Epidemiology

The Research Unit for Epidemiology develops and delivers teaching and research in human epidemiology. Our research includes epidemiological themes such as diet, lifestyle, reproduction, vaccines, environment, genetics and medication. And we find common ground in the application of epidemiological methods to address health challenges.

We work with a wide set of national and international collaborators at leading research centres, and our vision is to develop into one of the global centres of research excellence in epidemiology by developing a portfolio of research projects that apply state-of-the-art epidemiological methods to resolve societally and academically important research questions.

The research unit’s research covers different epidemiological aims, such as:

descriptive epidemiology of trends in the occurrence of conditions and diseases, their risk factors and complications based on Danish and international register data,
aetiological observational epidemiology examining the contribution of a wide variety of physiological, behavioural, societal and genetic mechanisms to the risk of health outcomes, including diseases and their complications, using both Danish and international cohorts and
data collection, processing and/or analysis of several core Danish cohorts and trials.

Methods

Epidemiological methods focus on the quantitative analysis of occurrence of health outcomes and their determinants at the level of populations. Epidemiological methods include study designs (sampling, data collection and processing, quality control), and statistical analytical approaches combined with subject matter knowledge.

The aim is to chart the distribution of health conditions and to determine causes of population health. Although different groups of researchers within the unit focus on different exposures and different health outcomes, the strength of the research unit lies in a shared focus on applying rigorous epidemiologic principles and methodological approaches and in the group’s ability to define, develop and apply the most appropriate scientific strategy to explore a given research question.

Recent publications

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Hansen, L., Tjønneland, A., Køster, B., Brot, C., Andersen, R., Cohen, A. S., Frederiksen, K. & Olsen, A. (2018). Vitamin D Status and Seasonal Variation among Danish Children and Adults: A Descriptive Study. Nutrients, 10(11), Article E1801. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10111801

Jenab, M., McKay, J., Bueno-de-Mesquita, H. B., van Duijnhoven, F. J. B., Ferrari, P., Slimani, N., Jansen, E. H. J. M., Pischon, T., Rinaldi, S., Tjønneland, A., Olsen, A., Overvad, K., Boutron-Ruault, M.-C., Clavel-Chapelon, F., Engel, P., Kaaks, R., Linseisen, J., Boeing, H., Fisher, E. ... Riboli, E. (2009). Vitamin D receptor and calcium sensing receptor polymorphisms and the risk of colorectal cancer in European populations. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, 18(9), 2485-91. https://doi.org/10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-09-0319

Stroomberg, H. V., Vojdeman, F. J., Madsen, C. M., Helgstrand, J. T., Schwarz, P., Heegaard, A.-M., Olsen, A., Tjønneland, A., Struer Lind, B., Brasso, K., Jørgensen, H. L. & Røder, M. A. (2021). Vitamin D levels and the risk of prostate cancer and prostate cancer mortality. Acta Oncologica, 60(3), 316-322. https://doi.org/10.1080/0284186X.2020.1837391

Vojdeman, F. J., Madsen, C. M., Frederiksen, K., Durup, D., Olsen, A., Hansen, L., Heegaard, A.-M., Lind, B., Tjønneland, A., Jørgensen, H. L. & Schwarz, P. (2019). Vitamin D levels and cancer incidence in 217,244 individuals from primary health care in Denmark. International Journal of Cancer, 145(2), 338-346. https://doi.org/10.1002/ijc.32105

Gaml-Sørensen, A., Brix, N., Tøttenborg, S. S., Lindh, C., Hougaard, K. S., Håberg, S. E., Toft, G., Bonde, J. P. E. & Ramlau-Hansen, C. H. (2025). Vitamin D levels and biomarkers of male fecundity: A study from the Danish National Birth Cohort. Andrology. https://doi.org/10.1111/andr.70061

Duell, E. J., Lujan-Barroso, L., Llivina, C., Muñoz, X., Jenab, M., Boutron-Ruault, M.-C., Clavel-Chapelon, F., Racine, A., Boeing, H., Buijsse, B., Canzian, F., Johnson, T., Dalgård, C., Overvad, K., Tjønneland, A., Olsen, A. V., Sánchez, S. C., Sánchez-Cantalejo, E., Huerta, J.-M. ... González, C. A. (2013). Vitamin C transporter gene (SLC23A1 and SLC23A2) polymorphisms, plasma vitamin C levels, and gastric cancer risk in the EPIC cohort. Genes & Nutrition, 8(6), 549-60. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12263-013-0346-6

Hutchinson, J., Lentjes, M., Greenwood, D., Burley, V., Cade, J., Cleghorn, C., Threapleton, D., Key, T., Cairns, B., Keogh, R., Dahm, C. C., Brunner, E., Shipley, M., Kuh, D., Mishra, G., Stephen, A., Bhaniani, A., Borguyla, G., Khaw, K. T. & Rodwell, S. (2011). Vitamin C intake from diary recordings and risk of breast cancer in the UK dietary cohort consortium. Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, 65(Suppl 1), a253.

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