Anne Örtqvist

Anne Örtqvist

Affiliated to Research | Docent
Visiting address: Maria Aspmans gata 30A, 17164 Solna
Postal address: K2 Medicin, Solna, K2 KEP Stephansson, 171 77 Stockholm

About me

  • I am an associate professor within clinical epidemiology, affiliated to Professor Olof Stephansson's research group at the Clinical Epidemiology Division at the Department of Medicine, Solna. I am also a resident within obstetrics and gynecology at Visby Lasarett, Gotland. I earned my PhD in 2015 with a thesis named "Early life origins of asthma - genetic and environmental factors in twin and kin" at the Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics.



    COURSES AND DEGREES
    2013, University Medical Degree (MD), Karolinska Institutet (KI)
    2015, Doctoral degree (PhD), Dept. of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, KI
    2018, Licensed Medical Doctor, the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare

    2024, Associate Professor (Docent) in Clinical Epidemiology, KI



    CURRENT POSITION
    2018/08 – ongoing, research residency (Forskar-ST) within Obstetrics and Gynaecology (OB/Gyn), Visby Lasarett, Region Gotland, working 80% with clinical work and 20% internally financed research. After finished postdoc position (2018-2020) with Professor Olof Stephansson, continued affiliation to Professor Stephansson’s research group within reproductive epidemiology, KEP, Dept. of Medicine, Solna, KI.



    SELECTED ACADEMIC DISTINCTIONS AND OTHER MERITS
    2011, Selected after nomination by the Swedish Nobel Foundation to represent Karolinska Institutet’s medical students at the ”61th Meeting of Nobel Laureates dedicated to Physiology/Medicine”, Lindau, Germany
    2012, Recipient of Swedish Asthma and Allergy Foundation Scholarship, in memory of Kerstin Hejdenberg
    2015, Recipient of Asklepiospriset, best published original paper by a medical student, Swedish Medical Association
    2020-2022, Research and education representative at the board of Obstetrics and Gynaecologist under training (OGU), as well as national resident representative within the educational board at the Swedish Society of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (SFOG), including organization of a 2-day national congress for residents in OB/Gyn
    2020-2022, deputy board member of “Gotlands Forskningsfond”
    2022 – ongoing, Academic Editor at scientific journal PLOS ONE
    2022 – ongoing, Co-chair of Junior Faculty at KEP, KI
    2022 – ongoing, reviewer of research grant applications for KI Fonder
    2023, Recipient, Best short oral presentation of a scientific poster at the 42th Nordic Congresses of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Trondheim

    2024, Associate Professor in Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Medicine, Solna, KI

Research

  • My main research focus is in infections, medication and vaccination during pregnancy. I am the principal investigator of a project focusing on maternal vaccination against pertussis, influenza, RS-virus and COVID-19 and subsequent outcomes for the mother and child in a project called Vaccination In Pregnancy study (VIPs).

    I am also one of the project leaders of the Swedish node in a Scandinavian collaboration named "Scandinavian studies of COvid-19 in PrEgnancy" (SCOPE). SCOPE aims to study COVID-19 infection and vaccination during pregnancy in Sweden, Norway and Denmark. Since the start of the pandemic we have evaluated several aspects of infection and vaccination and subsequent maternal adverse outcomes as well as neonatal outcomes, including hypertension during pregnancy, miscarriage, preterm birth, vaccination uptake, and risk factors for infection among others.

    Other research areas of interest focuses on health care determinants on pregnancy outcomes, and more specifically safe deliveries for both mother 

  • and child. We have studied the association between travel time to delivery unit and unplanned out-of-hospital birth, infant morbidity and mortality, as well as maternal outcomes such as spontaneous versus planned start (induction or elective cesarean section) of delivery.

    My PhD-studies focused on the role of fetal growth and exposure to antibiotics, and the risk of developing asthma/lung function restriction. We
    have further investigated the potential role of early antibiotic exposure and the risk of developing very early onset inflammatory bowel disease. I have also worked with validation studies of asthma in the Swedish population-based registers.

Teaching

  • I am co-supervisor to PhD student and midwife Silvia Segovia Chacón at the Clinical Pharmacoepidemiology unit, Department of Medicine, Solna, KI, and also to dr Jannica Smedberg, surgeon at Visby Lasarett, and PhD student at Uppsala University, department of surgical sciences.

    I was the course organizer and lecturer for the course in Scientific Education at Visby Lasarett between 2016-2022. I am also a seminar leader
    within the Research school in epidemiology for clinicians at KI, and a clinical supervisor of medical students from Uppsala University at their clinical course in ob/gyn at Visby Lasarett.

Articles

All other publications

Grants

  • Vaccination in pregnancy study (VIPs) – studies of vaccine uptake, safety and effectiveness in mother and child
    Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare
    1 January 2025 - 31 December 2027
  • Vaccination In Pregnancy (VIP)
    Svenska Sällskapet för Medicinsk Forskning (SSMF) starting grant
    1 January 2025 - 31 December 2028
  • Epidemiological and qualitative studies on uptake and safety of pertussis vaccination in pregnancy in Sweden
    Karolinska Institutet (KID)
    1 January 2025 - 31 December 2028
  • Vaccination during pregnancy in Sweden – who, when and why?
    Åke Wiberg Foundation
    1 December 2024 - 31 December 2025
  • Swedish Research Council for Health Working Life and Welfare
    1 January 2020 - 31 December 2022

Employments

  • Resident, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Visby lasarett, 2018-
  • Affiliated to Research, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, 2023-2025

Degrees and Education

  • Docent, Clinical Epidemiology, Karolinska Institutet, 2024
  • Degree Of Doctor Of Philosophy, Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, 2015
  • Degree Of Master Of Science In Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, 2013

Supervisor

  • Silvia Segovia Chacón, Pharmacoepidemiological studies of medication use in reproductive-aged and pregnant women: focus on hypnotics and treatments for migraine, https://ki.se/en/people/silvia-segovia-chacon, 2023
  • Jannica Smedberg, Rectal prolapse - aspects of incidence, etiology and results after surgical treatment, 2022

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