Research Centre PandemiX Center

The PandemiX Center spans multiple scientific disciplines across Department of Science and Environment and sets out to explore the dynamics and impact of pandemics, with an eye towards pandemic prepareredness and policy. We invite insights about pandemic context through students and colleagues in humanities and social science. We wish to understand how pandemics are affected by societal institutions, lifestyle, urban/rual geography, economy and migration. Finally, we will model the effect of mitigation strategies, such as the COVID-19 vaccine and other biomedical interventions.

The purpose of PandemiX Center is to:

Use mathematical models to investigate patterns and impact of human pandemics and the effect of mitigation strategies
Bring to Denmark the field of mathematical epidemiology to support decision making in the context of COVID-19 and future pandemics
Secure robust insights about context, through interdisciplinary collaborations within center members, and external collaborations with social science and the humanities colleagues
Mentor the next generation of students in quantitative science in infectious disease modelling (mathematical modelling and digital humanities)
Provide easy access to and visibility of all RUC research related to pandemics

Meet the reseachers

Head of center

Lone Simonsen, professor, pandemic researcher

Reseachers

Roskilde University

Lone Simonsen, professor // Karen Angeliki Krogfelt, professor (mso) // Viggo Andreasen, associate professor // Maarten van Wijhe, postdoc // Rasmus Kristoffer Pedersen, postdoc // Mathias Mølbak Ingholt, PhD student // Christian Berrig, PhD student // Robert Taylor, visiting scholar // Alex Vincent Thorn, visiting scholar// Amanda Gammelby Qvesel, visiting scholar // Søren Ørskov, visiting scholar

University of Copenhagen, Niels Bohr Institute

Kim Sneppen, professor // Bjarke Frost Nielsen, PhD student // Andreas Eilersen, PhD student

DTU Health Tech, Department of Health Technology

Anders Gorm Pedersen, professor

Research areas

Mathematical epidemiology

Viggo Andreasen, associate professor // Kim Sneppen, professor // Andreas Eilersen, PhD student // Bjarke Frost Nielsen, PhD student // Christian Berrig, PhD student // Rasmus Kristoffer Pedersen, postdoc

Epidemiology and global health

Lone Simonsen, professor, pandemic reseacher // Maarten van Wijhe, postdoc // Søren Ørskov, visiting scholar // Robert Taylor, visiting scholar

News

Pandemic researcher from RUC receives ministry’s communications prize

29 April 2021 | Nyhed

Professor Lone Simonsen has managed to explain complicated new knowledge about the Covid pandemic in a manner that is comprehensible and relevant to Danes at a critical time. For her efforts, the professor will be honoured with the Research Communication Prize 2021.

New research centre will contribute to enhanced pandemic preparedness

25 March 2021 | Nyhed

A new research centre at Roskilde University, the PandemiX Center, will explore the dynamics and impact of pandemics.

Screening with rapid tests twice a week can significantly reduce infection in schools and workplaces

09 March 2021 | Nyhed

A new scientific report prepared for the Statens Serum Institut concludes that systematic use of rapid tests for COVID-19 twice a week at, for example, a workplace or school, could reduce new cases of infection by 36-55%. The conclusions are based on a scenario where rapid tests are assumed to be half as sensitive as traditional PCR tests and that everyone in the group is tested.

Carlsberg Foundation

The Lundbeck Foundation

Independent Research Fund Denmark

Nordic Council of Ministers - NordForsk

The PandemiX Center participates in a number of research projects, which are both internally and externally funded, just as the center's researchers participate in projects in collaboration with other research institutions in Denmark and abroad. Among the projects are:

PandemiX: A Quantitative study of historical and contemporary pandemics
With this research project we want to construct a comprehensive theory to explain how and why emerging epidemic diseases come and go, take off or disappear, and eventually melt into the larger pool of recurrent epidemic diseases. In doing so, we aim to reveal important insights into the major diseases that shaped human society and—crucially—help to prepare for future pandemic threats: the next Disease X.

Understanding immunity against SARS-CoV-2 in the general population: a seroprevalence study
The COVID-19 pandemic approaches its second wave peak in Denmark and vaccination programmes are soon to start. This study will investigate the build-up of immunity in the population during the first wave by studying seroprevalence of COVID-19 antibodies in Danish patients. This will help us understand age-specific immunity, dark-numbers and further develop surveillance strategies. This knowledge will help future mitigation strategies and help prepare for the coming spring.

Long-term Impact of Childhood Vaccination Programs: Using Historical data to Understand Modern Disease Patterns
Childhood vaccination programs are often presented as one of the main reasons for the historic decline in infectious disease mortality. However, this subject has mainly been investigated in contemporary settings without the long view needed to gain a complete understanding of disease patterns after decades of vaccine use.

NORDEMICS: Pathogens, Pandemics and the Development of Nordic Societies
This project aimes to create a Nordic interdisciplinary consortium dedicated to understanding how factors such as urbanization, increased trade and travel, large-scale migration, vaccines and other public health interventions, climate change and ecological degradation influence the dynamics of epidemic and pandemic infections in human populations. The consortium will systematically study historical health data to understand the patterns of spread and health impact of such diseases in the Nordic countries over the last 300 years.

Learn more about research projects in PandemiX Center at the Roskilde University Research Portal

Insights

ARTICLE

New research centre will contribute to enhanced pandemic preparedness

A new research centre at Roskilde University, the PandemiX Center, will explore the dynamics and impact of pandemics.

Read more about New research centre will contribute to enhanced pandemic preparedness

ARTICLE

The Carlsberg Foundation grants DKK 10 million for research in mathematical pandemic models

Since January 2020 the ongoing Corona pandemic has thrown the world into a deep health crisis. The Carlsberg Foundation therefore grants DKK 10 million to a new Semper Ardens project for the development of mathematical models to predict the potential development of future epidemics. Professor Lone Simonsen at Roskilde University will lead this Semper Ardens project.

Read more about The Carlsberg Foundation grants DKK 10 million for research in mathematical pandemic models

ARTICLE

100 years: Knowledge of the Spanish flu enhances our preparedness for future pandemics

Unique Danish data gives Professor Lone Simonsen an insight into how the Spanish Flu occurred 100 years ago. The insight helps to provide an impression of how future pandemics may behave.

Read more about 100 years: Knowledge of the Spanish flu enhances our preparedness for future pandemics

ARTICLE

Pandemic researcher from RUC receives ministry’s communications prize

Read more about Pandemic researcher from RUC receives ministry’s communications prize

Follow PandemiX Center on Twitter

On Twitter, you can read our comments on and answers to the many questions that are about COVID-19 and the Corona pandemic. The profile is edited by the researchers at PandemiX Center.

PandemiX on Twitter