In 1957, medical doctor and physiologist Emeritus Professor Jens Christian Skou discovered the sodium-potassium pump, an achievement for which he received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 40 years later.

Skou began his long career at Aarhus University in 1947 and retired from the Department of Physiology (now the Department of Biomedicine) in 1988, after which he remained active in his field and his department for many years.

But science was not the only arena to engage his interest. He was also involved in public debate on university policy, and was always a strong advocate for prioritising funding for independent research. He was an outspoken critic of the orientation towards business and industry Danish politicians have imposed on the country’s universities in recent years.

• Orbituary: A researcher with all his heart (health.au.dk)

Translated by Lenore Messick