Non-communicable diseases (NCD) such as
cancer, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and allergies together account
for more than 70% of deaths worldwide. Lifestyle, diet and physical activity
play a very important part in ensuring good health throughout a person’s life.
Meanwhile, workplaces, towns and cities, homes and the environment are
developing rapidly, giving rise to new behaviours, working methods, ways of
life and interaction with technology and other people. These changes are
sometimes linked to unforeseen threats to working environments, health and wellbeing.
With an ageing population, the number of
people who need assistive devices will increase, and in parallel clearer
demands are being placed on accessibility and safety for people with functional
variations – which impacts the design of buildings, public spaces and products.
All these challenges require new approaches to improve the prevention of
diseases and injuries, and to promote wellbeing.
Chalmers conducts research in many
disciplines with great potential to address modern health challenges in these
fields. This profile area has the ambition of combining forces and furthering
Chalmers’ research into preventive and health-promoting behaviours and
technical solutions, in both everyday life and working life. It brings together
competence in various subjects including architecture, product design,
ergonomics, work organisation, food and nutrition science, data science, AI,
water and air pollutants.
Development and implementation of new
technology, new approaches and technical solutions will form the core of
Chalmers’ activities within the profile area.