Ida Karlsson
About me
I am an assistant professor and leader of the research group Cardiometabolic epidemiology and aging. My main interest is combining genetic and longitudinal designs to understand complex aging-related traits. My primary research aim is to understand how obesity influences late-life health, by studying how differences among adiposity-related traits and why they have different associations with age-related diseases such as dementia, cardiovascular disease, and type-2 diabetes. I am also involved in several projects aiming to understand how different factors across the life course affect dementia risk, including genetic factors, lifestyle, and environmental exposures.
Research
Adiposity and the risk of age-related disease
The project aims to leverage the heterogeneity of adiposity-related traits, to understand better how adiposity influences the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and dementia. My hypothesis is that specific adiposity-related traits have different effects on the risk of the age-related diseases, and that these differences are explained by differences in e.g. metabolic factors or accelerated aging. I study adiposity in general (e.g. BMI and body fat distribution), and specific adiposity-related traits: a) metabolically unhealthy vs healthy adiposity, b) environmentally vs genetically driven adiposity, and c) adiposity measured in midlife vs late-life. These adiposity-related traits are associated with substantially increased, vs only slightly increased or even decreased risk of age-related disease (compared to having normal weight), and by studying what differs between them, I aim to advance our understanding of both the heterogeneity of overweight and of how adiposity in general affects late-life health.
The Interplay of Genes and Environment across Multiple Studies (IGEMS) consortium
I am part of the IGEMS consortium, which integrates data across twin studies of adult development and aging to address issues of gene-environment interplay in Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias (ADRD). Within IGEMS, I lead studies of cardiometabolic risk factors of ADRD and am the lead of the Statistical Methods work group and the Genotyping and Polygenic Scores work group.
The Lifecourse Geographic Exposome in Swedish Twins (LifeGEIST) consortium
I am co-lead of the LifeGEIST consortium, together with colleagues in Sweden, the UK, and the US. Our aims are to study life course geographic circumstances in relation to dementia and other outcomes related to late-life health. Our aims are to examine 1) how genetic and environmental factors contribute to how people choose where to live, and 2) how life course geographic circumstances affect the risk of dementia and other late-life outcomes.
Teaching
Course director:
- An introduction to genetic and molecular epidemiology, Karolinska Institutet, from 2021 (PhD course, 1.5 credits)
- Statistical Methods, School of Health and Welfare, Jönköping University, 2020 (PhD course, 7.5 credits)
Lecturer:
Karolinska Institutet, from 2021:- Lectures on genetic epidemiology, cognition, and dementia (bachelor and master level)
- Leader of seminars, group work, laboratory assignments in epidemiology and biostatistics
School of Health and Welfare, Jönköping University, 2018-2020:
- Lectures on statistical methods (doctoral level)
- Lectures on cognition and dementia (bachelor and master level)
Supervision:
- Axel Ryding, research assistant (amanuens)
- Elsa Ojalehto, PhD student at Karolinska Institutet, Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics
- Emilija Romic (as co-supervisor), PhD student at Umeå University
- Martin Nakash, research assistant (amanuens)
- Otto-Emil Jutila (as co-supervisor), PhD student at the University of Edinburgh, Precision Medicine Doctoral Training Program
- Peggy Ler, PhD student at Karolinska Institutet, Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Former students:
- Anita Paul, master student from Stockholm University, Public health department, VT 2022
- Axel Ryding, medical degree student at Karolinska Institutet, HT 2023
- Elsa Ojalehto (as co-supervisor, now PhD student), master student from Stockholm University, Public health department, VT 2022
- Martin Nakash, medical degree student at Karolinska Institutet, VT 2024
Articles
- Article: DIABETES, OBESITY AND METABOLISM. 2024;27(1):207-214
- Article: GEROSCIENCE. 2024;46(5):5003-5014
- Article: BMJ MENTAL HEALTH. 2024;27(1):e301064
- Article: AGING CELL. 2024;23(6):e14135
- Article: AGING CELL. 2024;23(6):e14132
- Article: GEROSCIENCE. 2024;46(2):2605-2617
- Article: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OBESITY. 2024;48(3):433-436
- Article: ALZHEIMER'S AND DEMENTIA. 2024;20(3):1682-1692
- Article: GEROSCIENCE. 2024;46(1):961-968
- Article: NEUROEPIDEMIOLOGY. 2024;58(4):256-263
- Article: JOURNALS OF GERONTOLOGY - SERIES B PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES. 2024;79(1):gbad153
- Article: EPIGENETICS. 2023;18(1):2158285
- Article: BRAIN. 2023;146(12):4891-4902
- Article: SOCIAL SCIENCE AND MEDICINE. 2023;324:115882
- Article: ECLINICALMEDICINE. 2023;58:101943
- Article: EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY (EJE). 2022;37(12):1261-1271
- Article: TRANSLATIONAL PSYCHIATRY. 2022;12(1):296
- Article: BRAIN COMMUNICATIONS. 2022;4(1):fcab308
- Article: AGE AND AGEING. 2021;50(6):2174-2182
- Article: BMC MEDICINE. 2021;19(1):248
- Article: NATURE GENETICS. 2021;53(9):1276-1282
- Article: CLINICAL EPIGENETICS. 2021;13(1):129
- Article: NATURE COMMUNICATIONS. 2021;12(1):3417
- Article: CLINICAL EPIGENETICS. 2021;13(1):85
- Article: SCIENTIFIC REPORTS. 2021;11(1):7206
- Article: ALZHEIMER’S & DEMENTIA: TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH & CLINICAL INTERVENTIONS. 2021;7(1):e12176
- Article: JOURNAL OF INTERNAL MEDICINE. 2020;288(2):234-247
- Article: BMC MEDICINE. 2020;18(1):131
- Article: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OBESITY. 2020;44(6):1397-1405
- Article: ALZHEIMER'S AND DEMENTIA: DIAGNOSIS, ASSESSMENT AND DISEASE MONITORING. 2020;12(1):e12049
- Article: CLINICAL EPIGENETICS. 2019;11(1):187
- Article: AMERICAN JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY. 2019;27(11):1177-1188
- Journal article: BEHAVIOR GENETICS. 2019;:487-557
- Article: CLINICAL EPIGENETICS. 2019;11(1):130
- Article: STATISTICAL METHODS IN MEDICAL RESEARCH. 2019;28(6):1911-1923
- Article: BMC MEDICINE. 2019;17(1):94
- Article: NATURE GENETICS. 2019;51(3):404-413
- Article: PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE. 2019;49(2):260-267
- Article: EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY (EJE). 2018;33(10):977-987
- Article: NATURE GENETICS. 2018;50(7):912-919
- Article: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY. 2018;47(3):899-907
- Article: NATURE COMMUNICATIONS. 2018;9(1):2098
- Article: JOURNAL OF ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE. 2018;61(4):1301-1310
- Article: NEUROLOGY. 2018;90(4):e291-e297
- Article: AGING. 2017;9(12):2629-2646
- Article: CIRCULATION RESEARCH. 2017;121(3):214-219
- Article: TRANSLATIONAL PSYCHIATRY. 2017;7(5):e1142
- Article: NEUROBIOLOGY OF AGING. 2015;36(4):1751-1756
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All other publications
- Preprint: MEDRXIV. 2024;MEDRXIV
- Review: THE JOURNALS OF GERONTOLOGY. SERIES A, BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES AND MEDICAL SCIENCES. 2024;79(10):glad251
- Review: THE JOURNAL OF PREVENTION OF ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE. 2024;11(2):422-427
- Preprint: RESEARCH SQUARE. 2022
- Preprint: MEDRXIV. 2022
- Conference publication: INNOVATION IN AGING. 2021;5:245
- Preprint: RESEARCH SQUARE. 2021
- Preprint: MEDRXIV. 2021
- Editorial comment: FRONTIERS IN GENETICS. 2021;12:771109
- Preprint: MEDRXIV. 2020
- Letter: AMERICAN JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY. 2020;28(4):499-500
- Conference publication: EUROPEAN NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY. 2019;29:S181-S182
- Conference publication: EUROPEAN NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY. 2019;29:S180-S181
- Preprint: BIORXIV. 2019
- Conference publication: BEHAVIOR GENETICS. 2019;49(6):512
- Conference publication: EUROPEAN NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY. 2019;29:1208-1209
- Conference publication: BEHAVIOR GENETICS. 2019;49(6):503
- Preprint: BIORXIV. 2018
- Conference publication: HUMAN GENOMICS. 2018;12
- Preprint: BIORXIV. 2017
- Thesis / dissertation: 2017
- Conference publication: SLEEP. 2017;40:A425
- Conference publication: BEHAVIOR GENETICS. 2017;47(6):709
- Conference publication: BEHAVIOR GENETICS. 2017;47(6):669
- Conference publication: BEHAVIOR GENETICS. 2015;45(6):664
- Conference publication: THE GERONTOLOGIST. 2015;55
- Book chapter: BEHAVIOR GENETICS OF COGNITION ACROSS THE LIFESPAN: ADVANCES IN BEHAVIOR GENETICS. 2014;p. 201-231
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Grants
- National Institute on Aging1 August 2024 - 30 April 2030
- National Institute on Aging15 May 2024 - 28 February 2029
- Overweight as a heterogenous phenotype - Leveraging differences to understand effects on age-related diseasesThe Strategic Research Program in Epidemiology at Karolinska Institutet1 November 2023 - 31 December 2023
- Swedish Research Council for Health Working Life and Welfare1 January 2023 - 31 December 2025
- Overweight as a heterogeneous phenotype: Leveraging differences among adiposity-related traits to understand effects on age-related diseaseFoundation for Geriatric Diseases at Karolinska Institutet1 October 2022 - 30 September 2025
- Overweight as a heterogeneous phenotype - Leveraging differences to understand effects on age-related diseasesKarolinska Institutet’s Research Foundation1 October 2022 - 30 September 2024
- Overweight as a heterogeneous phenotype: Leveraging differences among adiposity-related traits to understand effects on age-related diseaseLoo and Hans Osterman Foundation for Medical Research1 July 2022 - 30 June 2025
- Overweight as a heterogeneous phenotype: Leveraging differences in adiposity-related traits to understand effects on age-related diseaseThe Strategic Research Program in Epidemiology at Karolinska Institutet1 November 2021 - 31 December 2023
- Council for International Exchange of Scholars1 August 2019 - 29 February 2020
- Swedish Research Council for Health Working Life and Welfare1 January 2019 - 31 December 2020
Employments
- Assistant Professor, Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, 2022-2028
- Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, 2021-2022
- Postdoctoral Researcher, School of Health and Welfare, Institute of Gerontology, Jönköping University, 2017-2020
- Phd Student, Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, 2012-2017
- R&D Trainee, Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, 2011-2012
Degrees and Education
- Docent, KI, 2024
- Degree Of Doctor Of Philosophy, Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, 2017
- Master Of Medical Science, Karolinska Institutet, 2010
Visiting research fellowships
- Fulbright Scholar, University of California, Riverside, https://fulbrightscholars.org/grantee/ida-kristin-karlsson, 2019-2020
- Eurolife Postdoc Mobility and Knowledge Exchange, University of Edinburgh