge. The task required a delicate balance between context, relevance, background, research findings, and application perspectives – all while clearly conveying the importance of the research. It stood in sharp contrast to our usual way of communicating, where we aim to be precise and detailed and avoid overinterpreting," says Nanna Møller Jensen.

Nanna impressed the jury with her presentation of new research into Parkinson’s disease. Using a new method, she discovered previously invisible protein clusters in the brain. These clusters appear much earlier in the disease progression and are found in more brain regions than the large protein aggregates that were previously considered the main cause of the disease. This discovery paves the way for both earlier and better diagnosis – and, in the long term, potentially new treatment options – for a disease that affects around 1.3 million people worldwide every year. Parkinson’s disease is currently one of the fastest-growing neurological disorders.

The jury consisted of astronaut Andreas Mogensen, Minister for Higher Education and Science Christina Egelund, and astrophysicist Anja C. Andersen. Anja C. Andersen particularly highlighted Nanna’s work as a clear example of the value of research:

"It was a beautiful example of how you might believe you know what matters, but then continue your research and realize that what you thought was important isn’t necessarily the case, because the real answer lies elsewhere," she explained after Nanna’s presentation.

Nanna takes home not only the victory but also greater confidence as a communicator of her research:

"It has been a tremendous privilege to share my research with all of Denmark and help highlight the importance of Danish research. This experience has given me great confidence in communicating my knowledge broadly – and it has been both incredibly educational and really fun."

Along with the victory, Nanna received a personal prize of 50,000 DKK.

• You can rewatch the entire show at dr.dk.
• Read more about Nanna’s research here