Dr. Christina West

Biography

Christina West is a Professor of Pediatrics at Umeå University, where she also serves as a senior consultant in Pediatric Allergy and Immunology. Her research focuses on how environmental exposures in early life affect the development of allergies and asthma. She leads the multidisciplinary SYMBIO group, which aims to increase understanding of the impact of environmental exposures during fetal life and childhood on non-communicable diseases, with an emphasis on allergies and asthma. To achieve these goals, she conducts epidemiological studies, randomized controlled clinical trials, and mechanistic studies. These studies specifically focus on the interactions between nutrition, microbiota, and the gastrointestinal tract, as well as their importance in immune system development and health outcomes. Her research is primarily funded by the Swedish Research Council and various regional and national foundations. Projects include the NorthPop cohort study, which examines early colonization patterns and dietary factors influencing allergy risk in children, and several controlled trials assessing the impact of microbiota restoration and immunotherapy on allergic diseases in infants and adolescents. West's collaborative projects involve leading experts from Karolinska Institute, Linköping University, and Umeå University, among others.

Research Interests