Susanna Larsson

Susanna Larsson

Principal Researcher | Docent
Telephone: +46852486059
Visiting address: Nobels väg 13, 17177 Stockholm
Postal address: C6 Institutet för miljömedicin, C6 CVD-NUT-EPI Larsson, 171 77 Stockholm
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About me

  • Associate Professor of Epidemiology

    Selected academic distinctions and other merits
    2021: Eric K. Fernströms Award to younger, particularly promising, and successful researchers
    2012: Strategic Young Scholar Award in Epidemiology, Karolinska Institutet
    2011: Senior Researcher Award, Karolinska Institutet
    2008: Assistant Professor Research Award, Karolinska Institutet
    2007: Postdoctoral Award from the Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare for postdoc research at National Institute for Health and Welfare
    2007: Dimitris N. Chorafas Prize from D. N. Chorafas Foundation for the best PhD thesis of 2006 at Karolinska Institutet

Research

  • My research integrates diet, lifestyle and other modifiable factors, biomarkers, and omics data with the aim at advancing the understanding of the etiology of cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and other chronic diseases. In addition to traditional epidemiological study designs, I have extensive experience of the Mendelian randomization design, which uses genetic variants as instrumental variables for the modifiable factor to reduce bias and confounding in observational data. The overall aim of my research is to improve the knowledge on disease prevention.

Articles

All other publications

Grants

  • Long-term and altered alcohol consumption, interaction with genetic susceptibility, metabolic signature, and cardiovascular diseases
    Swedish Heart Lung Foundation
    1 January 2025 - 31 December 2027
  • Adherence to the new Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2023 and risk of stroke
    Ulla Hamberg Angeby och Lennart Angebys stiftelse 2024
    1 January 2025 - 31 December 2025
  • Swedish Research Council
    1 January 2024 - 31 December 2027
    We are facing a global epidemic of obesity and related cardiovascular complications. Improved understanding of underlying mechanisms is crucial to optimize intervention strategies. Both total fat mass, its distribution in the body, and fat infiltration of, for example, liver and muscle are linked to cardiovascular risk. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) can measure this physiological information (tissue volume and fat content) in millions of voxels throughout the whole body. We have experience and new ideas for multiple advanced image analysis techniques based on image registration and machine learning that allow unique integrated analysis of medical image data and non-image (pheno- and genotype) data.The overall aim of this project is to develop and apply these image analysis techniques to improve our understanding of human body composition and its causes and consequences in relation to cardiovascular disease.Specific aims include:1) Development of multiple novel approaches including tailored deep regression, cohort saliency analysis, and causality imaging for both MRI and CT.2) Application to multiple large-scale cohort studies (n&gt
    86,000) including detailed studies of cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes. 3) Studies of genetic data in relation to image data for detailed analysis of causes and consequences of body composition.We anticipate multiple important findings that may serve as a springboard for novel intervention strategies.
  • Swedish Research Council
    1 January 2023 - 31 December 2025
    The purpose of this project is to increase our understanding of the etiology of Parkinson’s disease (PD). The project aims to: 1) investigate whether inflammatory gastrointestinal conditions, conditions related to perturbed gut microbiota, and gastrointestinal surgery are associated with PD risk, 2) investigate whether healthy dietary patterns, for example mediterranean and anti-inflammatory patterns, and antibiotics are associated with PD risk, 3) using network Mendelian randomization, test whether the gut microbiota composition is associated with PD risk or age at onset. Over four years, we will use cutting-edge conventional, genetic, and molecular epidemiological designs that aid causal inference, including Mendelian randomization and within-family studies. Resources will combine samples from the entire Swedish population (using the patient register), the unique database ESPRESSO with histopathological reports from gastrointestinal biopsies, the SIMPLER cohort with large numbers of DNA and fecal samples, as well as very large PD case control datasets with genetic information that were assembled in international genetic consortia.This research shifts the focus from identifying risk and protection factors associated with PD to establishing those likely to cause the disease, a step that will further understanding of disease etiology and pathogenesis. This will potentially lead to novel therapies, preventive strategies, and more individualized treatment of PD patients.
  • Identification of modifiable risk factors for cancer using Mendelian randomization
    Swedish Cancer Society
    1 January 2022 - 31 December 2024
  • Implementation of omics and Mendelian randomization to identify the causal modifiable risk factors and drug targets for cardiovascular diseases
    Swedish Heart Lung Foundation
    1 January 2022 - 31 December 2024
  • Swedish Research Council for Environment Agricultural Sciences and Spatial Planning
    1 January 2021 - 31 December 2023
  • Swedish Research Council
    1 January 2020 - 31 December 2023
  • Swedish Research Council
    1 January 2020 - 31 December 2023
  • Swedish Heart-Lung Foundation
    1 January 2020 - 31 December 2021
  • Swedish Research Council for Health Working Life and Welfare
    1 January 2019 - 31 December 2021
  • Swedish Research Council for Health Working Life and Welfare
    1 January 2018 - 31 December 2020
  • Swedish Research Council
    1 December 2017 - 31 December 2022
  • Swedish Research Council
    1 January 2017 - 31 December 2019
  • Swedish Research Council
    1 January 2016 - 31 December 2017
  • The importance of the diet for prevention of stroke - population-based follow-up study of 100,000 Swedish women and men
    Swedish Research Council for Health Working Life and Welfare
    1 January 2010 - 31 December 2012
  • Swedish Research Council
    1 January 2009 - 31 December 2011

Employments

  • Principal Researcher, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, 2022-

Degrees and Education

  • Docent, Karolinska Institutet, 2011
  • Doctor Of Philosophy, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, 2006
  • Licentiate Degree, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, 2005

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