Helena Backman

I'm an Associate Professor, PhD, and project leader within the Obstructive Lung Disease in Northern Sweden (OLIN)  Studies, an epidemiological research program ongoing since 1985. The research is primarily focused on classical respiratory epidemiology including studies on asthma, COPD and lung function. More recently, specific focus has been set on combining clinical epidemiology with data from national registers to evaluate prognosis for asthma and COPD, including specific phenotypes of obstructive lung disease. With clinical data since more than 35 years, the OLIN studies provide unique opportunities for studies of long-term prognosis.

My projects are mainly funded by:

• the Swedish Heart-Lung Foundation 
• ALF
• Norrbotten County Council
• NordForsk
• the Swedish Research Council (VR)
• FORTE

Further, I hold the following positions:

• Member of the OLIN steering committee
• Project leader for the OLIN research line about Asthma and allergy among adults
• Co-project manager of the Nordic EpiLung Study and STELLAR
• Board member of Andas sverige and Breathe Sweden
• Partner of the ERS CRC CADSET
• Lung Facts Advisor for ERS/IRC
• Member of the Nordic Severe Asthma Network (NSAN)
• Board member of Svensk epidemiologisk förening (SVEP)
• Associate Editor of Respiratory Medicine Journal

Main supervisor:

• Nicolas Bermudez, Umeå University
• Sofia Winsa Lindmark, Umeå University

Co-supervisor:

• Linnea Almqvist, Umeå University
• Petri Räisänen, Umeå University
• Reshed Abohalaka, University of Gothenburg

Previous supervision of PhD students (year of dissertation):

• Sami Sawalha, Umeå University (2019) - co-supervisor