Research networks

Young people’s health and well-being is high on the political agenda both in Denmark and internationally. Especially young people’s mental health is a focus in research and in political initiatives, as this group is in a vulnerable phase of life and many are at risk of not thriving, of being diagnosed with different mental disorders and of engaging in groups that might lead them into crime and extremism.

Since the mental health crisis of the young generation is also high on agendas internationally, it might be a cross-cultural phenomenon, and it is of interest to the network to explore what are commonalities as well as differences of issues that are experienced by young people in a Danish as well as in a global perspective. It is also of interest to the network to explore what might be possible solutions to this crisis, including whether engaging in activities such as sports and arts could play an impactful role.

Vision

The network intends to broaden the approach to exploring ’mental health’ by considering physical, socio-cultural and mental dimensions of young people’s lives as interrelated. It is moreover important to consider the different arenas of their lives (education, work, leisure time and social media) as interconnected if we are to understand the crisis to do with young people’s health and well-being better, and if we are to be able to come up with solutions for this societal challenge. The solutions might have to start by more precisely defining what concepts such as health and well-being entail, and by creating a nuanced view on the relationship between risks of not thriving and engagement in different arenas, as both social media and other activities can have both positive and negative impacts on the lives of the young generation.

The network brings together experts from different fields and sectors in an endeavor to explore and facilitate new research into questions such as:

• How is the body, the mind and social relationships connected in different arenas of young people’s lives?
• What does it mean when either the body, the mind or social relationships are not functioning in positive ways?
• What characterises different communities where young people engage (including online and in activities to do with sport and arts, and in different geographical places)?
• What problems are there when young people are not engaged in positive ways?
• How is mental health and well-being perceived and approached by different groups of young people including in different parts of the world?
• What might be possible solutions to promote health and well-being within for example the education system?

Mission

The network is focused on creating change and considers collaboration between researchers and stakeholders from different sectors key to be able to draw up policy recommendations and new models, methods and theories for implementation in practices that involve young people.

Aims

• To facilitate knowledge sharing between researchers from different disciplines and with expertise of different methodologies including qualitative, arts-based, quantitative and physiological across departments and faculties of UCPH, with researchers from other universities and with stakeholders from relevant sectors that focus on young people.
• To involve young people in discussions and research initiated by the network.
• To initiate new possibilities for collaboration e.g. for research proposals, for exchange between PhD students, for engaging in education programs and for co-writing of papers.

Contact

Associate Professor in Educational Studies of Movement Charlotte Svendler Nielsen, Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, Faculty of Science
Email csnielsen@nexs.ku.dk

Associate Professor in Health Anthropology Hanne Overgaard Mogensen, Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Social Science
Email hanne.mogensen@anthro.ku.dk

Associate Professor in Media Studies Line Nybro Petersen, Department of Nordic Studies and Linguistics, Faculty of Humanities
Email bmr573@hum.ku.dk

Associate Professor in Movement and Neuroscience, Jacob Wienecke, Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, Faculty of Science
Email wienecke@nexs.ku.dk

Research on menopause

Research into women’s health has been overlooked for centuries, and even though new studies are slowly emerging, a huge knowledge gap exists. Especially research into the menopause is very limited despite the menopause being something that will affect all women worldwide in one way or another – bringing hot flashes, sleep problems or mood swings; an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis or vaginal dryness; changes in body perception, in short-term memory or coordination.

All women will experience their own version of the menopause, and all the possible changes are naturally of great importance to women as individuals, to their families and friends, workplaces and society as a whole.

Lately, we have been trying to highlight the lack of insight into the menopause – with success. We have been overwhelmed by the number of journalists, general practitioners, researchers from everywhere and especially ordinary Danish women who support the project – to raise our level of knowledge about women and the menopause to an acceptable level. We call the project Women in Healthy Transition. Women, their close relations, general practitioners and researchers all lack knowledge and information.

We know that the menopause causes a drastic drop in oestrogen, which has significant health impacts, including a markedly increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. But there is a lack of scientific research into what happens in women’s bodies during the menopause; in the cardiovascular system, in the brain and in the heart. The menopause also negatively impacts women’s quality of life, and for many women the menopause is a period of severe discomfort, challenging their self-identity and working life. We lack knowledge about how bodily changes affect menopausal women in Denmark mentally and socially, and how social structures, for example our healthcare system and our workplaces, have an impact on how Danish women cope with the menopause.

We also lack knowledge about how we can prevent the direct negative risks associated with the menopause, such as the risk of cardiovascular diseases, depression, lower self-esteem and sleep disturbances. We have an assumption that regular physical activity can have a positive effect, but, in fact, our latest research shows that the absence of oestrogen during the menopause means that physical activity is almost without effect in the years after the menopause. There is consequently a need for research that addresses the complexity of the menopause if we want to help women stay health around and after the menopause through understanding and coping strategies.

There is a giant potential both nationally and internationally for making a significant difference to an enormous group of people over an extended number of years, while also combating gender health inequalities. It is therefore crucial to promote and disseminate research into the menopause.

Vision of the network

The vision behind the network is to create an epicentre for research into the menopause aimed at initiating evidence-based research into everything right from basic physiology to the complexity of women’s social and mental lives, for the benefit of the individual woman and society as a whole.

Network Mission: Advancing Menopause Research

Our mission to gather leading Danish researchers with an interest in women and the menopause in order to create the best opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration across academic environments, research disciplines and sectors. Our network will stimulate the development of new research ideas and provide a foundation for collaboration on submission of applications, which can ensure a solid foundation from which research into the menopause can be taken to a new level. We will host public seminars, scientific conferences, and PhD courses. It is also an important mission to follow and influence trends in society, political agendas and funding strategies to increase the level of knowledge about the menopause.

The network mission is to:

• Gather leading Danish researchers conducting research into women and the menopause
• Create the best opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration across environments, disciplines and sectors
• Stimulate the development of new research ideas and collaboration on applications
• Host seminars, conferences and PhD courses
• Monitor and influence trends in society, political agendas and funding strategies.

We adopt long-term perspectives in our work to make a significant difference within this field. We embrace everything from small-scale short-term intervention studies to large-scale long-term studies with 20-year perspectives, all with the same goal in mind.

Read more about the research project (in Danish)

Contact

Lasse Gliemann
Associate Professor, Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports
gliemann@nexs.ku.dk

• Ylva Hellsten (yhellsten@nexs.ku.dk): Professor, NEXS UCPH SCIENCE - Expert in circulatory function, physical activity and the menopause
• Anne Yäel Nossent (nossent@nexs.ku.dk): Associate Professor, NEXS UCPH SCIENCE - Expert in non-coding RNA, oestrogen and cerebral thrombosis
• Signe Sørensen Torekov (torekov@sund.ku.dk): Professor, BMI UCPH SUND - Expert in metabolism, energy conversion and weight loss
• Mette Hansen (mhan@ph.au.dk): Associate Professor, Aarhus University - Expert in muscular function, physical activity and the menopause
• Anja Pinborg (anja.bisgaard.pinborg@regionh.dk): Professor, gynaecologist, Rigshospitalet - Expert in reproduction
• Ellen Lykkegaard (ellen.christine.leth.loekkegaard@regionh.dk): Professor, gynaecologist, North Zealand Hospital - Expert in the treatment of the menopause
• Maria Hybholt (maria.hybholt@sund.ku.dk): Associate Professor, IFSV UCPH SUND - The importance of the menopause for self-identity and body perception
• Sigrid Normann Biener: (sibi@nexs.ku.dk): PhD student, IFSV UCPH SUND - Mapping of the menopause, symptoms and physical activity in Denmark
• Andrea Sofia Tamariz-Ellemann (aste@nexs.ku.dk): PhD student, NEXS UCPH SCIENCE - How do we predict the menopause and what is its importance to the circulatory system?
• Laura Bachmann Thomsen (lbt@nexs.ku.dk: PhD student, UCPH SCIENCE - The importance of lifestyle and physical activity to the risk of circulatory disorders in post-menopausal women

Vision

Our vision is to realise Denmark as a living lab for digital preventive health. This is based on the idea of a nation-wide innovation platform for digital health, which makes it easier to setup and run large-scale research and development projects. The digital health innovation platform will simplify engagement of hundreds or thousands of Danish citizens and related healthcare professionals, while creating value for them during and after the innovation process.

Motivation

Denmark is renowned for its extensive public health research and its healthcare data. However, turning research findings into innovation is complicated and resource intensive. Setting up and running trials that engage citizens and health professionals at scale is ill-supported and there is a long way for translating scientific discoveries into valuable digital services for citizens, health professionals, and society.

While Denmark has a well-functioning public digital health infrastructure, it is currently Big Tech who are leading large population-based studies with AI and mobile health technologies. Nonetheless, the existing public digital health infrastructure provides a unique opportunity for conducting responsible innovation and research at scale.

Mission

Our mission is to identify the requirements for a national digital health innovation platform. We will do this by engaging with researchers across UCPH and key stakeholders from public institutions and companies as well as building on existing initiatives.

The aim of the network is to:

• Understand current challenges when undertaking large-scale digital health experiments.
• Simplify recruitment and engagement of participants.
• Ensure ways of providing value back to them during and after their participation in a study.

Objective 1: Platform requirements

During the first phase of the project, we wish to develop an understanding of the challenges, needs, and requirements for undertaking large-scale studies for digital preventive health. This will involve interviews and surveys as well as workshops with researchers, GDPR experts, IT engineers, government officials, citizen groups, patient associations and relevant stakeholders. The aim is to apply for funding for two research assistants and two PhD students, and/or postdocs.

Objective 2: Prototype of platform

The second phase of the project consists of developing a prototype of the digital health innovation platform that enables pilot projects to run by making an eco-system and infrastructure for recruitment. This is an ambitious effort and will require interest from industry and investments from public-private funding. Building on the results of objective 1, funding applications will be prepared.

Objective 3: Pilot projects

In the final phase, the network will identify and support 1-5 research and development projects that can run on the platform. Further to recruitment of participants, emphasis will be on developing ways of continually providing valuable ‘real time’ feedback for participants. This will provide evidence of impact and further input for improving and expanding the platform.

Network

By taking part in the UCPH Network for Denmark as Living Lab you will be invited to participate in reaching the objectives of the network and you will receive news about activities.

Members of the Network

Tariq Osman Andersen
Associate Professor
Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Science
tariq@di.ku.dk

Theis Lange
Head of Department, Professor
Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
thlan@sund.ku.dk 

Kasper Rømer Villumsen
Assistant Professor
Department of Veterinary Clinical Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
krv@sund.ku.dk 

Ayo Wahlberg
Head of Department, Professor with Special Responsibilities 
Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Social Sciences
ayo.wahlberg@anthro.ku.dk 

Sarah Frances Homewood
Tenure Track Assistant Professor
Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Science
sfh@di.ku.dk 

Mads Nielsen
Professor
Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Science
madsn@di.ku.dk 

Contact

Tariq Osman Andersen
tariq@di.ku.dk
+45 2614 9169

Human health is highly depending on healthy ecosystems. This is acknowledged in the concept of One Health, and WHO urges for approaches across public health, food, veterinary and environmental sectors to promote a healthy future.

However, the disconnection between human and nature seems to grow on both individual and societal level (Beery et al. 2023). This may have consequences for both the health of individuals and, eventually, the environment as disconnection may influence pro-environmental attitudes and behavior (Barragan-Jason et al. 2023).

The network focusses on constraints and pathways for reconnecting material, experiential, cognitive, emotional and philosophical human-nature relations by bridging between disciplines at academia as well as reaching out to social sectors.

This includes research themes like:

• Children’s nature connectedness
• Close loop food chains – urban nature as a food resource
• Health and learning aspects of education outside the classroom and in outdoor kindergardens
• Mental health and nature activities
• Sustainable food production systems

- and initiatives like: Children & Nature – Denmark (Center for Børn og Natur)

Contact network members

Laura Vang Rasmussen
Associate Professor
Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, Faculty of Science
lr@ign.ku.dk

Sandra Gentin
Teaching Associate Professor
Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, Faculty of Science
sgentin@ign.ku.dk 

Ageing is not a disease, but the risk factors for a long range of serious diseases are directly correlated with the age of the individual. Therefore, to better understand, prevent, and treat this large group of diseases, it makes sense to investigate the disease as a function of the aging individual in both a biological and a societal aspect.

Ageing is an extremely complex and multifaceted process that requires an interdisciplinary approach to understand. The primary focus of the project "Interdisciplinary understanding of age-related diseases" is to take advantage of already existing monodisciplinary research projects from diverse disciplines and provide a collaborative framework that will bridge these projects and provide truly interdisciplinary and synergetic outcomes. The network will bridge the interdisciplinary gap between cellular and molecular biology, clinical research, and social sciences.

The network will have three primary areas of focus:

Educating the next generation of interdisciplinary researchers: The network aims to develop training opportunities for Ph.D. students and other early-career researchers, allowing them to understand and take advantage of an interdisciplinary approach to ageing research from an early point of their career. This will be in the form of PhD courses and the offer of PhD mobility between different research disciplines.

Exploiting synergies between already existing projects: The network will identify and develop potential interdisciplinary collaboration endeavours between already existing monodisciplinary projects, and thereby ensure a higher interdisciplinary output of already funded projects.

Identifying new interdisciplinary collaboration funding opportunities: The members of the network will develop new interdisciplinary projects and together with experts within national and EU funding bodies develop funding opportunities. This will ensure the continuation of the network.

Contact:

Claus Desler Madsen
Associate Professor
Department of Biomedical Sciences, Endocrinology and Metabolism
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
cdesler@sund.ku.dk

More on: Desler Group - Endocrinology and Metabolism 
LinkedIn: Desler Lab

The food we eat is essential in supporting health and preventing diseases across all stages of life. However, daily dietary choices are shaped by several factors beyond taste and nutrition, including food availability, affordability, marketing and the positioning of foods in retail/supermarkets, culture, personal preferences, social influences, food and cooking literacy, and psychological factors such as stress, well-being, and a busy schedule. There is a dire need for interdisciplinary approaches to ensure the right food reaches the right person at the right time, addressing the complexity of transforming food systems for sustainable healthy diets and implementing dietary recommendations for target populations.

Vision

The Power of Food Network aspires to connect experts across the disciplines that influence food “from farm to fork”, thereby bringing together food science, nutrition and health, epidemiology and social and behavioural sciences. The network seeks to leverage the power of food by combining

Three main perspectives

• Develop food products that align with current planetary challenges.
• Test their ability to sustain health and prevent diseases.
• Help individuals and society adhere to dietary recommendations.

Mission

• Start the conversation between key research actors and create actionable opportunities (combine disciplines and methodologies across departments and faculties as well as stakeholders outside of UCPH.
• Work to create feasible funding opportunities by engaging with funding bodies, to support projects that address inter-disciplinary synergies within the same funded project (e.g. optimising food products and testing their health effects OR test health effects of foods and diets while exploring needs and barriers from a consumer perspective).
• Create a forum of experts to be included in funding applications or as sparring partners for brainstorming, to facilitate synergies between disciplines and innovate the transition from labs and controlled interventions to real life implementation.

Members

Iben Lykke Petersen
Associate Professor
Food Analytics and Biotechnology, Department of Food Science, Faculty of Science
ilp@food.ku.dk

Morten Arendt Rasmusen
Professor
Food Microbiology, Gut Health and Fermentation, Department of Food Science, Faculty of
Science
mortenr@food.ku.dk

Catalina Cuparencu
Assistant Professor
Nutrition and Health, Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, Faculty of Science
cup@nexs.ku.dk

Hanne Frøkiær
Professor
Preclinical Disease Biology, Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health
and Medical Sciences
hafr@sund.ku.dk

Agnetha Linn Rostgaard-Hansen
Postdoc
Danish Cancer Institute
agnrha@cancer.dk

Interested in joining the network?
Contact:
Iben Lykke Petersen (ilp@food.ku.dk)
Catalina Cuparencu (cup@nexs.ku.dk)