Lund University

Center for Economic Demography (CED)

The research at this center deals with knowledge of individual behavior and demographic outcomes during the transformation from an agrarian to a modern welfare society.

Sweden is a forerunner in demographic trends, like ageing, as well as in the development of the modern welfare state. It often serves as an example in international research thanks to aggregate population records dating back to 1750.

These records are based on detailed and well-preserved longitudinal data at the individual level. Regional samples of such data have been digitalised and used in international projects for the period up to 1895. Digitised national registers from 1968 onwards have formed the basis for many studies of social, economic and demographic behavior. Individual data exists for the period 1895-1968, but has never been digititalised.

The existence of this data gap means lack of understanding of fundamental processes in the making of the modern family. The same holds true for the rapid decline in infant and child mortality during this period.

Linking the past to the present, by closing this gap, will (1) improve knowledge of individual behavior and demographic outcomes during the transformation from an agrarian to a modern welfare society, (2) enhance understanding of contemporary behavior and health through a full life-course approach, and allow an analysis of (3) the role of intergenerational transfers and inheritance on behavior and (4) the influence of economic change and development of welfare institutions on individual behavior.

The gap exists in many other countries and CED has initiated an international comparative project examining these issues.

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Website for Center for Economic Demography

Dissection of the Genetic and Metabolic Complexity of Diabetes and its Complications

The researchers in this initiative challenges the subdivision of diabetes into autoimmune type 1 and dysmetabolic type 2 diabetes. Instead the idea is pursued that interactions between inflammatory and metabolic biological pathways underlie the development of all types of diabetes and its complications.

Dissection of the genetic and metabolic complexity of diabetes and its complications
Background: Diabetes mellitus is the fastest growing disease worldwide with an estimated 325 million patients in 2025. Affected patients can develop vascular complications in the eye, kidney, nervous system and heart. This imposes an immense burden on the health care system accounting for approx. 15% of the annual costs.

The resulting spectrum of diabetes is very heterogeneous. This complexity is far from fully elucidated. It arises from a number of only partially identified genes conferring susceptibility to diabetes, in combination with environmental risk factors.

The researchers will test the hypothesis that different mechanisms, controlled by sets of yet to be discovered genetic and environmental factors, lead to the chronic hyperglycemia that represents a hallmark of diabetes.

These include autoimmune and inflammatory reactions as well as metabolic disturbances resulting in imparied insulin secretion and action. Identification of different pathways should enable us to dissect the heterogeneity of the disease and characterize subgroups with unique features. The ultimate goal is to use this information to develop novel strategies for treatment, prevention and cure of diabetes.

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Lund University Diabetes Centre

Exploring and Controlling the States of Matter with Light – Multidisciplinary Laser Spectroscopy within the Lund Laser Center

The LLC is the largest academic research unit in the Nordic countries within the field of lasers, spectroscopy and applications. In contrast to its sister facilities within the LASERLAB-Europe consortium it is an umbrella organisation for about 90 researchers without central funding for joint work; only Access for European research groups is financed.

The 21st century is frequently referred to as the century of the photon with reference to the 20th as the one of the electron. Atomic, molecular, chemical and optical physics open up almost endless possibilities to explore the world on scales ranging from the atom to the universe, and also provide numerous applications, e.g. in the energy, environmental, medical and information technology sectors.

This research programme is focused in selected areas where a strong synergy between different fields of expertise within the Lund Laser Centre (LLC; a European Large Scale Infrastructure) can be exploited.

The plan is to have strong projects of interdisciplinary character to be pursued within the LLC, giving much synergy to the research.

Content:

• Astrophysical/Atomic laser spectroscopy
• Attosecond pulse generation, characterization and spectroscopy
• Advanced diagnostic applications (laser spectroscopy and multi-spectral imaging)
• Real-time structural dynamics
• Chemistry, physics and application of sensitizers and beacons.

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Website Lund Laser Center

Hemato-Linnaeus, A Joint Initiative to Understand Healthy and Morbid Blood Generation

At this center the researchers will establish Hemato-Linné as a world-leading research environment to study the regulation of normal and leukemic hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and blood lineage development.

Although hematopoiesis research remains one of the most progressive research fields of somatic stem cells and lineage development, Sweden has until recently lacked a significant hematopoiesis effort.

However, over the last decade, and as a consequence of strategic investments, a highly competitive and modern hematopoiesis research environment has emerged at Lund University (LU).

Through recent targeted recruitments of outstanding young hematopoiesis researchers, Hemato-Linné at LU will initially consist of 10 research groups with complementary competence and a track record of successful collaborative projects, already resulting in seminal discoveries, and a reputation as one of the leading environments in the field.

The existing groups will be complemented by recruitment of two additional investigators in developmental biology and signaling, to create the critical mass required to attack complex hematopoietic questions in a “state of the art" and holistic manner Hemato-Linné will focus on three collaborative projects to understand the cellular and molecular regulation of HSC self renewal and lineage commitment, and how these processes are perturbed in leukemia. Hemato-Linné will also continue its focus on excellence in research training and career development of young scientists.

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Website for Hemato-Linné

Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Knowledge Creation: Dynamics in Globalizing Learning Economies - Linnaeus Research at LUCIE

The Linnaeus research milieu will be located at the Lund University Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (LUCIE). LUCIE will bring together about 100 researchers highly focused upon knowledge creation, innovation and entrepreneurship. It consists of groups and individuals that have gravitated towards LUCIE because of the potential to be a part of a setting that deals with challenging issues in the field of innovation and growth in an integrated manner.

No single discipline or faculty deals with all aspects of the innovation process, entrepreneurship and knowledge creation. Hence the Linnaeus research milieu at LUCIE is explicitly interdisciplinary, created by six different units from four different faculties ('areas'), including the interdisciplinary ‘tenth area´ at Lund University.

The aim is to create a leading world centre in its field. The center will broaden the recruitment base internationally and offer career tracks for young skilled researchers.

It will also broaden the knowledge base of innovation studies. Not to lose momentum, the best timing of large scale and long term funding would be around the summer of 2006, when the integration in the building dedicated to LUCIE will be implemented.

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Website for Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Knowledge Creation

Nanoscience and Quantum Engineering

The Linnaeus center "Nanoscience and Quantum Engineering" lies at the core of prioritized research at Lund University, by the Engineering Faculty (LTH), as well as by the Faculty of Science. The focus lies on quantum transport and nanophotonics, as well as the development of controllable quantum systems, nanoelectronic devices, future quantum-electromechanical systems and life-science research acting on the single-molecule level.

The quantum control of nanostructured systems and atom-like device structures is a major challenge, drawing the technological road map of the new millennium. Future progress in this rapidly expanding area requires to build a stronger bridge between the high technologies on the nanoscale, and advanced quantum theory.

Here Lund University offers excellent perspectives by combining the strong ongoing activities on growth, characterization and device fabrication with advanced quantum theory concepts and device modelling.

Recently, high priority was given by LU and LTH to the creation of new, highly advanced laboratory resources, with the very best conditions for nanoscale processing, materials growth and advanced characterization. With the new facilities being ready in spring 2006, Lund will provide the most advanced laboratories for Nanoscience in Northern Europe.

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Website Nanoscience and Quantum Engineering

Organizing Molecular Matter

This project deals with intermolecular interactions and how they promote the organization of molecular matter. This is approached from several different directions. Firstly, we will improve the methods for quantum chemical calculations of intermolecular interactions with emphasis on their manifestations in a liquid.

Furthermore, the researchers will analyze molecular organization in liquids using statistical mechanical methods combined with computer simulations. In an active interplay with the theoretical investigations, carefully designed model systems will be studied experimentally, providing both an inspiration for and a test of the theoretical work.

Studies of model systems are also essential for the development of new experimental methods and procedures. The knowledge-base developed through the methodological work and, in particular, the molecular understanding that is developed in the theoretical work and the studies of simplified systems will be put to work in projects of a more applied character.

Here two areas are targeted. Problems within colloidal biology in general and biophysics in particular will be addressed, and on the basis of the fundamental molecular understanding developed, we will arrive at truly new insights.

The same approach will be used to solve problems of technical relevance within applied colloid science. A fundamental strategy of the project is the integration of theory, experiment and application through a close collaboration between individual scientists.

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Website Organizing Molecular Matter