Kristina Johnell

I am the Head of Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics (MEB) and Professor in geriatric pharmacoepidemiology at Karolinska Institutet (KI). 

I have scientific, pedagogical and leadership commitments:

• My scientific production has led to over 170 articles in peer-reviewed journals, 2 book chapters and several reports and popular science presentations
• Under my supervision, 10 PhD students have completed their studies since 2008. I am currently the main supervisor of 1 PhD student and co-supervisor of 6 PhD students
• Since 2006, as principal investigator, I have received funding from the European Union (Horizon 2020: EIT Health), the Swedish Research Council and the Swedish Council for Working Life and Social Research, and from several other funding sources
• I teach in geriatric pharmacology and geriatric pharmacoepidemiology at first, second and third level university studies as well as to health care professionals and various non-academic organisations, such as senior citizens’ associations
• Since 2019, I am the Head of Department ('prefekt') of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics (MEB) (about 260 co-workers)
• In 2014-2018, I was the Division Head of the Aging Research Center (ARC) (about 80 co-workers)
• In 2015-2018, I was the Deputy Head of Department of Neurobiology, Care sciences and Society (NVS) (about 520 co-workers)
• My current and past memberships in steering groups, committees and boards include chair, co-chair and panelist in review panel at the Swedish Research Council; Chair of Special Interest Group (SIG) Geriatric Pharmacoepidemiology, International Society for Pharmacoepidemiology (ISPE); Chair of The National E-Infrastructure on Aging Research (NEAR) Steering Board; Strategic management group for Stockholm’s biobank infrastructure; Evaluation panel Austrian Science Fund; Evaluation panel Foundation for Polish Science; Steering board for Aging Theme, Karolinska University Hospital; Executive management team, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society; Executive board for the Strategic Research Program in Epidemiology; the Nomination Assembly at KI; the Center for Alzheimer Research; the Academic Center for Geriodontics; and the Ethical Review Board

My major research field is geriatric pharmacoepidemiology and my specific areas of research include:

• Personalised drug treatment
• Inappropriate drug use in older people
• Adverse drug events in elderly persons
• Drug therapy in people with dementia
• Drug treatment at end-of-life
• Inequalities in older people’s drug therapy
• Decision support for drug treatment of elderly patients
• Translational research of medications
• Register-based pharmacoepidemiology