Lena Wettergren

Lena Wettergren is a Professor in the Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences within Uppsala University's Faculty of Medicine. She maintains dual clinical-academic roles as both a registered nurse at Uppsala University Hospital's Hematology and Oncology department and a leading researcher in sexual and reproductive health for young cancer patients. Her work bridges clinical practice, education across Bachelor's and Master's nursing programs, and international research collaborations in East Africa.

Her primary research focus centers on the Fex-Can (Fertility and Sexuality following Cancer) program, which investigates fertility preservation, sexual dysfunction, and psychosocial impacts in young adult cancer survivors. Current projects include developing and validating web-based psychoeducational interventions for fertility distress and sexual health rehabilitation, with longitudinal studies tracking anxiety and depression trajectories up to five years post-diagnosis. Her methodology emphasizes participatory research, actively involving cancer survivors as co-researchers in intervention design.

Geographically, her work spans Sweden, Uganda, and Ethiopia, addressing global health disparities through cross-cultural studies on cancer care quality, nursing practices, and quality of life in resource-limited settings. Recent publications demonstrate strong emphasis on digital health solutions, with multiple randomized controlled trials testing internet-delivered interventions for sexual and fertility issues among cancer survivors.

Her research portfolio reveals consistent thematic concentration on:

• Long-term sexual and reproductive health outcomes after cancer
• Development and validation of digital therapeutic tools
• Cross-cultural comparisons of cancer care experiences
• Integration of patient perspectives in intervention design
• Quality of life metrics in adolescent and young adult oncology

In academic leadership, she mentors doctoral students in Sweden and supervises international research capacity building in East Africa. Her clinical operations at Uppsala University Hospital directly inform her research priorities, creating a translational pipeline from bedside observations to population-level interventions.