Research areas

Biodemographic health research

Biostatistics

Epidemiology

Molecular epidemiology

Danish Aging Research Center

Danish Twin Research Center

LONG LIFE Family Study

A longitudinal study focussing on families where several siblings have reached the age of 90 and are still in good health. These elderly siblings are included in the study along with their children, siblings and spouses.

The link between cancer and longevity

Previous studies suggest that there is a complex relationship between the potential for getting very old and the risk of getting cancer. Danish researchers are now trying to clarify this.

Twin research: Epigenetics and variation in age at death

It is now possible to find a number of epigenetic regions that can be related to age at death - but is it also possible to construct a biological marker for longevity based on twin data?

Trends in health and physical function among older Danes in the 21st century

PhD project: Investigation of the development of health and physical functioning among older Danes in the early 21st century based on existing literature and Danish surveys.

Health-adjusted life expectancy in Europe

PhD project: The aim of the project is to estimate the development of life expectancy in Europe using data collected from several European countries over 11 years (2004-2015). The project will have a special focus on gender differences in ageing.

Why do women live longer than men?

Women live longer than men in every country in the world, but at the same time women have poorer health, poorer functional capacity and perform worse in physical tests than men. We will investigate this paradox with data from Danish health registries and our ageing cohorts.

SHARE: The Study of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe

Interview study on health, ageing and retirement from the labour market of 50+ year old Europeans with questions on demographics, health and socio-economic conditions. The study includes participants from 27 countries and data is collected every two years.

Tattoos, lifestyle factors - and cancer risk

Can ink in tattoos be related to the incidence of certain skin and blood cancers?

Functional genomic studies of age-related traits and diseases - a multi-omics study of twins

The goal of this project is to use genetic, epigenetic and transcriptional data from twins to investigate the contribution of each layer of biological variation, and in combination, to differences in ageing, age-related diseases and survival.

Cross-associations and risk factors for haematological cancers

PhD project: The aim of the project is to describe genetic and environmental risk factors for haematological cancers and risk associations over time across cancer types using a population-based Nordic twin cohort.

Genetics and Epigenetics - Ageing and Longevity

Investigating the influence of genetic and epigenetic factors on ageing and longevity. The study includes DNA from middle-aged and older twins, as well as survey data with information on a wide range of traits related to health and functional ability.

NorTwinCan: Nordic Twin Study of Cancer

NorTwinCan is the largest twin study in the world researching heredity and familial clustering of prostate, breast, uterine and colon cancer.

Why do more women get Alzheimer's dementia?

PhD project: Women have an increased risk of developing Alzheimer's dementia compared to men. This leaves the question of whether female sex hormones have an impact on cognitive function and the risk of developing dementia.

Rheumatoid arthritis in Danish twins

We know from many studies that there is an increased risk of developing RA if there are relatives in the family who already have the disease. We want to investigate the genetic component and have therefore been in contact with almost 350 twins who reported having RA in 2002.

IGEMS: Interplay of Genes and Environment across Multiple Studies

International collaborative project between twin researchers from Europe, USA and Australia. IGEMS includes data from 15 longitudinal twin studies that follow adult development and ageing processes.

Genetics, epigenetics and functional ability

Maintaining physical and cognitive abilities is of great importance for quality of life as we age. The aim of these studies is to investigate the influence of genetic variations as well as regulation and level of gene activity on the changes in physical and cognitive capacity seen with age.