Jessica Maria Norrbom

Jessica Maria Norrbom

Assistant Senior Lecturer
Telephone: +46852483712
Visiting address: Solnavägen 9, Biomedicum C5, 17165 Solna
Postal address: C3 Fysiologi och farmakologi, C3 FyFa Molekylär Arbetsfysiologi, 171 77 Stockholm
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About me

  • I am a molecular biologist (Stockholm University) with a PhD in physiology from Karolinska Institutet.

    I work as an Assistant Senior Lecturer and serve as the Program Director of the Master’s Programme in Translational Physiology and Pharmacology. My teaching focuses on physiology across several of Karolinska Institutet’s programmes and courses.

    My research focuses on the molecular responses to different types of exercise – why physical activity works as well as it does when we move. Current research projects include investigating exercise responses to both resistance and endurance training in children and adults. In 2025, I received a grant from Promobilia to focus on interventions aimed at increasing physical activity among children and young adults with motor disabilities such as cerebral palsy.

    I also have a strong interest in outreach and popular science communication in the fields of physical activity, diet, and health, and I am the co-author of several books in Swedish.

Research

  • The main focus of my research concerns the molecular adaptation to exercise in humans, specifically in skeletal muscle. The overall aim is to expand the knowledge of molecular mechanisms involved in human skeletal muscle adaptation to exercise and exercise training. It is important from a clinical, as well as from a basic science perspective, to understand the regulation of skeletal muscle gene activity and the adaptation process at a molecular level to recognize how it might contribute to the functional and the numerous health benefits seen with a physically active lifestyle.

    In recent years I have shifted also to studying the effects of exercise in children, both resistance and endurance exercise. 

    We have conducted an exercise intervention study comparing traditional resistance training with flywheel training in both children and adults. The study aims to develop improved methods for assessing muscle adaptation in children and to examine the effects of a three‑month training program in two understudied age groups. In adults, we will collect muscle biopsies and blood samples before and after training, as well as after an eight‑week detraining period. In children, blood samples will be collected pre‑ and post‑training. Molecular, transcriptomic and epigenetic outcomes will be linked to muscle size, strength and power to determine how different training modalities influence muscle adaptation.
     

    In another study, the overarching purpose is to investigate how puberty influences physical performance, exercise responses, daily activity patterns, and physical self-esteem. By integrating molecular, physiological and psychosocial measures, the project will provide novel insights into how biological maturation affects children’s health and development. We will be following a cohort of children aged 9-12 years, who will repeat the same intervention and tests for 5 years during their pubertal development.

    In collaboration with Ferdinand von Walden (KBH) I am involved in studies aiming to implement accessible and adapted training interventions that increase mobility and physical activity in preschool children and young adults, thereby improving both their physical and mental health. These porjcts are funded by the Promobilia Foundation. 

    Research areas: 

    • Molecular responses to exercise
    • Exercise physiology 
    • Exercise as prevention
    • Physical activity for individuals with motor disabilities such as cerebral palsy

Teaching

  • I have been teaching physiology since the start of my PhD education in 2000. My areas of expertise include the physiology of organ systems of the human body, skeletal muscle physiology, exercise and environmental physiology and regulation of adaptation, physical activity and its health and functional benefits. These are subject areas that are included in many study programs at Karolinska Institutet. Currently, I teach in both undergraduate courses and programs as well as courses at the doctoral level and supervise PhD candidates. I have supervised bachelor and master thesis students from the Biomedicine programme, the Master programme in Bioentrepreneurship, and the Medical programme.

    In June 2021 I was appointed Program Director (PD) of the Master’s programme in Translational Physiology and Pharmacology (MTPP), a 2-year international master program that started for the first time in August 2022.  

    At present I hold course responsibility for the following courses: Integrated Physiology and Pharmacology (30 ECTs, MTPP), Fysiologi – en introduktion (7.5 ECTs, single-subject course), an upcoming elective course Läkarens roll och metoder för att stödja förändring av levnadsvanor within the medical programme (7, 5 ECTs), responsible for the physiology in Organsystemens struktur och funktion, part of the dentistry program. I am also examiner for several courses in the MTPP program.

    I have previously been course responsible for Människans Fysiologi (30 ECTs, single-subject course), Human physiology – an overview (3 ECTs, doctoral course) as well as developed an online course in Human Physiology for doctoral students.

Articles

All other publications

Grants

  • Interventions to Increase Physical Activity in Children and Young Adults with Motor Disabilities
    Stiftelsen Promobilia
    1 June 2025 - 31 December 2028
  • Swedish Heart-Lung Foundation
    1 January 2023 - 31 December 2025
  • Swedish Research Council for Health Working Life and Welfare
    1 January 2023 - 15 March 2027
    Research questionsPrimary: Does physical exercise have an effect on depression in adolescents?Secondary: Is there a correlation between changes in the degree of depression, in fitness and in strength towards biomarkers for neuroinflammation and neuroprotection? What is the cost-effectiveness compared with regular care? How are young people´s lifestyles affected by and how to increase adherence to exercise?Data and MethodMaterial: 122 adolescents with mild to moderate depression in CAMHS specialist care in Halmstad, Kungsbacka, Stockholm and Malmö who participated in at least three sessions and still depressed.Methods: Randomised multicenter study with active control group.Inclusion after psychiatric interview (K-SADS-PL) with psychiatrist. Control group with group leisure activity where the positive effect of social activation is controlled for. Measurement at baseline, after intervention at 3 months and at 6 months (RCT) and after one year (open phase) of investigator assessed depressive symptoms and function via interview CDRS-R and C-GAS, fitness via submaximal VO2 max test, three tests on muscle strength, nine biomarkers for neuroprotection and inflammation, questionnaire for cost assessment to parents and for quality of life to adolescents and qualitative interviews with both adolescents, parents and group leaders. Self-report of symptoms every two weeks during the intervention and every month thereafter.ImplementationGroup activity for 12 weeks with 60 minutes x3 per week of either physical exercise or calm leisure activity in a group. Training group with the same structure has been used for several years. Leisure group has been tested in a pilot study during 2021. Data collection via surveys is web-based. Interviews for depression and qualitatively takes place via video link to minimize the number of assessors and simplify for participants. A centre has experience in methods, weekly video link meetings with local monitors are planned for support in the implementation. Reliability in the primary outcome measure was good when co-estimating prior to the pilot study.RelevancePhysical exercise for depression in adolescents is promising but the quality of evidence is inadequate due to method shortcomings. Thus, National guidelines do not recommend physical exercise for depression. This RCT addresses the shortcomings in today´s knowledge base and can answer the question of whether group training should be included in care for young people with depression.

Employments

  • Assistant Senior Lecturer, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, 2022-

Degrees and Education

  • Degree Of Doctor Of Philosophy, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, 2008

Leadership and responsibility assignments

  • Responsible for a study programme, Program Director Master's Programme in Translational Physiology and Pharmacology, Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, 2022-

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