Sapere Aude grant for researcher at SDU-BSS
Associate Professor Marie-Pier Bergeron Boucher receives the prestigious Sapere Aude grant, awarded to top researchers to explore groundbreaking ideas.
Associate Professor Marie-Pier Bergeron Boucher from the Interdisciplinary Centre on Population Dynamics at the University of Southern Denmark has received the coveted Sapere Aude grant from Independent Research Fund Denmark.
The grant is awarded to younger, talented researchers who will lead their own research project and group at a high international level.
With a grant of DKK 6 million, she will lead the project: Lifespan inequalities and the role of social determinants of health: Going beyond life expectancy.
More precise lifespan estimates and forecasts
The ambition for Marie-Pier Bergeron Boucher is to estimate and forecast lifespan across multiple intersecting social factors, accounting for more determinants of health than previous research has typically done – knowledge that is essential for understanding how lifespan inequalities affect general mortality trends.
- In every country, we see major differences in how long people live. Social determinants of health, such as income, education, place of residence, and marital status all play a role in shaping lifespan. The factors do not act in isolation but interact in a complex way we still do not fully understand. Most studies only look at one or two of these factors in isolation, which leaves important gaps in our knowledge. This is what my project seeks to change, says Marie-Pier Bergeron Boucher.
More about Sapere Aude
Sapere Aude means 'Dare to know'.
The Sapere Aude: DFF Starting Grant is awarded to talented researchers who have delivered top-level research in their field.
The grant gives researchers the opportunity to develop and strengthen their own research ideas and to establish their own research group.
The aim of Sapere Aude is also to promote mobility between research environments, both nationally and internationally.
Less inequality and better decisions
The project has important long-term perspectives – both in relation to reducing inequality in mortality and strengthening the decision-making in society.
- Lifespan inequalities are the most fundamental form of inequality, threatening the right to life itself. They also ripple into other social disparities, creating significant economic and ethical burdens. To address these inequalities, we must first understand their extent and the factors that drive them. And this is what this project can do, Marie-Pier Bergeron Boucher says.
More precise lifespan estimates and forecasts are also important for making informed decisions in society – from retirement planning and setting the pension age to monitoring health inequality.
Meet the researcher
Marie-Pier Bergeron Boucher is an Associate Professor at the Interdisciplinary Centre on Population Dynamics (CPop) at SDU. She conducts research on health and inequalities in ageing, mortality and life expectancy in industrialised societies.