Björn Pasternak

Björn Pasternak is Professor of Pharmacoepidemiology and serves as the Director of the Centre for Pharmacoepidemiology at Karolinska Institutet. He obtained his medical education and PhD at Linköping University in Sweden, after which he spent six years at Statens Serum Institut in Denmark as postdoc and researcher.

2025-          Professor of Pharmacoepidemiology, Karolinska Institutet

2025-          Director of the Centre for Pharmacoepidemiology, Karolinska Institutet

2016-2025  Principal Researcher, Karolinska Institutet

2009-2016  Postdoc and Researcher, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark

2017            Docent, Karolinska Institutet

2008           PhD, Linköping University, Sweden

2007           MD, Linköping University, Sweden

Thriving on substantial expertise in large-scale register studies of drug effects, we have the overall objective of using high-quality epidemiology to help inform evidence-based decisions in clinical practice. We have ongoing research programs in safety and effectiveness of new diabetes drugs, heart failure, pediatric pharmacoepidemiology, and the area of expedited assessment of current drug safety concerns. My team’s scope is not limited to one single disease entity or therapeutic area, rather, we are in a constant process of seeking out and addressing emerging drug safety concerns with implications for clinical practice. 

OUR RESEARCH IS AND HAS BEEN FUNDED BY
* Swedish Research Council
* Karolinska Institutet Faculty Funded Consolidator Grant
* Swedish Cancer Society
* Swedish Heart-Lung Foundation
* Thrasher Research Foundation
* ALF Stockholm

* Novo Nordisk Foundation
* Nordic Cancer Union
* Swedish Diabetes Foundation
* Strategic Research Area Epidemiology (SfoEpi) at Karolinska Institutet
* Karolinska Institutet Foundations and Funds
* Stiftelsen Frimurare Barnhuset
* Alzheimerfonden
* Dr Margaretha Nilsson Stiftelse för Medicinsk Forskning
* Åke Wibergs Stiftelse
* Magnus Bergvalls Stiftelse

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Ueda P, Svanström H, Söderling J, Pazzagli L, Wintzell V, Eliasson B, Hviid A, Pasternak B. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists and risk for anterior ischemic optic neuropathy: a nationwide cohort study. Ann Intern Med 2026.

Svanström H, Mkoma GF, Hviid A, Pasternak B. SGLT2 inhibitors and mortality among patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction: a linked database study. BMJ 2024

Ueda P, Söderling J, Wintzell V, Svanström H, Pazzagli L, Eliasson B, Melbye M, Hviid A, Pasternak B. GLP-1 receptor agonist use and suicide death. JAMA Intern Med 2024

Pasternak B, Wintzell V, Hviid A, Eliasson B, Gudbjörnsdottir S, Jonasson C, Hveem K, Svanström H, Melbye M, Ueda P. Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist use and risk of thyroid cancer: Scandinavian cohort study. BMJ 2024

Engström A, Wintzell V, Melbye M, Svanström H, Eliasson B, Gudbjörnsdottir S, Hveem K, Jonasson C, Hviid A, Ueda P, Pasternak B. Association of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists with serious liver events: a Scandinavian cohort study. Hepatology 2024

Ueda P, Svanström H, Hviid A, Eliasson B, Svensson AM, Franzén S, Gudbjörnsdottir S, Hveem K, Jonasson C, Wintzell V, Melbye M, Pasternak B. Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors and risk of bladder and renal cancer: Scandinavian cohort study. Diabetes Care 2022

Wintzell V, Svanström H, Pasternak B. Selection of comparator group in observational drug safety studies: alternatives to the active comparator new
user design. Epidemiology 2022

Pasternak B, Wintzell V, Melbye M, Eliasson B, Svensson AM, Franzén S,  Gudbjörnsdottir S, Hveem K, Jonasson C, Svanström H, Ueda P. Use of
sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors and risk of serious renal events: Scandinavian cohort study. BMJ 2020

Pasternak B, Ueda P, Eliasson B, Svensson AM, Franzén S,  Gudbjörnsdottir S, Hveem K, Jonasson C, Wintzell V, Melbye M, Svanström H.
Use of sodium glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors and risk of major cardiovascular events and heart failure: Scandinavian register based cohort
study. BMJ 2019

Svanström H, Ueda P, Melbye M, Eliasson B, Svensson AM, Franzén S,  Gudbjörnsdottir S, Hveem K, Jonasson C, Pasternak B. Use of liraglutide 
and risk of major cardiovascular events: a register-based cohort study in Denmark and Sweden. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol 2019

Ueda P, Svanström H, Melbye M, Eliasson B, Svensson AM, Franzén S,  Gudbjörnsdottir S, Hveem K, Jonasson C,  Pasternak B. Sodium glucose 
cotransporter 2 inhibitors and risk of serious adverse events: nationwide register based cohort study. BMJ 2018

Pasternak B, Inghammar M, Svanström H. Fluoroquinolone use and risk of aortic aneurysm and dissection: nationwide cohort study. BMJ 2018

Scheller NM, Pasternak B, Mølgaard-Nielsen D, Svanström H, Hviid A. Quadrivalent HPV Vaccination and the Risk of Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes. New England Journal of Medicine 2017

Molgaard-Nielsen D, Svanstrom H, Melbye M, Hviid A,  Pasternak B. Association Between Use of Oral Fluconazole During Pregnancy and Risk of
Spontaneous Abortion and Stillbirth. JAMA 2016

Scheller NM, Svanstrom H, Pasternak B, Arnheim-Dahlstrom L, Sundstrom K,  Fink K, et al. Quadrivalent HPV vaccination and risk of multiple sclerosis and other demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system. JAMA 2015

Scheller NM, Pasternak B, Svanstrom H, Hviid A. Quadrivalent human papillomavirus vaccine and the risk of venous thromboembolism. JAMA 2014

Nyboe Andersen N,  Pasternak B, Basit S, Andersson M, Svanstrom H, Caspersen S, et al. Association between tumor necrosis factor-α antagonists and risk of cancer in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. JAMA 2014

Feenstra B, Pasternak B, Geller F, Carstensen L, Wang T, Huang F, et al. Common variants associated with general and MMR vaccine-related febrile 
seizures. Nature genetics 2014

Molgaard-Nielsen D,  Pasternak B, Hviid A. Use of oral fluconazole during pregnancy and the risk of birth defects. New England Journal of Medicine 2013

Hviid A, Melbye M, Pasternak B. Use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors during pregnancy and risk of autism. New England Journal of
Medicine 2013

Svanstrom H,  Pasternak B, Hviid A. Use of azithromycin and death from cardiovascular causes. New England Journal of Medicine 2013

Pasternak B, Svanstrom H, Melbye M, Hviid A. Association between oral fluoroquinolone use and retinal detachment. JAMA 2013

Pasternak B, Svanstrom H, Molgaard-nielsen D, Melbye M, Hviid A. Metoclopramide in pregnancy and risk of major congenital malformations and
fetal death. JAMA 2013

Pasternak B, Svanstrom H, Hviid A. Ondansetron in pregnancy and risk of adverse fetal outcomes. New England Journal of Medicine 2013

Pasternak B, Svanstrom H, Molgaard-Nielsen D, et al. Risk of adverse fetal outcomes following administration of a
pandemic influenza A(H1N1) vaccine during pregnancy. JAMA 2012

Pasternak B, Svanstrom H, Molgaard-Nielsen D, et al. Vaccination against pandemic A/H1N1 2009 influenza in pregnancy
and risk of fetal death: cohort study in Denmark. BMJ 2012

Svanstrom H, Pasternak B, Hviid A. Association of treatment with losartan vs candesartan and mortality among patients with heart failure. JAMA 2012

Pasternak B, Hviid A. Use of acyclovir, valacyclovir, and famciclovir in the first trimester of pregnancy and the risk of birth defects. JAMA 2010

Pasternak B, Hviid A. Use of proton-pump inhibitors in early pregnancy and the risk of birth defects. New England Journal of Medicine 2010