About me
Current positions
- Professor of Pediatrics, Department of Clinical Sciences and Education Södersjukhuset
- Pediatric allergist, Sachs’ Children’s Hospital
- PI of the BAMSE study
Research description
Respiratory and allergic diseases in children; role of genetic and environmental factors
My research projects aim to advance the understanding about the complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors involved in lung growth, respiratory and allergic diseases in children. The projects are primarily based on a Swedish birth cohort, BAMSE that allows for unique investigation of lung function, respiratory and allergic diseases in a large number of children up to adulthood. Detailed information about perinatal events, environmental exposures such as air pollution and tobacco smoke exposure from birth and onwards has been collected. Currently, we are also performing a targeted COVID-19 follow-up of the cohort.
In our ongoing genetics projects, genome-wide approaches are primarily used (GWAS, global methylation analyses and RNA sequencing / microarray approaches) together with detailed clinical and epidemiological data. Extensive national and international collaboration is established (e.g. through the PERMEABLE, GABRIEL, EAGLE and MeDALL projects). Recently, we have engaged in exposome-related research within the EXPANSE consortium. From this translational platform for advanced studies using clinical and epidemiological data sets, we are performing projects that will generate exciting new information in areas that have been little explored so far. For example, the long-term consequence of preterm birth on lung function in young adulthood; identification of subgroups of the population that are particularly vulnerable to air pollution exposures; clarification of new genetic mechanisms for disease development.
Research group
- Jenny Hallberg, researcher
- Sophia Björkander, postdoc
- Susanna Klevebro, postdoc
- Petra Um-Bergström, postdoc
- Simon Kebede Merid, Bioinformatician, PhD student
- Gang Wang, PhD student
- Ashish Kumar, Bioinformatician / Statistician
- Björn Lundberg, MD, PhD student
- Maura Kere, MD, PhD student
Financing
- ERC
- The Swedish Heart-Lung Foundation
- VR
- ALF
- SFO Epidemiology, KI
- ERA-PERMED
- H2020
Education
- 2019: Professor of Pediatrics
- 2017: Specialist in Pediatric allergy
- 2012: Associate Professor of Epidemiology
- 2012: Specialist in Pediatrics
- 2009-10: Postdoc, Channing Laboratory, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
- 2006: PhD, Karolinska Institutet (Epidemiology). Title: Genetic studies on childhood asthma and allergy - role of interactions
- 2005: License to practice (certified by the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare)
- 2001: MD, University of Uppsala, Sweden
Academic honours, awards and prizes
- Prins Daniel's young investigator award from The Swedish Heart-Lung Foundation 2015 (link here)
- Major research award from The Swedish Association For Allergology 2016 (link here)
- PhARF / EAACI Allergy Award 2017
- ERC Starting grant 2017