Charlotte Juul Nilsson

Charlotte Juul Nilsson is an Associate Professor in Gerontology at the University of Copenhagen's Department of Public Health, Section of Social Medicine. She holds both an MD and PhD in Health Sciences from the University of Copenhagen, with her doctoral thesis focusing on mobility limitations in midlife and old age in relation to social relations and socioeconomic position. Her academic career at the university has progressed from PhD student (2008-2011) to Research Assistant (2011), Assistant Professor (2011-2014), and ultimately Associate Professor (2014-present).

• PhD in Health Sciences (2011), University of Copenhagen
• Medical Doctor (2008), University of Copenhagen

Dr. Nilsson's research primarily investigates how social circumstances affect aging processes, with particular emphasis on physical function as essential for maintaining quality of life and independent living in old age. Her work explores the association between social relations and physical function across the lifespan, social inequality in physical function, and the interplay between health-related and social factors. She is currently engaged in projects examining differential vulnerability toward loneliness, gender and educational differences in social relations among older adults, preventive home visits for older people, and healthcare inequality during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her research frequently employs longitudinal analyses and register-based studies, contributing significantly to the understanding of social determinants of health in aging populations.

Her recent publications demonstrate strong trends in social epidemiology, gerontology, and public health, with particular focus on health inequalities, life course approaches, and the social determinants of aging. The majority of her work utilizes large-scale Danish registry data and population-based studies, often with international collaborations across Nordic countries.

Dr. Nilsson has received multiple research grants including funding from NordForsk, the Beckett Foundation, Læge Sofus Carl Emil Friis og Hustru Olga Doris Friis' legat, and Helsefonden. She serves as Co-chair of the Copenhagen Lifecourse Epidemiology and Aging Research group, is a member of the steering committee for the Copenhagen Aging and Midlife Biobank, and participates in the NordForsk-funded Nordic collaborative project on Social Inequalities in Aging.

In addition to her research, Dr. Nilsson is actively involved in teaching, serving as course leader for several gerontology and medical sociology courses at both undergraduate and graduate levels. She supervises bachelor's, master's, and PhD students primarily in the areas of gerontology, social inequality in health, social relations and health, and medical sociology. She also contributes to national health policy as a member of various working groups for the National Board of Health and Welfare.