Prof. Marie Vahter

Professor, Institute of Environmental Medicine (IMM), Karolinska Institutet, the medical university in Stockholm, Sweden

IMM is a department at the Karolinska Institutet as well as a national resource in environmental health risk assessment. Professor Vahter has basic training in toxicology. Over the last 20 years she has been increasingly involved in epidemiological studies aiming at evaluating potential adverse effects of environmental exposure to toxic metals and other elements. One main research focus is early-life exposure and health effects in both childhood and later in life. Mechanisms of action and susceptibility factors, such as gender, genetic predisposition and nutrition, are important issues to clarify. Evaluation of gender differences in the exposure to and health effects of chemicals in our environment is essential, not only because we need to identify susceptible groups for mitigation prioritization, but also for increasing our understanding of mechanisms of toxic action.

Are women and men equally susceptible to environmental pollutants? Session 7 Integrating the Gender Dimension in Research and Innovation Content