A New Research Center at Lund University

Brings Together Three LU Faculties and Skåne University

Women’s cancers are among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide, affecting millions of individuals and families each year. In Sweden, the incidence of several women-specific and women-enriched cancers continues to rise, while important inequalities persist in prevention, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, and survivorship.

The impact of cancer extends far beyond the individual patient, influencing mental health, family life, work participation, and society as a whole.

Supported for 10 years

Founded in December 2025, CIRCE (Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Cancer and Equity in Women) is a research center at Lund University, supported for up to 10 years by FORTE and Vetenskapsrådet. CIRCE brings together researchers from three Lund University faculties and Skåne University Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Center (SUHCCC) to advance interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research in women’s cancers.

A Unique Integration

By integrating expertise across oncology, genomics, epidemiology, psychology, public health, social sciences, health economics, and data science, CIRCE aims to better understand cancer risk, improve prevention, early detection, and treatment strategies, survivorship, and equity in cancer care.

Through collaboration, innovation, large-scale data integration, and close engagement with patients and society, CIRCE seeks to generate knowledge that can improve both individual outcomes and public health.

Our People

A unique combination of disciplines

CIRCE combines expertise from medicine, public health, psychology, social sciences, epidemiology, health economics, and data science to create a uniquely interdisciplinary research environment. A strong research environment at Lund University, in collaboration with Skåne University Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Centre (SUHCCC), CIRCE connects expertise across three university faculties and multiple clinical and research environments.

Center Co-Directors and Principal Investigators

  • Lao Saal

    Assoc. Prof., MD, PhD

    Expert in breast cancer genomics, diagnostics, liquid biopsies, and Al-driven translational oncology.

  • Sophia Zackrisson

    Prof., MD, PhD

    Expert in diagnostic radiology, cancer screening, and AI-based medical imaging.

Principal Investigators

  • Camila Consiglio

    Senior Lecturer, PhD

    Systems immunology, sex differences in immunity, computational biology

  • Ida Skarping

    Assoc. Prof., MD, PhD

    Breast cancer imaging, nuclear medicine, predictive modeling

  • Ingrid Hedenfalk

    Prof., PhD

    Gynecological cancers, ovarian and breast cancer biomarkers

  • Lisa Rydén

    Prof., MD, PhD

    Breast surgery, survivorship, psychological resilience

  • Luciana Quaranta

    Assoc. Prof., PhD

    Economic and historical demography, life-course epidemiology

  • Marlene Malmström

    Assoc. Prof., RN, PhD

    Rehabilitation, patient experiences, integrated cancer care

  • Pamela Buchwald

    Assoc. Prof., MD, PhD

    Gastrointestinal oncology, colorectal cancer, surgical trials

  • Sean Perrin

    Prof., PhD

    Mental health, psychosocial interventions, chronic illness and cancer

  • Simon Timpka

    Assoc. Prof., MD, PhD

    Perinatal and cardiovascular epidemiology, maternal health

  • Steven Schmidt

    Assoc. Prof., PhD

    Ageing, psychosocial factors, supportive environments and technologies

Stakeholder Advisory Group members

CIRCE’s Stakeholder Advisory Group helps ensure that our research stays connected to the needs, experiences, and priorities of people affected by cancer, and to the wider systems that shape prevention, care, and support.

Members of the group contribute to CIRCE’s development by offering feedback, highlighting emerging needs, and helping us think about how research can be translated into real-world benefit for patients, families, healthcare, and society.

  • Sara Söderstjerna, patient advocate and breast cancer survivor.
  • Elisabeth Svensson, patient advocate and ovarian cancer survivor.
  • Åsa Ljungvall, representing Swedish Agency for Health and Care Services Analysis (Myndigheten för vård- och omsorgsanalys) as a project director and member of its management team.
  • Björn Ekmehag, representing Skåne University Hospital (SUS) as its administrative head and hospital director.
  • Anna-Maria Larsson, representing the Regional Cancer Center South (RCC Syd).
  • Magdalena Lagerlund, representing The Public Health Agency of Sweden (Folkhälsomyndigheten).