Oluf Pedersen and his research team contribute to gain novel insights into the complex and multifactorial aetiology of type 2 diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disorders – scientific efforts that aim for novel approaches to prevent and treat these common disorders which are in epidemic growth.
Applying a variety of biological samples, technologies and statistical-genetics methods the researchers are focused on discovering genomic variation that predisposes for common cardio-metabolic disorders. The genomic discoveries are further characterized in genetic-physiology studies of disease intermediary traits and in large-scale studies of genetic-epidemiology elucidating the interaction of gene variants with health behavior (unhealthy dietary habits, sedentary lifestyle and other environmental factors).
Another major research effort is centered at studies of the role of the gut microbiota in primarily metabolic health and risk of metabolic disorders. Here the research team is doing quantitative metagenomics to characterize the human gut microbiome at levels of microbial genes, various taxa and derived functional potentials. Suspected human pathogenic microbiota is studied mechanistically in animal models.