Pernilla Lagergren

Pernilla Lagergren is a Professor and research group leader of the Surgical Care Science group within the Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery at Karolinska Institutet. She also holds a part-time professorship in surgical care sciences at Imperial College London since March 2018. Her research focuses on patient-reported outcomes, particularly health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with cancer of the upper gastrointestinal tract, with special emphasis on esophageal cancer.

Her primary research interests include identifying modifiable risk factors for poor recovery after cancer treatment, developing supportive interventions to improve quality of life for patients and their families, and methodological development of HRQOL data management. She examines psychosocial aspects, nutritional problems, and symptoms through self-report questionnaires, aiming to individualize supportive actions for improved patient outcomes. Her future research plans include expanding to include patients' families and their support needs.

Lagergren's work demonstrates consistent focus on longitudinal quality of life trajectories following esophageal cancer surgery, with particular attention to factors like dumping syndrome, cancer-related fatigue, reflux, malnutrition, and physical exercise interventions. Her publications reveal a strong emphasis on population-based cohort studies and systematic reviews that bridge clinical outcomes with patient-reported experiences.

• NFSK Research Prize 2024
• Hilda och Alfred Erikssons research prize, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences (2020)
• Eric K. Fernströms research prize (2018)
• Anders Jahre's research prize (2015)
• Sven and Ebba-Christina Hagbergs research prize (2012)
• Postdoctoral Stipend Award from the Swedish Society for Medical Research (2007)

As research group leader, Lagergren oversees multiple research projects funded by organizations including the Swedish Research Council, Swedish Cancer Society, and Swedish Research Council for Health Working Life and Welfare. She has advised several PhD students including Zhao Cheng, Sophie Johnsson, and Kenneth Färnqvist, with research focusing on various aspects of surgical care and cancer survivorship.

Lagergren's research group collaborates with multiple clinical teams and has developed digital tools like the RECapp project to support patient recovery after surgery. The group maintains strong connections with international institutions through her position at Imperial College London and various collaborative projects across Europe.