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“I started doing research already during the bachelor’s part of my medical studies. I found it fascinating and motivating that you could ask a relevant scientific question that no one yet could answer with certainty — and then take part in finding that answer yourself,” says Mohamed Attauabi, recipient of the Lundbeck Foundation Talent Prize 2025 for his research in inflammatory bowel disease.

At first, it was eye diseases that drew him into research. This later developed into an interest in inflammatory eye diseases — and eventually, inflammatory bowel diseases. Today, he holds an introductory position in medical gastroenterology and continues his research as a postdoctoral fellow.

“My motivation to keep doing research is that it’s so closely linked to clinical practice. I try to answer questions that are important in everyday clinical work so I can help patients. The goal is to prevent disease progression and to develop tools to identify patients with a poor prognosis, so we can target treatment to them,” he explains.

COVID-19 did not worsen bowel disease

Looking at Mohamed Attauabi’s CV, it’s clear that his research has already helped patients.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, he helped establish a research group to study how patients with inflammatory bowel disease were affected by COVID-19 — a particularly interesting question since these patients live with chronic inflammation, which can weaken the immune system either because of the disease itself or the immunosuppressive treatments many receive.

“We were able to show that neither inflammatory bowel disease, its severity, nor its treatment increased the risk of developing severe COVID-19. These were important findings because we were among the first to contribute representative data for this patient group, in contrast to existing international registries. This allowed us to give patients clear recommendations that they could safely continue their treatment,” says Mohamed Attauabi.

Long-term prognosis study launched during PhD

Mohamed Attauabi’s PhD marked the start of the Copenhagen IBD Inception Cohort (IBD Prognosis Study) — a large cohort study in which he and a multidisciplinary research team follow Danish patients with inflammatory bowel disease from diagnosis and for 20 years ahead.

Patients are monitored regularly using objective examinations such as endoscopy, MRI and intestinal ultrasound, and they complete questionnaires about symptoms, disease activity and quality of life. Biological samples — including blood, stool, tissue and saliva — are collected to follow the biological development of IBD over time.

There is also collaboration with doctors from other specialties — rheumatologists, dentists and dermatologists — who study whether inflammation has spread to other parts of the body.

“The idea is to include patients already at diagnosis so that we can hopefully become better at predicting disease course and prognosis,” says Attauabi.
“Based on a profile of the patient’s gut microbiota and immune system, we hope to determine their prognosis and identify which medication will be most effective — bringing us closer to precision medicine and personalised treatment.”

Rising disease burden

The 20-year prognosis study has now been running for four years but has already produced important results.

“We’ve shown that the incidence of inflammatory bowel disease in Denmark remains high — among the highest in the world. The total disease burden is therefore significant and will continue to place increasing pressure on the Danish healthcare system,” says Attauabi.

Caution with corticosteroids

Corticosteroids have for decades been central in the acute treatment of moderate to severe IBD. However, the treatment carries a feared side effect — osteoporosis — and until recently, there was little knowledge of how early in the disease this problem develops.

Therefore, all patients in the Copenhagen IBD Inception Cohort were offered a DEXA scan (bone density scan) at diagnosis.

“The results have led us to start screening postmenopausal patients for osteoporosis and to be more aware of the risk when using steroids. This allows us to assess whether they need treatment for osteoporosis, preventive measures — or whether steroid use should be reconsidered,” he explains.

Intestinal ultrasound gaining ground

Traditionally, endoscopy has been used to assess disease activity in IBD, but the procedure is uncomfortable for many patients and resource intensive. Mohamed Attauabi and his team have published results showing that ultrasound of the intestines can advantageously be used for routine disease monitoring.

“We’ve now reached a point where ultrasound can be offered daily and systematically to IBD patients at our department — and this is now also possible at several other gastroenterology departments in Denmark. We are even contacted by international doctors who come here for training in intestinal ultrasound,” says Attauabi.

His dedication and work in IBD have also led him to help shape the national approach to disease monitoring. At age 30, he is the youngest member of the steering committee for the Danish Quality Database for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (DAN-IBD) and chairs the Ultrasound Committee under the Danish Society of Gastroenterology and Hepatology.