
Our research aims to advance the understanding of health in older age by moving beyond the traditional focus on single diseases towards a multidimensional and longitudinal perspective on health trajectories. We study the clinical, psychosocial, and behavioral determinants of multimorbidity and functional health, and examine how these complex health states shape older people’s needs for and use of medical and social care services.

Recognizing aging as a complex and heterogeneous process, our research aims to advance the understanding of health in older age by moving beyond the traditional focus on single diseases toward a multidimensional and longitudinal perspective on health trajectories. By integrating information on chronic diseases, physical and cognitive function, psychosocial factors, lifestyle, and care utilization, we study how complex health profiles develop and influence the needs for health and social care among older adults.
Our research relies on large population-based cohort studies, particularly the Swedish National study on Aging and Care in Kungsholmen (SNAC-K), as well as national health and social care registers and population-based surveys.
Using advanced epidemiological and statistical methods, we analyze how clinical, behavioral, and social factors interact over time to shape health trajectories in older adults. The work is carried out through interdisciplinary collaborations with national and international partners in epidemiology and public health, geriatrics, health services research, and social care. By combining insights from these fields, we aim to generate knowledge that supports more integrated and proactive public health and care systems for aging populations.
In particular, our research focuses on the following areas:
Healthy aging involves more than the absence of disease; for older adults, maintaining functional ability and independence is essential. However, healthcare systems often struggle to detect early signs of health deterioration and to respond swiftly to changing care needs.
To address this challenge, our group has developed the Health Assessment Tool (HAT) and related geriatric health charts, which provide a multidimensional assessment of health by integrating information on diseases, physical function, and cognition. Building on this work, we investigate the predictive capacity and feasibility of implementing HAT in real-world healthcare settings, particularly in Swedish primary care. Our goal is to provide healthcare professionals with evidence-based tools that facilitate early identification of individuals at risk of rapid health decline and support preventive interventions aimed at maintaining functional independence.
Older adults living with multiple chronic conditions frequently interact with numerous healthcare and social care providers. Ensuring effective coordination among these professionals is critical for responding to the growing demands of aging populations. Despite increasing interest in integrated care models, important questions remain regarding how to design, implement, and evaluate truly person-centered care systems, while ensuring patient and public involvement.
Our research examines how complex health profiles influence older adults’ needs for medical and social care services and explores strategies for improving the organization and delivery of care for individuals with multimorbidity and cognitive impairment, including those living with dementia. Using data from aging cohorts, population-based studies, and national registers, and within the framework of the KI Transdisciplinary Research Center for Personalized Dementia Prevention and Care (TraCeDem), we seek to identify approaches that support more integrated and responsive care systems.
Population aging and transformations in long-term care systems have led to an increasing number of older adults providing informal care, often to spouses or close relatives with complex health needs. While this caregiving role can be personally meaningful and is essential for the sustainability of care systems, it may also expose older caregivers to increased physical and psychological strain, particularly as they face challenges related to their own health decline.
Our research investigates the magnitude, characteristics, and health consequences of informal caregiving among older adults. Through dedicated nationwide surveys, routine national registers and longitudinal cohort studies, we map caregiving profiles, care contexts, and the health trajectories of older caregivers. This work aims to identify those most vulnerable to adverse health outcomes and to inform the development of policies and services that better support the often “invisible” informal caregivers in aging societies.
Multimorbidity is often accompanied by progressive alterations in organ function that shape health trajectories in later life. Our research focuses on the interplay between multimorbidity and kidney function, recognizing chronic kidney disease (CKD) both as a consequence of cumulative disease burden and as a contributor to further clinical complexity. Using longitudinal population-based cohorts together with large clinical databases—including the Stockholm CREAtinine Measurements (SCREAM) project—we examine how different combinations of chronic diseases relate to trajectories of kidney function decline and the development of kidney damage markers such as albuminuria. Through this work, we aim to better understand the clinical complexity of multimorbidity and support improved management of older adults with multiple chronic conditions.
Our work also addresses key methodological and healthcare system challenges in recognizing and managing CKD in routine clinical practice. Ongoing research further investigates the population burden of CKD and socioeconomic inequalities in disease detection, monitoring, and treatment.
Lifestyle plays a crucial role in the development of chronic diseases, yet its influence on geriatric syndromes remains insufficiently understood. Our research investigates how dietary patterns, food processing, and nutrients shape multidimensional health and the development and progression of multimorbidity.
We collect current dietary data using state-of-the-art artificial intelligence methods and leverage detailed longitudinal information from national and international population-based cohorts, the Swedish National study on Aging and Care (Kungsholmen, Nordanstig, and Skåne) and Seniors-ENRICA 1 and 2, to examine how diet and other behavioral factors influence the biological mechanisms underlying aging and age-related health decline.
By elucidating these relationships, we aim to identify modifiable determinants that can delay the onset and progression of geriatric syndromes, ultimately promoting healthier aging trajectories and reducing the burden of complex health conditions in older adults.
Physiotherapist and Researcher in geriatric rehabilitation, movement patterns and device-measured physical activity/sedentary behaviour, with an implementation focus.
Postdoctoral researcher in life-course epidemiology, specializing in lifestyle factors, cardiometabolic and mental health, and population-based prevention research.
Nutritional epidemiologist at KI’s Aging Research Center. We study how diet shapes healthy ageing and chronic diseases to inform personalised dietary guidance for older adults.
MD, MPH, PhD candidate at Karolinska Institutet researching aging, informal caregiving, and health outcomes, with experience in epidemiology, public health policy, and global health institutions.
Resident doctor in Family Medicine and PhD student at KI, focusing on aging and primary care. Background in clinical skills teaching and research on older adults’ health. Based at ARC and the Division
Aging Research Center, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society
Karolinska Institutet
SE-171 77 Stockholm
Tomtebodavägen 18 A, Widerström Building, floors 9 and 10
SE-171 65 Solna