Public health diseases
An ageing population, cancer, diabetes, chronic pain, antibiotic resistance, cardiovascular diseases, viral diseases and mental ill health – these are some of the major challenges in public health. They can affect anyone. Cardiovascular diseases now account for every other death in the western world. More than one in three Swedes suffer a disease, injury or impairment of the brain at some time in their life. More than half a million people in Sweden have diabetes, while mental ill health has become more common in recent years, particularly among women and young people. The disease we call cancer comprises more than 200 separate diseases. Despite major scientific advances, great challenges still remain.
At Uppsala University there is broad basic research in public health and caring sciences, immunology, genetics and pathology, surgical sciences, women’s and children’s health, medical biochemistry and microbiology, medical cell biology, medical sciences and neuroscience. Multidisciplinary projects also contribute to the quest for new knowledge that will improve our ability to prevent disease, relieve suffering and find new therapies for the future.
Examples of ongoing research
Overweight in children increased during the pandemic
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New strategies to detect and stop diabetes
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Examples of projects, centres and networks
U-CAN
The research programme U-CAN collects and structures data, biomolecules, tumour samples and blood samples from cancer patients before, during and after treatment. The material is used to develop methods and drugs for diagnosis and treatment of tumour diseases.
U-CARE
The research programme U-CARE studies the psychosocial consequences experienced by people suffering physical ill health and their close family members and friends, together with the help they need to cope with various problems. New knowledge in the area is used to develop programmes for treating these problems.
SciLifeLab – Science for Life Laboratory
SciLifeLab at Uppsala University is an international centre that develops, uses and provides access to advanced technology for molecular biosciences with an emphasis on health and environmental research.
Uppsala Clinical Research Center (UCR)
The purpose of UCR is to improve and facilitate clinical research and to monitor healthcare quality. To achieve this, UCR draws on the combined knowledge and skills of academic, clinical and technical experts. Clinical studies, observational studies, biostatistics and healthcare quality monitoring are performed here.
Uppsala Clinical Research Center (UCR)
Biobank Sweden
A national biobank resource in collaboration with healthcare, industry and patient organisations, hosted by Uppsala University. This infrastructure aims to provide Sweden with optimal conditions for healthcare and research in the biobank area, both nationally and internationally.
Anders Wiklöf Institute for Heart Research
The Anders Wiklöf Institute for Heart Research is a focused research initiative aimed at improving the ability to predict and prevent cardiovascular diseases. At the Institute, experts in cardiovascular disease meet experts in computer science, artificial intelligence (AI), statistics, innovation, and administration and accessibility of medical data.
Anders Wiklöf Institute for Heart Research
SCAPIS Database
In the national SCAPIS study, over 30,000 Swedes have undergone comprehensive health examinations. The study’s database for large-scale research aims to identify individuals at risk of cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases before they become ill and to give them a chance of survival.
SCAPIS – Swedish CArdioPulmonary bioImage Study
Uppsala Diabetes Centre (UDC)
Diabetes is one of our major health scourges and its consequences have a severe impact on patients’ quality of life. Uppsala University is concentrating on diabetes research in a multidisciplinary centre that focuses on preventing and treating diabetes – Uppsala Diabetes Centre (UDC).
SWEDELIVER
A research centre focusing on new strategies for drug delivery, SweDeliver builds on interdisciplinary collaboration between academia and industry, with the Faculty of Pharmacy at Uppsala University acting as the centre’s academic hub.
Ending Childhood Obesity (ECHO)
A national research project coordinated by Uppsala University. The purpose of the initiative is to prevent overweight and obesity among children in Sweden aged 0–6. In cooperation with healthcare, academia and industry, the project is pursuing the vision of zero childhood obesity at school start by 2030.
The EpiHub
A hub where junior and senior researchers can exchange experiences and methods in epidemiology. The aim is to understand the origin of diseases and how to prevent them. The researchers also calculate the potential effects of various types of treatment and drugs. The research spans multiple areas, such as osteoporosis, cancer, diabetes, psychiatric disorders and studies of lifestyle factors.