Every year, the Swedish Asthma and Allergy Association’s Research Fund awards the Kerstin Hejdenberg Scholarship to doctoral students conducting research on allergic diseases in children. This year, three of the scholarship recipients are affiliated with Karolinska Institutet.
Photo: Gunilla Sonnebring
Dr Giulia Dallagiacoma , doctoral student at the Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, is now awarded a scholarship to investigate whether infants who require hospital care for a respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection early in life are at increased risk of developing asthma later in childhood.
Genetic predisposition or the virus itself?
In its announcement, the Research Fund highlighted the importance of determining whether the elevated risk of asthma following severe RSV infection is due to a genetic or environmental predisposition, or whether it is caused by the viral infection itself.
“By comparing children who have had an RSV infection with their siblings or twins, we can distinguish the effects of the infection from those of inherited predisposition,” says Giulia Dallagiacoma.
The study is based on Swedish national register data, including data on all children born in Sweden as well as twin cohorts. It will also examine how a child’s age at infection and the severity of the illness influence the risk of developing asthma.
Scholarship to encourage research in pediatric allergology
The Kerstin Hejdenberg Scholarship aims to encourage research in pediatric allergology, with a particular focus on psychological and social dimensions, as well as research that can improve communication between healthcare professionals and patients. Through the scholarship, the Foundation supports young researchers and encourages promising scientists to continue their careers in the field of asthma and allergy.
“I am very grateful and honoured to receive this scholarship,” says Giulia Dallagiacoma. “The funding will support my research on the relationship between severe RSV infection in early life and the development of asthma. I hope the project will contribute to a better understanding of why some children develop asthma and ultimately support improved prevention and care.”
Project title
“Early Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection and Asthma Development: A Nationwide Swedish Cohort and Twin Study”
