Biosketch: Cecilie Svanes is both a researcher and a practicing physician. Her daily clinical life inspires her research and she implements her research in her clinical work. 

Her vision today is to disentangle the extent to which the environment and lifestyle of young boys and girls influence health and disease in their future offspring and subsequent generations – with the fantastic possibilities for efficient improvement in public health that such a paradigm would imply.

New understanding in experimental research on epigenetic transfer of exposure effects through the male line, induced her to establish the multigeneration RHINESSA studies and build a world-leading trans-disciplinary environment on the preconception origins of respiratory health and disease, with particular focus on the fathers - the male line. For her pioneering work in these fields, she received in 2023 the great honor of being created Doctor Honoris Causa at Uppsala University. 

In the European Community Respiratory Health Study and the linked Respiratory Health In Northern Europe study, Svanes has built up and led the research on early life origins of adult respiratory health and disease. 

Svanes PhD work is part of the established knowledge on peptic ulcer perforation and is referred to in the main textbooks and literature sources of surgery. Some of her research results led her into questioning the early life origins of health and disease, which became her focus when she made the move to respiratory medicine.

Some more detail: Cecilie Svanes, MD PhD is a Professor at the Centre for International Health (CIH), University of Bergen (UiB), and a Consultant in Pulmonary Medicine at the Department of Occupational Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital. She was created Honorary Doctor at Uppsala University in 2023 .

Her current research interests mainly focus on the fields of preconception and early life origins of respiratory health and disease. See description of selected reviews and original publications below.

Svanes conceived and currently leads the RHINESSA multi-generation study, which involves an international transdisciplinary research network on multi-generation research. She leads the work on early life and multi-generation origins in the European Community Respiratory Health Study (ECRHS) and the affiliated Respiratory Health in Norther Europe (RHINE) study.

Currently Svanes is leading a project on pesticide and other environmental exposures in indigenous communities in Guatemala: Pesticides and exposures from traditional textile industry associated with own and offspring health in indigenous Guatemalan communities | Centre for International Health | UiB. 

Svanes’ research results are disseminated widely, in scientific articles, textbooks of medicine and the media, and have contributed to scientific paradigm shifts, impacting practice and guiding current health care policies (learn more: in English   in Norwegian). Svanes has published numerous much cited publications in high-impact journals. Her most important scientific contribution today concerns the preconception and transgenerational origins of allergies and lung health, while she has undertaken previous groundbreaking work regarding the early life origins of adult asthma, allergy and lung function. 

She is further involved with World University Network WUN and inVIVO Planetary Health.

Cecilie Svanes’ scientific work has been ground-breaking on many different fronts. She has numerous research results that are relevant for people’s every-day and long-term health. These have been widely disseminated through both scientific and popular media (see below for some popular media examples). 

She was awarded the Faculty of Medicine’s award for excellent research dissemination and engagement in sharing science in 2019 for her work in disseminating her research results. Learn a little more.

Her research on the preconception origins of asthma, allergies and lung health has been covered in the media worldwide.

Autumn 2020. Svanes and others began work on a project to study whether COVID-19 affects male germ cells, and therefore immunity in a father's offspring. (read about the study from VG in Norwegian, more from BT in Norwegian )

In 2018, she presented new research results on deteriorating lung health in cleaners in a meeting at the UK Parliament, with health and safety executives, trade union leaders and parliament members. She also met with industry leaders and scientists in the cleaning industry at the annual seminal meeting “Cleaning Europe”, where she presented her research results.

Svanes’ work on the metabolic aspects of women’s lung health and early life origins of adult lung health also received widespread media coverage.  

Early in her career, CNN news and other new news channels covered her first results on the early life origins of asthma - a concept that was in its infancy in 1998.

Read about her work preventing prolific diseases.

See Related Content below for news articles from UiB / CIH / CISMAC News

Some highlights from the popular press around the world:

• Presentation from Italy (in Italian) for World No Tobacco Day
• BT (in Norwegian) Røyking i ungdomstiden kan skade fremtidige barn
• Asthma beim Nachwuchs – chronischen Lungenerkrankungen präkonzeptionell vorbeugen - Medical Tribune (medical-tribune.de)
• BBC News – Cleaning products linked to poorer lung function
• BBC News – Irregular periods ‘allergy link’
• Hindustan times – Fathers obesity during adolescence can increase asthma risk for offspring
• Hindustan times – Been smoking since adolescence? You are risking your children to asthma
• The Gulf Daily news – Housecleaning products can be bad for your lungs
• Global News – Why asthma is 3 times more common in kids with dads who smoke
• ABC - Los productos de limpieza del hogar pueden ser tan malos para los pulmones como el tabaco
• Forbes - Cleaning Your House May Be As Bad As Smoking 20 Cigarettes A Day
• the Telegraph - Household cleaning products as bad for lung function as smoking, study finds
• the Independent - Cleaning products as bad for lungs as smoking 20 cigarettes a day, scientists warn
• Fox News - Cleaning products tied to lung function decline in women says new study
• Newsweek - Impact of Cleaning Products on Women's Lungs as Damaging as 20-a-Day Cigarette Habit: Study
• Hindustantimes - Beware, cleaning sprays are as harmful for lungs as smoking 20 cigarettes a day
• Mujerhoy - Limpiar tu casa es tan dañino como fumar un paquete de cigarrillos diarios
• l'Express - Faire le ménage serait aussi nocif que fumer           

Teaching

Cecilie Svanes teaches epidemiology at the Centre for International Health, and give some classes in occupational lung medicine. She has previously taught respiratory medicine and allergology.

Supervision

She has broad experience supervising and mentoring early career researchers. A number of researchers Svanes has supervised earlier are leaders in science or health care today.

Meet some of her PhD candidates:

• Juan Pablo López Cervantes is working on on a PhD thesis on how use of snus, oral moist tobacco is related to personal as well as offspring respiratory health.
• Gerd Toril Mørkve Knudsen defended her PhD thesis in 2023, regarding father’s smoking before conception as related to offspring DNA methylation, obesity and sex steroid hormones.
• Øistein Svanes defended his PhD thesis in 2023, investigating exposure to cleaning agents and disinfectants in relation to asthma and lung function decline, susceptibility to such exposure early in life, and offspring effects of mother’s occupational exposure.
• Ingrid Kuiper defended her PhD thesis about air pollution exposure in childhood and adolescence and associations with personal adult lung health and with offsprings’ asthma and allergies in 2020.
• Nils Oskar Jögi defended in 2022 his PhD thesis on helminth exposure as related to asthma, allergies and lung function, with some focus on associations with offspring allergies.
• Hilde Vindenes’s PhD work explored chemical exposures and microbiome in relation to eczema and allergies, she defended her thesis in 2024.
• Signe Timm in Århus defended her PhD thesis on multi-generation aspects of farm upbringing, including reporting, selective migration, and relation to asthma and allergies over generations, January 2021. Read more on ResearchGate and LinkedIn.
• Francisco Gómez Real is a professor at K2, UiB. His PhD thesis (2008) brought science on women's respiratory health and the relationship between hormonal/metabolic status and respiratory health a leap forward, and have inspired extensive further research in this area.

Many of Cecilie Svanes publications are Open Access, and her updated publication record can be found at:

• PubMed  
• Orchid  
• Publons

Important recent publications:

Father's adolescent body silhouette is associated with offspring asthma, lung function and BMI through DNA methylation. Kitaba NT, Østergaard TM, Lønnebotn M, Accordini S, Real FG, Malinovschi A, Oudin A, Benediktsdottir B, González FJC, Gómez LP, Holm M, Jõgi NO, Dharmage SC, Skulstad SM, Schlünssen V, Svanes C, Holloway JW. Nature Commun Biol. 2025 May 24;8(1):796. PMID: 40410506. 

Associations of parental air pollution and greenness exposures with offspring asthma outcomes. Sinsamala RM, Marcon A, Bertelsen RJ, Accordini S, Brandt J, Frohn LM, Geels C, Gislason T, Holm M, Janson C, Malinovschi A, Markevych I, Orru H, Oudin A, Real FG, Sigsgaard T, Skulstad SM, Svanes C, Johannessen A.  Environ Res. 2025 Jun 1;274:121328. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2025.121328. Epub 2025 Mar 6. PMID: 40057110.

Selected reviews on the preconception origins of respiratory health and disease

Preconception origins of asthma, allergies and lung function: The influence of previous generations on the respiratory health of our children. Svanes C, Holloway JW, Krauss-Etschmann S. J Intern Med. 2023 May;293(5):531-549. doi: 10.1111/joim.13611. Epub 2023 Mar 1. PMID: 36861185.

The Exposome Approach in Allergies and Lung Diseases: Is It Time to Define a Preconception Exposome? López-Cervantes JP, Lønnebotn M, Jogi NO, Calciano L, Kuiper IN, Darby MG, Dharmage SC, Gómez-Real F, Hammer B, Bertelsen RJ, Johannessen A, Würtz AML, Mørkve Knudsen T, Koplin J, Pape K, Skulstad SM, Timm S, Tjalvin G, Krauss-Etschmann S, Accordini S, Schlünssen V, Kirkeleit J, Svanes C. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Dec 1;18(23):12684. doi: 10.3390/ijerph182312684. PMID: 34886409; PMCID: PMC8657011.

Exposures during the prepuberty period and future offspring's health: evidence from human cohort studies. Svanes C, Bertelsen RJ, Accordini S, Holloway JW, Júlíusson P, Boateng E, Krauss-Etchmann S, Schlünssen V, Gómez-Real F, Skulstad SM. Biol Reprod. 2021 Sep 14;105(3):667-680. doi: 10.1093/biolre/ioab158. PMID: 34416759; PMCID: PMC8444705.

Selected Original Publications 

The preconception origins – father’s puberty smoking and offspring’s lung health and disease

Parental Prepuberty Overweight and Offspring Lung Function. Lønnebotn M, Calciano L, Johannessen A, Jarvis DL, Abramson MJ, Benediktsdóttir B, Bråbäck L, Franklin KA, Godoy R, Holm M, Janson C, Jõgi NO, Kirkeleit J, Malinovschi A, Pereira-Vega A, Schlünssen V, Dharmage SC, Accordini S, Gómez Real F, Svanes C. Nutrients 2022. PMID: 35406119.

This paper evidence that father’s puberty-onset overweight caused low lung function in offspring, and also was associated with lower attained height in sons. This and the paper below are landmark papers with striking results, presented in invited talks at international scientific meetings, widely commented on by the media, receiving high attention.

Being overweight in childhood, puberty, or early adulthood: Changing asthma risk in the next generation? Johannessen A, Lønnebotn M, Calciano L, Benediktsdóttir B, Bertelsen RJ, Bråbäck L, Dharmage S, Franklin KA, Gislason T, Holm M, Janson C, Jarvis D, Jõgi R, Kim JL, Kirkeleit J, Lodge C, Malinovschi A, Martinez-Moratalla J, Nilsen RM, Pereira-Vega A, Real FG, Schlünssen V, Accordini S, Svanes C. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2019 Sep 7. pii: S0091-6749(19)31172-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jaci.2019.08.030.

This paper demonstrated that fathers who were overweight puberty (but not if they became overweight after puberty) were more likely to cause asthma in their future offspring. Published with editorial.

The preconception origins - father’s puberty overweight and offspring’s lung health and disease

Prenatal and prepubertal exposures to tobacco smoke in men may cause lower lung function in future offspring: a three-generation study using a causal modelling approach. Accordini S, Calciano L, Johannessen A, Benediktsdóttir B, Bertelsen RJ, Bråbäck L, Dharmage SC, Forsberg B, Gómez Real F, Holloway JW, Holm M, Janson C, Jõgi NO, Jõgi R, Malinovschi A, Marcon A, Martínez-Moratalla Rovira J, Sánchez-Ramos JL, Schlünssen V, Torén K, Jarvis D, Svanes C. Eur Respir J. 2021. PMID: 33795316. 

This is a landmark paper in terms of causal statistical modeling in multigeneration analyses, giving evidence that father’s early-onset smoking actually caused impaired health in offspring. Paper in high-impact journal that receives wide attention.

A three-generation study on the association of tobacco smoking with asthma. Accordini S, Calciano  L, Johannessen  A, Portas  L, Benediktsdóttir  B, Bertelsen  RJ, Bråbäck  L,  Carsin  AE, Dharmage  SC, Dratva  J, Forsberg B, Gomez Real  F, Heinrich  J, Holloway  JW, Holm  M, Janson C, Jögi R, Leynaert B, Malinovschi A, Marcon A, Martínez-Moratalla Rovira J, Raherison C, Sánchez-Ramos JL, Schlünssen V, Bono R, Corsico  AG, Demoly  P, Dorado Arenas S, Nowak D, Pin  I, Weyler  J, Jarvis  D, Svanes C. Int J Epidemiol. 2018 Aug 1;47(4):1106-1117.

This paper, published with an editorial praising the methodology, demonstrated that fathers who started smoking before age 15 years were more likely to have children with asthma, confirming results from the paper described below on father’s preconception smoking and offspring asthma in a different cohort and using more advanced statistical methods..

Father's environment before conception and asthma risk in his children. Svanes C*, Koplin J*, Skulstad SM, Johannessen A, Bertelsen RJ, Benediktsdottir B, Bräback L, Carsin AE, Dharmage S, Dratva J, Forsberg B, Gislason T, Heinrich J, Holm M, Janson C, Jarvis D, Jögi R, Krauss-Etschmann S, Lindberg E, Macsali F, Malinovski A, Modig L, Norbäck D, Omenaas E, Saure EW, Sigsgaard T, Skorge TD, Svanes Ø, Torén K, Schlünssen V, Real FG.  Int J Epidemiol. 2017 Feb 1;46(1):235-245. Published with editorial.

This is a seminal paper. It was the first research to uncover that a father’s environment years and decades before the conception of his future children, was associated with much higher asthma risk in these future offspring. The paper also was a first to identify that a father’s puberty period is important for his offspring’s development of asthma. The paper identified 2 critical factors: fathers who started smoking before age 15 years, and fathers whose occupation involved welding. Cited: 35. This paper has also been presented more than 600 times is popular media around the world, including TIME magazine.

 The preconception origins – epigenetic mechanisms in mice and men

Kitaba NT, Knudsen GTM, Johannessen A, Rezwan FI, Malinovschi A, Oudin A, Benediktsdottir B, Martino D, González FJC, Gómez LP, Holm M, Jõgi NO, Dharmage SC, Skulstad SM, Watkins SH, Suderman M, Gómez-Real F, Schlünssen V, Svanes C*, Holloway JW*. Fathers' preconception smoking and offspring DNA methylation. Clin Epigenetics. 2023 PMID:37649101..

A unique human study that reveals epigenetic effects in offspring of the father starting smoking in puberty. Presented at large- and small-scale international conferences, widely disseminated in popular media. Altmetric score 370, 99th percentile of all tracked articles of a similar age.

Preconceptional smoking alters spermatozoal miRNAs of murine fathers and affects offspring's body weight. Hammer B, Wagner C, Divac Rankov A, Reuter S, Bartel S, Hylkema MN, Krüger A, Svanes C, Krauss-Etschmann S. Int J Obes (Lond). 2021 Jul;45(7):1623-1627. doi: 10.1038/s41366-021-00798-2. Epub 2021 May 17. PMID: 34002034.

This paper on an experimental mice study shows that exposing male mice to tobacco smoke before mating caused changes in epigenetic signals in sperm as well as phenotypic changes in the pups. This supports results from our human analyses described below.

Cleaning at work and at home, and harmful influences on future offspring as well as the lungs

Maternal preconception occupational exposure to cleaning products and disinfectants and offspring asthma. Tjalvin G, Svanes Ø, Igland J, Bertelsen RJ, Benediktsdóttir B, Dharmage S, Forsberg B, Holm M, Janson C, Jõgi NO, Johannessen A, Malinovschi A, Pape K, Real FG, Sigsgaard T, Torén K, Vindenes HK, Zock JP, Schlünssen V, Svanes C. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2022. PMID: 34674855. 

This paper in a high-impact journal identifies offspring health effects of a maternal occupational exposure before conception, with wide implications. 

Cleaning at Home and at Work in Relation to Lung Function Decline and Airway Obstruction. Svanes Ø, Bertelsen RJ, Lygre SHL, Carsin AE, Antó JM, Forsberg B, García-García JM, Gullón JA, Heinrich J, Holm M, Kogevinas M, Urrutia I, Leynaert B, Moratalla JM, Le Moual N, Lytras T, Norbäck D, Nowak D, Olivieri M, Pin I, Probst-Hensch N, Schlünssen V, Sigsgaard T, Skorge TD, Villani S, Jarvis D, Zock JP, Svanes C. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2018 May 1;197(9):1157-1163. 

This research demonstrated accelerated lung function decline in women in relation to cleaning at home or at work, and was published in a high impact journal. The paper received world-wide attention, was presented in the UK Parliament and at a main conference in the cleaning industry. Combined with other studies providing increasing evidence of harmful effects of cleaning agents, in particular when used as sprays, this paper attracted sufficient public notice to result in altered government policies and changes in the cleaning industry, specifically to develop cleaning spray nozzle heads that could deliver larger droplets that will not reach the smaller airways.

The early life origins of adult lung health and disease

Early life exposures contributing to accelerated lung function decline in adulthood - a follow-up study of 11,000 adults from the general population. Kirkeleit J, Riise T, Wielscher M, Accordini S, Carsin AE, Dratva J, Franklin KA, Garcia-Aymerich J, Jarvis D, Leynaert B, Lodge CJ, Real FG, Schlünssen V, Corsico AG, Heinrich J, Holm M, Janson C, Benediktsdóttir B, Jogi R, Dharmage SC, Järvelin MR, Svanes C. EClinicalMedicine - The Lancet 2023. PMID: 38089857. 

Early Life Origins of Lung Ageing: Early Life Exposures and Lung Function Decline in Adulthood in Two European Cohorts Aged 28-73 Years. Dratva J, Zemp E, Dharmage SC, Accordini S, Burdet L, Gislason T, Heinrich J, Janson C, Jarvis D, de Marco R, Norbäck D, Pons M, Real FG, Sunyer J, Villani S, Probst-Hensch N, Svanes C. PLoS One. 2016 Jan 26;11(1):e0145127. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0145127. eCollection 2016.PMID: 26811913.

This are key papers on the early life origins of respiratory health, revealing important impact of early life disadvantage on lung function decline, which reflects ageing of the lungs. The results have received high attention and the oldest paper is cited a.o. in a WHO policy document.

Childhood predictors of lung function trajectories and future COPD risk: a prospective cohort study from the first to the sixth decade of life. Bui DS, Lodge CJ, Burgess JA, Lowe AJ, Perret J, Bui MQ, Bowatte G, Gurrin L, Johns DP, Thompson BR, Hamilton GS, Frith PA, James AL, Thomas PS, Jarvis D, Svanes C, Russell M, Morrison SC, Feather I, Allen KJ, Wood-Baker R, Hopper J, Giles GG, Abramson MJ, Walters EH, Matheson MC, Dharmage SC. Lancet Respir Med. 2018 Jul;6(7):535-544. doi: 10.1016/S2213-2600(18)30100-0. Epub 2018 Apr 5. PMID: 29628376

This paper in a high-impact journal gives strong evidence of how early life factors were related to adult respiratory health and disease. 

Early life origins of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Svanes C, Sunyer J, Plana E, Dharmage S, Heinrich J, Jarvis D, Demarco R, Norback D, Raherison C, Villani S, Wjst M, Svanes K, Anto J. Thorax. 2010 Jan; 65(1):14-20. Published with editorial.

These research results found that early life disadvantage was as important as smoking for adult lung function, lung function decline and COPD. >400 citations. Also cited in US National Action Plan policy document.

Birth characteristics and asthma symptoms in young adults: results from a population-based cohort study in Norway. Svanes C, Omenaas E, Heuch JM, Irgens LM, Gulsvik A. Eur Respir J. 1998 Dec;12(6):1366-70. doi: 10.1183/09031936.98.12061366. PMID: 9877492

The presentation of this paper at the American Thoracic Society congress in 1997 resulted in extensive press coverage. While today the early life origins of health and disease is generally accepted and implemented in mother and child care programs across the world, this seminal paper was the start of a major scientific effort to learn more about how adult lung health and disease originates early in life.

The “hygiene hypothesis” - early days

Childhood environment and adult atopy: results from the European Community Respiratory Health Survey.  Svanes C, Jarvis D, Chinn S, Burney P. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1999 Mar;103(3 Pt 1):415-20. doi: 10.1016/s0091-6749(99)70465-3. PMID: 10069874. 

This paper contributed to a paradigm shift in the understanding of the relationship between pets and allergies. While pets had previously been considered to cause allergies in children, this paper found less atopic sensitization in those with childhood pets, in particular those with a dog. Later research supports these early results and suggests that pet keeping during childhood might protect against allergies by increasing microbial diversity. This paper has been widely cited and included in guidelines regarding pet keeping.

PhD work: Peptic ulcer perforation

Trends in Perforated Peptic Ulcer: Incidence, Etiology, Treatment, and Prognosis. Svanes, C. World J. Surg. 24, 277–283 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/s002689910045.

This paper summarizes my PhD work on peptic ulcer perforation. In total I published my results in 14 original papers as well as a couple of review papers. This PhD work is cited in >10 surgical textbooks, and this particular review is cited about 400 times.

RHINESSA generation study

RHINESSA generation study www.rhinessa.net: Cecilie Svanes is the scientific leader of the international multi-centre multi-generation RHINESSA study, a study she has conceived and initiated. The study is designed to identify and investigate factors from before conception and in previous generations and determine their potential influence on health outcomes.

The study focuses mainly on asthma, allergies and lung health. It also has valuable outcome data on other health issues and diseases. Exposure data includes among other things, a range of chemical exposures (i.e. smoking, air pollution, indoor environment, air pollution and greenness, occupational exposures) and data on metabolic and hormonal factors, helminth infections, a.o. RHINESSA studies the offspring of the ECRHS/RHINE studies, see description below.

Vice PI is professor Vivi Schlünssen, University of Århus, and the other centre PI’s of the ten RHINESSA study centres are:  Randi J Bertelsen for Bergen, Norway; Shyamali Dharmage for Melbourne, Australia; Vivi Schlünssen for Århus, Denmark; Nils Oskar Jögi for Tartu, Estonia; Bryndis Benediktsdottir for Reykjavik, Iceland; Francisco Javier Callejas González for Albacete, Spain; José Luis Sánchez for Huelva, Spain; Mathias Holm for Göteborg, Sweden; Lennart Bråbäck for Umeå, Sweden; and Christer Jansson for Uppsala, Sweden.

The RHINESSA studies are funded from a range of funding agencies, including the Research Council of Norway (RCN) FRIPRO project “Preconception exposures and related epigenetic mechanisms in asthma and allergies” (PI Cecilie Svanes), the Western Norway Health Authorities project “Exposures in vulnerable periods and future health” (PI Cecilie Svanes); ERC StG BRUSH “Oral bacteria as determinants for respiratory health” (PI Randi J Bertelsen); RCN project “Exposure to Antibacterial Compounds: The Microbiome and Allergic Diseases” (PI Randi J Bertelsen), and other

EPHOR Exposome project of health and occupational research

EPHOR Exposome project of health and occupational research, EU funded project under the H2020 program https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/874703. This EU project aims to promote a healthy work environment. It is led by professor Anjoeka Pronk, Senior Scientist at the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research, and Svanes leads the UiB contribution. The project will generate a working-life exposome toolbox that will provide scientists, occupational health practitioners and policy makers with advanced methods to collect individual data. It is based on knowledge of the relationship between working life exposome and NCDs as well as methods to evaluate the social and economic impacts. 

The European Community Respiratory Health Study (ECRHS)

The European Community Respiratory Health Study (ECRHS) www.ecrhs.org is led by professor Deborah Jarvis (previously professor Peter Burney) at the Imperial College, London, UK, heading a steering committee of European and Australian world-leading scientists in respiratory epidemiology a.o. fields. Svanes is member of the ECRHS steering committee and the leader of the ECRHS early life origins working group. Professor FG Real is the PI of Bergen study centre. The ECRHS is the world’s largest international study of asthma and allergies in adults. Its results are disseminated in >>500 scientific articles and are being used to guide today’s health care policies.

Respiratory Health in Northern Europe (RHINE)

The Respiratory Health in Northern Europe (RHINE) www.rhine.su  study is a questionnaire based study linked to ECRHS. Svanes leads the early life origins work in this study. The study is led by professor Christer Jansson, University of Uppsala, and center PIs are Kjell Torén for Göterborg, Sweden; Bertil Forsberg for Umeå, Sweden; Thórarinn Gislason for Reykjavik, Iceland; Rain Jõgi for Tartu, Estonia; Ane Johannessen for Bergen, Norway; and Vivi Schlüssen for Aarhus, Denmark.

Exploring the role of helminths in the global allergy epidemic

The World Universities Network (WUN) project “Exploring the role of helminths in the global allergy epidemic” is led by Cecilie Svanes in an international collaboration including professor and immunologist William Horsnell, University of Cape Town and professor and epigeneticist John W Holloway, University of Southampton. You can read about the project here:  https://wun.ac.uk/article/research-to-prevent-future-pandemics

ALEC Ageing Lungs in European Cohorts

ALEC Ageing Lungs in European Cohorts, https://www.alecstudy.org/ EU H2020 funded project led by professor Deborah Jarvis, Imperial College, London. Cecilie Svanes is responsible for the work package “Preconception and transgenerational risk factors”. The ALEC study is improving our understanding of risk factors for low lung function, respiratory disability and the development of chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD), by using information held within existing cohort studies and generating new studies.