91̽��

Both initiatives are grounded in interdisciplinary and co-created research in collaboration with municipalities, health and social care services, primary care, public agencies, labor-market partners, and several patient organizations.

A dementia-friendly society

The research center DEMSAM – dementia-friendly, person-centered society – is being established at the Institute of Health and Care 91̽��s under the leadership of Professor Helle Wijk. With 60 million SEK from Forte, the center will develop knowledge that strengthens everyday life for people with dementia and their families, including through early interventions, improved collaboration, and more sustainable practices in health and social care.

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“It is about understanding what truly improves daily life for people with dementia. By bringing together different areas of expertise and working closely with municipalities, we can develop solutions that make a tangible difference,” says Helle Wijk, who will lead the center together with Hanna Falk-Erhag as deputy project manager.

In addition to health and care sciences, the center’s core group includes researchers in neuroscience, odontology, social work, physiology, and architecture. The center aims to promote more equitable and person-centered support throughout the entire care pathway.

Safer and more sustainable return to work

The center for interdisciplinary, primary-care-based research on return to work, UGOT-ReWork, is being established at the Institute of Medicine under the leadership of Professor Maria �������. With 50 million SEK from Forte, researchers will work together with primary care, public agencies, occupational health services, and patient organizations to develop new approaches that provide better support for people on sick leave to return to work.

The initiative brings together several research fields and includes the development of primary-care-based interventions, digital support tools, analyses of early risk indicators, and improved organizational and policy conditions.

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“We have long lacked methods that truly facilitate return to work. Now we can work long-term and translate our findings directly into practice, ensuring that more people receive the right support at the right time,” says Maria Å�������, who will lead the initiative as project manager, with Elisabeth Björk ����ä��������� as deputy project manager.

National initiative from Forte

DEMSAM and UGOT-ReWork are two of eleven research centers in Sweden now receiving long-term support from Forte. The initiatives at the University 91̽�� have been awarded 60 and 50 million SEK, respectively, for the first six years, with the possibility of an additional four years of funding.

BY: Lovisa Aimer / Elin Lindström