Nansen Neuroscience Lecture 2026 - Why do we age?
The Nansen Neuroscience Lecture 2026 is given by Vilhelm Bohr. He is a Senior Researcher at the National Institute of Health and an Affiliated Professor in Genome instability and neurodegeneration at the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine at The University of Copenhagen. He was elected a member of The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters in 2020.
Dato: 12. oktober 2026
Tid: 10.30 – 12.30
Sted: Det Norske Videnskaps-Akademi, Drammensveien 78
Programme
10:30 Coffee and refreshments – mingling
11:00 Opening by Marit Westergaard, Secretary General of The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters
11:03 Introduction to the lecture.
11:05 «Why do we age? Lecture by Vilhelm Bohr.
11:45 Discussion and questions from the audience.
12:00 Coffee and refreshments, informal discussions.
Please note that due to preparations for the next event of the day, the audience is requested to leave the building by 12:30.
Practical information
The meeting is open to the public, but registration is required by emailing l.t.navestad@dnva.no
The meeting will be livestreamed.
The Nansen Neuroscience Lectures (NNLs) are organized in conjunction with Fridtjof Nansen’s birthday to honour his fundamental contribution to neuroscience. Since 10.10. 2010 they are part of the Academy’s Nansen-celebration. The NNLs are given by speakers selected from the top tier of science research.
The lectures are organized by Linda H. Bergersen and Jon Storm-Mathisen in cooperation with the University of Oslo, The Nansen Neuroscience Network (NNN), and The Norwegian Academy of Science and
Vilhelm Bohr is a Danish-born neuroscientist and molecular biologist whose work has significantly shaped modern understanding of brain aging. For much of his career, he has been based in the United States at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), particularly within the National Institute on Aging in Baltimore, where he has led influential research programs on the biology of aging and neurodegeneration.
Bohr trained in Denmark before moving into international biomedical research, focusing early on how cells respond to damage over time. His scientific career has centered on uncovering the molecular mechanisms that cause the brain to age, combining expertise in neuroscience, genetics, and cell biology.
His research has focused on three interconnected areas: DNA repair, mitochondrial function, and neurodegeneration. Bohr demonstrated that neurons, despite being long-lived and non-dividing, accumulate DNA damage as organisms age. He showed that the efficiency of DNA repair systems declines over time, contributing to impaired brain function. In parallel, his work on mitochondria revealed that damage to mitochondrial DNA disrupts cellular energy production, which is especially critical in energy-demanding tissues like the brain.
Bohr’s most important contribution is establishing that failures in DNA repair and mitochondrial maintenance are central drivers of brain aging. His studies helped link these molecular processes to age-related neurodegenerative disorders, particularly Alzheimer’s disease. By demonstrating how genomic instability and mitochondrial dysfunction interact, he helped shift the field toward viewing aging as a biologically regulated process rather than simple wear and tear.
His work has had a lasting impact on aging research, influencing how scientists study cognitive decline and inspiring new approaches aimed at preserving genome integrity and mitochondrial health. Today, his contributions remain foundational in efforts to understand and potentially slow the biological processes underlying brain aging and neurodegenerative disease.