The Julsgaard Group: Pregnancy and Inflammatory Bowel Disease

The Julsgaard group explores aspects related to reproduction and inflammatory bowel disease. The research provide answers to fundamental questions regarding the safety of medical treatment in the preconception period, in pregnancy and during lactation. Further, the risk of surgical procedure in relation to fertility and pregnancy outcome is explored, and health and development in infants of parents with IBD are elucidated. The overall focus is to improve clinical care and evidence-based counselling for women and men with IBD and thereby improve fetal/infant outcome. 

The foundation of the research is data from the unique Danish nationwide registers in combination with analysis on neonatal blood spots in collaboration with partners at Statens Serum Institut (SSI). Moreover, international and national clinical multicenter studies are conducted in order to elucidate all aspects of reproductive health in IBD.

Mette Julsgaard is a gastroenterologist with expertise in inflammatory bowel disease and reproductive health at Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark and Research Associate at PREDICT. Dr. Julsgaard has a PhD in inflammatory bowel disease and pregnancy and a postdoc in biological therapy and pregnancy. In 2012 she completed an honorary gastroenterology research fellowship at St.Vincent’s Hospital, Melbourne university in Australia. Dr. Julsgaard has been the coordinator or invited member of international and national guidelines regarding IBD and pregnancy (European Crohn’s and Colitis Organization, Global Consensus, Danish Society of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, and Danish Society of Obstetrics & Gynecology). Dr. Julsgaard is a board member of the European Crohn’s and Colitis Organization CONFER committee and recipient of several awards and honors for her research in inflammatory bowel disease and pregnancy.

Author ORCID: 0000-0003-3070-8950