Lunch symposia

Dialogsession på svenska: att ge röst åt patienter med demens och deras familjemedlemmar

Session in Swedish

Organisatör: Alzheimerfonden är den insamlingsorganisation i Sverige som bidrar allra mest till forskningen kring demenssjukdomar. Dess vetenskapliga råd granskar forskningsansökningar och väljer ut de mest lovande projekten. Alzheimerfondens vision är bland annat att genom ekonomiskt stöd till forskningen kunna förebygga och bekämpa demenssjukdomar.

Innehåll: Genom att aktivt föra en dialog med demenssjuka patienter och deras anhöriga vill vi bana väg för en bättre överensstämmelse mellan deras verkliga vård- och stödbehov och aktuella forskningsinitiativ.

Moderator: Liselotte Jansson, Styrelseordförande och Generalsekreterare för Alzheimerfonden.

Deltagare:

• Jessica Söderfjord, 55 år, Alzheimerpatient
• Janni Ahlgren, anhörig till pappa med Alzheimer

Cutting-edge epidemiological insights in the old population: From immunity to environment

Organiser: Strategic Research Area in Epidemiology and Biostatistics – SFOepi is a distinguished organisation based at the renowned Karolinska Institutet, a leading medical university in Sweden. SFOepi is dedicated to promoting excellence in epidemiological and biostatistical research, education, and practice. The organisation hosts various events, seminars, and symposiums aimed at advancing knowledge and understanding in epidemiological science. SFOepi serves as a platform for sharing insights, discussing emerging trends, and addressing challenges in public health and population-based research.

Content: This symposium aims to explore the intersection of epidemiology with various domains, including immunology and environmental health, showcasing the latest research and discoveries. By bringing together esteemed speakers and former SFOepi awardees, the symposium provides a platform to delve into critical issues shaping public health and epidemiological inquiry during aging. The symposium’s relevance lies in its ability to bridge diverse fields of inquiry, from immunology to environmental health, and beyond. Each presentation offers unique insights into pressing public health concerns, leveraging epidemiological methods to unravel complex phenomena and inform evidence-based interventions.

Moderators:

• Sara Hägg, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet.
• Debora Rizzuto, Principal Researcher at the Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences, and Society, Karolinska Institutet.

Session participants:

• Fang Fang, Professor at the Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet. Presentation title: “T cell immunity in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.”
• Elizabeth Arkema, Principal Researcher at Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institute. Presentation title: “What can age at onset of immune-mediated inflammatory diseases tell us about their causes?”
• Petter Ljungman, Principal Researcher at the Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet. Presentation title: “Health effects of air pollution among old aged persons in Sweden.”

Graduate education in gerontology in Northern Europe – what now?

Organiser: Swedish National Graduate School on Ageing and Health (SWEAH).

Content: The purpose of this seminar is to present and discuss strategies for securing the interest of junior scholars to invest in research on ageing, life circumstances and health, from a Northern European perspective. How could we collaborate across countries, and what initiatives and activities would support this much-needed development?

Moderators:

• Professor Susanne Iwarsson, Lund University, Sweden
• Associated Professor Steven Schmidt, Lund University, Sweden

Presenters and panel members:

• Professor Marja Aartsen, OsloMet, Norway
• Associate Professor Geidre Gefenaite, Lund University, Sweden
• Doctoral Student Nicholas Levak, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
• Professor Rikke Lund, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
• Senior Lecturer Charlotta Nilsen, Jönköping University, Sweden
• Professor Frank Oswald, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
• Professor Judith Phillips, Stirling University, Scotland
• Professor Taina Rantanen, Jyväskylä University, Finland
• Associate Professor Signe Tomsone, Riga Stradins University, Latvia

Setting priorities & identifying goals to support high-impact research on ageing

Organiser: Aging Research Center (ARC), a multidisciplinary research centre, at Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University. ARC is one of the oldest aging research centres in Sweden, established in year 2000 to promote interdisciplinary research on aging from biomedical and social perspectives. Since 2018, ARC is also hosting the National e-Infrastructure on Aging (NEAR), an infrastructure that is based on a consortium of eight Universities and includes 15 databases from the most renowned cohort studies on ageing and health in Sweden.

Content: The symposium is organised as a dialogue among different financial agencies that support ageing research from the public and private sectors. They will present ideas, strategies and visions on how to support research with the highest potential beneficial impact at individual and societal level. Interaction with senior and junior researchers will enrich this dialogue.

Moderator: Laura Fratiglioni, MD & PhD, Senior Professor at ARC, KI

Speakers:

• Jonas Oldgren, Secretary General for Clinical Research at The Swedish Research Council (VR)
• Olle Lundberg, Secretary General at The Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare (Forte)
• Thomas Jacobsson, Senior Adviser at Nordforsk
• Ettore Bologna, Scientific Director of Fondazione Ferrero, Italy

Discussants:

• Carin Lennartsson, ARC Director, Karolinska Institutet
• Maria Ankarcrona, Chair of the Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences, and Society, Karolinska Institutet
• Davide Vetrano, MD, researcher at Karolinska Institutet
• Mariam Kirvalidze, MD, PhD student at Karolinska Institutet