Primary fields of research

My primary research interests are in how early life conditions affect the health and well-being of fetuses, children and adolescents, and epidemiological issues involved when investigating this.

Current research

Co-Principal Investigator of the 18-years follow-up in the Danish National Birth Cohort.

Etiological studies of cerebral palsy, using harmonized data from the Danish and Norwegian Birth Cohorts. The primary aim is to examine if different prenatal exposures increase the risk of cerebral palsy.

I am involved in a number of research projects on early life determinants of mental health related outcomes in 11 years old children.

Teaching

Teaching pre- and post-graduate students in epidemiology and reproductive epidemiology.

Supervisor for bachelor students, master students and PhD students.

CV

Area of research:

Reproductive epidemiology, birth cohorts, cross-cohort collaboration

Education:                       

2009: PhD in Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen

2004: MSc in Public Health, University of Copenhagen

2002: BSc in Public Health, University of Copenhagen

Professional experience:

2011-: Associate professor, Section of Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen

2010 - 2010: Post doc., Section of Social Medicine, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen

2009 - 2010: Post doc., Division of Epidemiology, University of Southern Denmark

2002 - 2009: PhD candidate/research fellow, Centre for Alcohol Research, National Institute of Public Health, Denmark

Research stays abroad:

Sep. - Dec. 2012: Research stay, Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University

Apr. - Jul. 2007: Visiting Research Scholar, University of California, Los Angeles, (UCLA)               

Scientific and professional posts:

2016-2018: Member of the Scientific Committee, the Lolland-Falster Cohort Study, Region Zealand

2016-: Member of the Danish National Birth Cohort’s Board of Directors

2015-: Board Member, The Danish Epidemiology Society (DES)

2014-: Member of the Research Education Program in Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

2012-: Board Member, The Clinical Database for the Regional Outpatient Family Clinics 

2005: Cofounder, The Association of Masters of Science in Public Health, Denmark                                                                 

Career breaks:

2010 - 2011: Part-time sicknesses leave (28 hours - treatment effects of Hodgkin lymphoma)

2009 - 2010: Maternity & sicknesses leave (Hodgkin lymphoma)    

2007 - 2007: Maternity leave    

2006 - 2007: Maternity leave              

Grants (in own name):

2019: Horizon2020, EU contract number 874583. DKK 629.525 for the project ATHLETE, partner 22 

2018: Sapera Aude: DFF-Reasearch leader (8045-00047B)-DKK 5.897.845

2016: Gangstedfonden (A31527) – DKK 200.000

2016: Horizon2020, SC1-2016-2017. €700.000 for the project LIFECYCLE, partner 6

2013: The Danish Research Council, EUopSTART. DKK 150,000 for Early Signs of Addictive Behaviour and Mental Disorders: Phenotype, Determinants, and prognoses - A 17-year follow-up of the children in the Danish National Birth Cohort

2012: The Lundbeck foundation. DKK 90,000 for Use of antidepressants in pregnancy and risk of spontaneous abortion – An application of a pregraduate scholarship

2012: The Danish Council for Independent Research │Medical Sciences.DKK 201,600 for Use of antidepressants in pregnancy and risk of spontaneous abortion – An application for a pregraduate scholarship

2009: The Danish Council for Independent Research │Medical Sciences. DKK 2.430.000 for Alcohol dehydrogenase genotype and drinking pattern during pregnancy in relation to health consequences in the offspring. Postdoctoral fellowship

2005: The Danish Graduate School in Public Health. DKK 375,000 for Detrimental effects of Binge drinking during pregnancy

Grants as named Co-applicant:

2015: The Danish Medical Research Council │Medical Sciences. DKK 2.850,000 for the project close to adult: 17- year follow-up of the Danish National Birth Cohort

2011: The Lundbeck foundation. DKK 1.000.000 for the project 11-year follow up of the Danish National Birth Cohort        

 European Research Council
I reached 2^nd round with my ERC application with the project "Eating disorders- Understanding the spectral nature, course of symptoms and etiology (EATus)

Research Leadership:

Co-PI and scientific leader of the 18-year follow up of the Danish National Birth Cohort        

Executive committee member of the MOBAND-CP study (Mother and Babies in Norway and Denmark – cerebral palsy)

International Collaboration:

2016 - 2021: LifeCycle – Early life stressors and lifecycle health, HORIZON 2020  

2011-: MOBAND, a NIH funded project that merges the Norwegian and Danish birth cohorts and study cerebral palsy

2010 - 2013: CHICOS, FP7 (www.chicosproject.eu/the-project)       

Reviewing activities:                       

Peer review: Int J Epi, European J Epi, BJOG, Lancet psych, Lancet Child and Adolescent Health, Perinat Pediatric Epi, Eating Behaviors, Human Reproduction, CNS drugs, BMC Public Health and more

Abstract assessor: EuroEpi, Aarhus Denmark Aug. 11^th – 14^th 2013

Editorial tasks: Assistant editor, Scandinavian Journal of Public Health.  

Institutional Responsibilities:

2016-: Member of the Study Board of the program in Public Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen 

2014-: PhD coordinator Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen                    

2014-: Member of Board, Research Education program in Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Copenhagen

2013-2014: Member of Educational Board of Master in Public Health Science, University of Copenhagen

Selected Invited Talks and Teaching:

2018: Invited speaker at the LOM day, Lifestyle, Obesity and Metabolic research, UCPH

2017: Global Excellence Seminar- Danish Research Center for Magnetic Resonance

2016: Keynote Speaker at Open Seminar, Pharmatox – Strategic Research Initiative, Oslo

2016: Annual Meeting Family Centre Clinics, Kolding

2015: Invited Expert, The Fertility Clinic 4071, Copenhagen University Hospital

2014: Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Study Group meeting, Seattle

2013: Eucconet Meeting, Paris

2012: Invited Lecturer at a 3-Day PhD level Cause on CausalDiagrams, Malmø University

2012: Annual meeting Family Centre Clinics, Nyborg Strand

2012: Seminar Speaker, NIEHS, Epidemiology Branch

Teaching experience:

I am responsible for an annual offered graduate course in Epidemiology and lecture at an elective course in Reproductive Epidemiology at the program of Public Health Sciences. I was involved in the developing of the PhD-level course in Causal Inference. I give lectures at PhD-level courses in epidemiological designs, causal modeling, directed acyclic graphs, and interaction. I have been supervisor for 18 bachelor-level and 19 master-level students in Public Health Science, and 3 bachelor-level MD student. All at the University of Copenhagen.

Research Supervision:

Post-graduate supervision

2012-2016: Co-supervisor for PhD student Ingrid Maria Susanne Nilsson. Project title: Less is more - Early discharge following birth – How do we support mothers to effective breastfeeding? Thesis approved August 17, 2016

2013-2018: Co-supervisor for PhD student Pernille Stemann Larsen. Project title: Eating Disorders in preadolescent children.

2014-2019: Principal Supervisor for PhD student Tanja Gram Petersen. Project title: Are prenatal exposures to maternal thyroid disorder, folic acid supplementation, or analgesics related to risk of cerebral palsy, and do prenatal risk factors act synergistically? - An epidemiological study of two large nation-wide birth cohorts (MOBAND)

2015-2019: Principal Supervisor for PhD student Lonny Merete Stockholm. Project title: Obstetric use of oxytocin and possible consequences for mental andcognitive health in childhood.

2016-: Principal Mentor for Postdoc Nicole Nadine Lønfeldt

2017-: Co-Supervisor for PhD student Julie Andersen

2018-: Principal Supervisor for PhD student Julie Elbæk Pedersen 

2019-: Principal Supervisor for PhD student Clara Clipet-Jensen  

Research Scholarship Students

2012: Katia Buch Hærvig. Research Project: Use of ADHD medication during pregnancy

2012: Rie Laurine Rosenthal Johansen. Research Project: Use of antidepressants in pregnancy and risk of spontaneous abortion

2010: Alice Clark. Research Project: Psychosocial risk factors and Chronic Obstructive lung disease