University of Gothenburg
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  4. Jovanna Dahlgren

Jovanna Dahlgren

Head of Department

Institute of Clinical Sciences
Telephone
+46 31-786 67 37
+46 766-18 67 37
Mail
jovanna.dahlgren@gu.se
Visiting address
Medicinaregatan 3, plan 5
41390 Göteborg
Postal address
Box 426
40530 Göteborg

Professor/ Chief Physician

Department of Pediatrics
Telephone
+46 31-786 67 37
+46 766-18 67 37
Mail
jovanna.dahlgren@gu.se

About Jovanna Dahlgren

I have been Head of the Institute of Clinical Sciences since 2023. Since 2014, I have been Professor of Pediatric Endocrinology with a focus on growth, holding a joint appointment that includes 30 percent clinical work in endocrinology and obesity care at Queen Silvia Children’s Hospital. I am also Head of Unit at the Center for Pediatric Growth Research and Director of the National Growth Hormone Registry, a quality registry for growth hormone treatment in children.

RESEARCH AREAS

Childhood obesity and metabolic syndrome: Together with a research team, I lead a population-based study in Halland that includes nearly 3,000 newborn children who are followed from birth into adulthood. Samples have been collected from breast milk, umbilical cord blood, oral and gut microbiota, as well as blood samples during childhood and adolescence. Among other findings, we have shown that children born by cesarean section develop a less favorable bacterial flora and are more often affected by dental caries and obesity.

Several research projects focus on obesity and its association with ADHD and autism.

We also study how early overweight and obese children develop the first signs of reduced insulin sensitivity.

Another field I have specialized in is individualized optimization of growth hormone treatment in children. I am also engaged in issues related to hormonal balance in children with rare diagnoses and give lectures at Ågrenska Competence Center in connection with their family programs.

MOST IMPORTANT PUBLICATIONS

  • Hokken-Koelega ACS, van der Steen M, Boguzewski M, Cianfarani S, Dahlgren J, Horikawa R, Mericq V, Rapaport R, Alherbish A, Braslavsky D, Charmandari E, Chernausek SD, Cutfield WS, Dauber A, Deeb A, Goedegebuure WJ, Hofman PL, Isganatis E, Jorge AA, Kanaka-Gantenbein C, Kashimada K, Khadilkar V, Luo X, Mathai S, Nakano Y, Yau M. International consensus guideline on SGA: Etiology and management from infancy to early adulthood. Endocrine Review 2023;44(3):539-565.
  • Dahlgren J, Noordam C. Growth, Endocrine Features, and Growth Hormone Treatment in Noonan Syndrome. J Clin Med. 2022;11(7):2034.
  • Allvin K, Ankarberg-Lindgren C, Dahlgren J. Longitudinal sex steroid data in relation to birth weight in preterm boys. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2022;107(10):e4212-e4221.
  • Fast K, Björk A, Strandberg M, Johannesson E, Wentz E, Dahlgren J. Half of the children with overweight or obesity and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder reach normal weight with stimulants. Acta Paediatr. 2021; 110:2825-2832.
  • Ankarberg-Lindgren C, Andersson MX, Dahlgren J. Determination of estrone sulfate, testosterone, androstenedione, DHEAS, cortisol, cortisone, and 17alpha-hydroxyprogesterone by LC-MS/MS in children and adolescents. Scand J Clin Lab Invest. 2020;80(8):672-80.
  • Kjellberg E, Roswall J, Andersson J, Bergman S, Karlsson AK, Svensson PA, Kullberg J, Dahlgren J. Metabolic risk factors associate with visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue in a sex-specific manner in seven-year-olds. Obesity (Silver Spring) 27:982-988, 2019.
  • Decker R, Albertsson-Wikland K, Kriström B, Halldin M, Gustafsson J, Nilsson NO, Dahlgren J. GH dose reduction maintains normal prepubertal height velocity after initial catch up growth in short children. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 104:835-844, 2019.
  • Kjellberg E, Roswall J, Bergman S, Almqvist-Tangen G, Alm B, Dahlgren J. Longitudinal birth cohort study found that a significant proportion of children had abnormal metabolic profiles and insulin resistance at 6 years of age. Acta Paediatr. 108:486-492, 2019.
  • Kvernebo-Sunnergren K, Ankarberg-Lindgren C, Åkesson K, Andersson MX, Samuelsson L, Lovmar L, Dahlgren J. Hyperestrogenism affects adult height outcome in growth hormone treated boys with Silver-Russell syndrome. Frontiers in Endocrinology 9:780, 2018.
  • Wentz E, Björk A, Dahlgren J. Neurodevelopmental disorders are highly overrepresented in children with obesity: a cross-sectional study. Obesity (Silver Spring), 25:178-184, 2017.
  • Bäckhed F, Roswall J, Peng Y, Feng Q, Jia H, Kovatcheva-Datchary P, Li Y, Xia Y, Xie H, Zhong H, Khan MT, Zhang J, Li J, Xiao L, Al-Aama J, Zhang D, Lee YS, Kotowska D, Colding C, Tremaroli V, Yin Y, Bergman S, Xu X, Madsen L, Kristiansen K, Dahlgren J*, Jun W* (*contributed equally). Dynamics and Stabilization of the Human Gut Microbiome during the First Year of Life. Cell Host Microbe, 17:690-703, 2015.