EU funding for research into chemicals and diseases

The project, which is coordinated by the University of Eastern Finland (UEF), examines the effect of chemicals on the body’s metabolism. In Umeå, the focus will be above all on the risk of childhood obesity and, among other things, will include analyzes of samples collected within the NorthPop birth cohort.

Throughout our lives we are exposed to exposures in our environment that can affect our risk of developing various diseases. Sometimes these exposures cause mutations in our genes, but more often their negative impact seems to come through less obvious changes that slowly increase the risk of disease.

– My research focuses on exposure during particularly sensitive periods in life, for example during pregnancy or indeed during the fetal stage. The hope is to find the exposures that cause the most harm, so we can offer effective preventative measures in the future, says Sophia Harreld.

“Move the curve”

One of the fundamental concepts in public health is “moving the curve.”

This means that even a small change, for example, in exposure to unhealthy substances can have significant effects on the number of people who develop the disease. Sophia Harreld says working to identify and reduce harmful exposures in society is of paramount importance so that as many people as possible can maintain their health throughout their lives.

Leading European researchers

The research is part of the NEMESIS (Novel Impact Biomarkers for Metabolic Disorders: Evidence for Health Impacts Science and Policy Needs) project. The project, which starts in January 2024, brings together meritorious researchers from across Europe and is methodologically impressive. The ability of environmental chemicals to disrupt metabolism will be studied with several groups in different EU countries.

The mechanisms behind negative health effects will be investigated using state-of-the-art in vitro methods by leading researchers in the field. The effects of exposure to chemicals in the environment on whole organisms are studied, for example in zebrafish. In addition, the goal is to increase the impact of research findings by increasing citizens’ awareness of the harmful effects of environmental chemicals and how exposure to these harmful chemicals can be avoided in daily life.