Karsten Vrangbæk

Karsten Vrangbæk is Professor at the Department of Political Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, and Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen. He serves as Director of the Center for Health Economics and Policy (CHEP), leading interdisciplinary research bridging political science and public health.

His educational credentials include Candidate of Political Science (cand. scient. pol.), Master of Arts in Economics (MA econ), and PhD in Political Science.

Vrangbæk's research centers on health policy and management, with expertise in health systems analysis, economic impacts of ageing populations, public-private healthcare collaboration, and performance management. He conducts comparative studies across Nordic countries and Europe on care coordination, structural reforms, and EU healthcare directive implementation. His work integrates political economy perspectives with health services research to address governance challenges in evolving healthcare systems.

Recent publications (2025) reveal strong trends in European comparative health systems analysis, emphasizing pandemic response management, Nordic global health contributions, and collaborative governance models. Key thematic clusters include cross-border healthcare implementation, welfare policy valuation, and performance management frameworks across Denmark, Germany, and England—highlighting his focus on translating research into policy-relevant insights for healthcare transformation.

While no specific awards are documented, his prolific output (209 research items) and CHEP leadership demonstrate significant scholarly impact.

Vrangbæk actively supervises graduate students and leads grant-funded projects including:

• Comparative hospital performance management study across Denmark, Germany, and England
• EU Cross Border Healthcare Directive implementation analysis
• Nordic care coordination structural reforms research

These initiatives reflect his capacity to secure competitive funding and foster international academic collaboration.

As CHEP Director, he cultivates a research ecosystem integrating political science, health economics, and public health expertise. The center drives evidence-based policy development through rigorous analysis of healthcare financing, delivery models, and system performance—positioning it as a key resource for Danish and European health policy stakeholders.