Research news

Below is a selection of the latest news from the research at the University of Copenhagen. You can find all news from the University on the main news site.

Links between early-life air pollution and lung function persist into adolescence

A new study finds an association between air pollution exposure early in life and lung function in children and adolescents. Even small shifts can have major implications for public health, says researcher.

Discovery in gut microbiome of vegans surprises researcher

Although vegans generally have a healthy gut microbiome, they may be at risk of having lower gut bacterial diversity than omnivores, according to the author of a new study. Insufficient protein intake is a potential…

Music can enhance the flavour of your food

Listening to music while you eat can shape the way your brain constructs flavour. A new study from the University of Copenhagen shows for the first time how sound and taste interact in the brain at a biological level.

Can your employer demand proof that you’ve slept well?

New technology may be able to improve our sleep. But without clear rules, we risk sleep becoming something that employers, insurance companies and other institutions feel entitled to monitor, researchers warn.

Children facing multiple adversities growing up are more likely to die at a younger age

Study of 1.2 million Danes finds that children facing health-related, social and economic adversities are seven times more likely to die in early adulthood as their contemporaries.

Researchers identify genetic clues that could reveal aggressive prostate cancer

An international team of researchers has mapped eight genetic ‘fingerprints’ that may explain why some men develop aggressive prostate cancer while others do not. The findings could eventually lead to more personalised…

New study: Psychiatrists agree on a diagnosis in only 55% of cases

When psychiatrists assess the same patient, they agree on the diagnosis in only about half of cases, according to a new study from the University of Copenhagen. The findings raise concerns about potential misdiagnosis,…

Preventative care

RS virus admissions among infants fall sharply following vaccine rollout

A new study from the University of Copenhagen and Nordsjællands Hospital suggests that Denmark's new RS virus vaccination programme for pregnant women may have dramatically reduced the number of infants hospitalised wit…

intestinal environment

Constipation is common in astronauts – blood tests provide new answers

Many things are different in space – including how the intestines work. Constipation is a known side effect of space travel, but until now we have known little about why it happens.

Staying on diabetes medication is linked to fewer heart attacks and strokes

Adults with type 2 diabetes that don't take their medicine consistently has a 27 percent higher rate of heart disease according to new study. The effect hit younger patients even harder.

Researchers uncover hidden mechanism behind congenital heart disease

The discovery of a signaling mechanism in the cells’ ‘antennae’ may help explain why some fetuses develop disease in both the heart and other organs, according to researchers from the University of Copenhagen.

Cancer patients are far more likely to develop mental disorder diagnoses

People diagnosed with cancer face a much greater risk of developing a mental disorder later in life than those without cancer. During the first year after diagnosis, the risk of being hospitalized with a psychiatric…