Catharina Lavebratt

Catharina Lavebratt

Principal Researcher | Docent
Telephone: +46852482760
Visiting address: CMM, Karolinska universitetssjukhuset L8:00, 17176 Stockholm
Postal address: K1 Molekylär medicin och kirurgi, K1 MMK Translationell psykiatri, 171 76 Stockholm
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About me

  • I was born in 1967, grew up in Värmland Sweden, started studying in
    Stockholm in 1986, am since 2003 an Associate Professor of medical genetics
    at the Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet
    and lead the research group Translational Psychiatry with activities in the
    Center for Molecular Medicine (CMM) at Karolinska University Hospital, Solna.
    My research focus is on early risk factors and treatment effects in
    psychiatric disorder. We have a particular focus on the connection between
    psychiatric disorder, immune activity and metabolic factors. Both epidemiological, clinical
    and experimental studies are used. I have been the main supervisor of 12 PhD
    students now graduated, most of have embarked on a research career, and I
    have authored ~185 international original peer-reviewed articles, being first
    or senior author on more than half of those (h-index 41 [Web of science]). 
    The research group Translational Psychiatry has 22 members. I am currently
    supervising 7 PhD students (main supervisor of 2) and 2 postdoctoral 
    fellows.

    In parallell I am Director of doctoral education at MMK, KI since 2016 with ~165 doctoral students.
    I am member of the Steering groups of Center for Molecular Medicine (CMM) and
    Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, as well as Director of
    postgraduate studies [1] at the Department of Molecular Medicine and
    Surgery.

    Catharina, with a MSc degree in Biochemistry and Biotechnology from the Royal
    Institute of Technology (KTH), Stockholm, received her PhD degree in
    Biochemistry and Biotechnology from KTH in 1996. She was a Swedish Research
    Council Medicine-postdoctoral fellow at McGill University, Canada, and
    thereafter a Swedish Research Council Medicine-Junior researcher
    (Forskarassistent) at Karolinska Institutet until 2006, and has since then a
    senior researcher position at the Department of Molecular Medicine and
    Surgery, Karolinska Institutet. She became docent (Associate professor) at
    Karolinska Institutet in 2003.

Research

  • Research group leader for Translational Psychiatry [1]
    My research is focused on early risk factors of, and treatment response 
    in, psychiatric disorders particularly studying the links to immune activity, the gut microbiome and metabolic 
    risk using clinical and population-based naturalistic cohorts and
    experimental models. In nation-wide registries we study pre- and perinatal
    metabolic and inflammatory risk factors, and possible protective factors, for 
    neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders. In clinical studies we test
    adjuvant treatments, i.e. probiotics and physical exercise, to improve
    symptoms and reduce comorbidity in ADHD and psychosis. For example, I led a
    large RCT in ADHD with 182 patients fulfilling 9 weeks daily intake of a
    probiotic. We also look for early biomarkers of lithium response, and
    lithium’s longterm effects on metabolic comorbidity, and plasma markers of
    metabolic risk in relation to psychiatric profile, pharmacological treatment
    and metabolic comorbidity in psychosis. We collaborate within large
    international consortia for genome-wide genetic association studies.
    I am also responsible for molecular studies in clinical or naturalistic
    population-based studies of primarily mood and anxiety (www.REGASSA.se,
    www.kupolstudien.se, PART).
    [1] https://ki.se/en/mmk/translational-psychiatry

Teaching

  • Organization of and lecturer in KI-courses at advanced and research level: Several week-long 
    courses on master and doctoral levels run annually in  psychiatric
    genetics.
    Supervisorship of PhD students: Main supervisor of 12 graduated and
    2 current. Co-supervisor of 7 graduated and 5 current.
    Supervision of 25 master student theses.
    Own education in teaching in higher education, corresponding to 10 full-time
    weeks.
    Director of postgraduate studies at the Department of Molecular Medicine and
    Surgery.

Articles

Employments

  • Principal Researcher, Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, 2022-

Degrees and Education

  • Docent, Karolinska Institutet, 2003

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