Unnur Anna Valdimarsdóttir, Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Iceland's Faculty of Medicine received a 2 million Euro grant from the European Research Council (ERC) to fund research on whether traits can possibly explain people's varying reactions to unexpected crises. She is the fourth ever ERC grantee based in Iceland, and the grant is an important recognition of Unnur and her colleagues' scientific contribution at the University of Iceland and deCODE.
"The research focuses on better understanding the genetic factor in why some individuals lose their health following traumatic events, whilst other victims in similar circumstances do not. The questions we are asking, and the research environment in Iceland to answer them, is unique in the world. We hope that the knowledge produced from the study will prove useful as preventive measures and treatment resources for individuals who have a heightened risk of health problems following a crisis," says Unnur Anna.
"This grant is a huge recognition of the unique Icelandic material and the database we Icelanders have for scientific research in the field of medicine. The grant enables us to do even better and work on research unparalleled anywhere in the world."
Unnur Anna Valdimarsdóttir is one of the most prolific scientists at the University of Iceland. Unnur Anna's research on the increased suicide threat and increased mortality due to cardiovascular diseases among men and women recently diagnosed with cancer recently received widespread attention. The study was made in collaboration with her collaborators at the University of Iceland and numerous prestigious foreign institutes. Furthermore, her studies have shown a significant impact on the loss of loved ones and natural disasters on the health of the survivors. The latest study is a sequel of sorts to the previous research.
"My team has researched for a while now the effect of traumatic events on people's state of health, i.e. the development of psychological symptoms and mental disorders and various physical illnesses. What arouses our curiosity is the fact that some individuals who experience trauma are extremely vulnerable to health problems while others seem almost immune to them after a similar trauma."
Unnur Anna says that this is the first study worldwide with the means to answer the important questions of their research. With the comprehensive genetic information and health database of an entire nation, Icelanders can take the lead in the creation of knowledge in this field.
"The research team uses the exceptional, comprehensive genetic and genealogical resources in deCODE, Íslendingabók (the book of all Icelanders) and the Icelandic health database. With this data, we can examine the connections of genetic variation and variability in disease and morbidity among Icelanders in response to significant life stressors, such as the loss of loved ones or the diagnosis of a serious illness such as cancer. Furthermore, we will organise extensive and progressive research to analyze genetic variation connected to symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorders after traumatic events such as sexual violence and natural disasters.
The European Research Council (ERC)) is a part of Horizon 2020 the biggest EU Research and Innovation programme. The main goal of the European Research Council (ERC) is to encourage high-quality research in Europe through competitive funding. Only excellent research scientists with unique ideas receive grants. They allocate three types of grants: starting grants for researchers with 2 to 7 years experience after PhD, F-grants for top researchers with 7 to 12 years experience after PhD, and for established researchers who have a recent track-record which identifies them as leaders in their respective field of research.
