Diabetes – Cardiovascular Disease

Our research

In our research, we investigate large prospective population-based cohorts to understand the connections between cardiometabolic diseases (obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease) and human genetic variation. We also study the gut microbiome composition and function, circulating metabolites and proteins, and environmental factors with major focus on diet. 

We investigate cross-sectional and longitudinal connections and using human genetic variation we challenge the question of causal mechanisms. Our studies are based on the notion that the modifiability of the gut microbiome in the interphase of diet and metabolism may offer novel possibilities for disease prevention. For future tailoring of novel precision nutrition- or therapeutic gut microbiome-based approaches, robust evidence from large populations that cover the huge interindividual variability of gut microbiome is needed.   

Aims

• To understand the importance of the gut microbiota for obesity, T2D, and cardiovascular disease, and the role of diet in these relationships utilizing large population cohorts. 
• To identify causal biomarkers (gut microbes, plasma metabolites, and proteins) as potential interventional targets and discover novel gut bacterial strains with potentially health-promoting effects.

Impact

Our studies will provide novel understanding of the connection between the gut microbiome and cardiometabolic disease, and how this is related to diet, genetic variation, and metabolism. Our studies can discover potential new probiotic bacterial strains and evaluate the importance of bacteriophages for the gut bacterial composition and disease risk.

Research output

Link to a list of research output by the group in Lund University’s research portal

Team members

Link to a list of team members in Lund University's research portal