Faculty

Sara Lindstroem

Associate Professor, Epidemiology
Director of Research, Epidemiology


Education

MSc Engineering Physics, Umea University, 2004
PhD Genetic Epidemiology, Umea University, 2007

Contact


University of Washington
Box 351619
Department of Epidemiology
Hans Rosling Center for Population Health, 874A
Seattle, WA 98195
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Bio

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Dr. Lindstroem (Lindstrom/Lindström) is a genetic epidemiologist who seeks to understand the genetic contribution to complex disease with an emphasis on cancer. She works at the intersection of statistical genetics and genetic epidemiology, where she always seeks to apply novel statistical methods on large-scale -omics data. By leveraging large-scale population-based studies, she studies how our genes and environment affect our risk of developing disease. She leads multiple international efforts to study genetic risk factors for cancer and mammographic density (R01CA194393, R01CA244670), and she is studying the genetics underlying a range of outcomes in people living with HIV (R01DA047045). Dr. Lindstroem also teaches PHG511 “Genetic Epidemiology”, EPI583 “Epidemiology Seminars”, and co-teaches the “Genetic Epidemiology” module as part of the UW Summer Institute of Statistical Genetics (SISG).

Research Interests

My research focuses on understanding the genetic contribution to common complex diseases, with a primary emphasis on cancer and linked traits. By leveraging long-running large population-based studies, I investigate how our genetics and environment affect our risk of developing disease.

Current research projects include studying the shared genetic origin between common cancers and the genetics underlying childhood obesity, breast tissue composition and venous thromboembolism. I am also interested in finding approaches to incorporate information about the functional characteristics of the genome in my studies. Finally, I am involved in several large-scale international collaborations that study the genetics underlying breast and prostate cancer.

Recent Publications (PubMed)

Integrative screening identifies functional variants and VNTRs underlying GWAS signals at the 5p15.33 multi-cancer susceptibility locus.
(2026 Mar 7)
medRxiv
O'Brien A, Kong H, Patel H, Ho M, Patel MB, Zhong J, Xu M, Papenberg BW, Connelly KE, Collins I, Hennessey R, Thakur R, Sowards H, Funderburk K, Luong T, Florez-Vargas O, Myers T, Jermusyk A, Gorman B, Luo W, Jones K, Das S, Pancreatic Cancer Cohort and Case-Control Consortia (PanScan/PanC4), Melanoma Meta-Analysis Consortium, International Lung Cancer Consortium (ILCCO), Lan Q, Rothman N, McKay JD, Hung RJ, Amos CI, Iles MM, Koutros S, Landi MT, Law MH, Stolzenberg-Solomon RZ, Wolpin BM, Hassan M, Klein AP, Antwi SO, Orr N, Chanock SJ, Lindström S, Hoskins JW, Stern MH, Andresson T, Shi J, Prokunina-Olsson L, Choi J, Brown KM, Amundadottir LT

A retrospective cohort study of clinical characteristics and healthcare contacts in Sweden prior to suicide in individuals with heart disease.
(2026 Feb 9)
BMC Prim Care 27(1): 66
Öberg NP, Lindström S, Bergqvist E, Ehnvall A, Vaez M, Sellin T, Sunnqvist C, Waern M, Westrin Å

Validation and context-dependent effects of a prostate cancer polygenic risk score in the All of Us Research Program.
(2026 Feb 5)
Am J Hum Genet 113(2): 392-398
Cheng S, Suger AH, Goss LB, Zhang J, Fuller H, Guo B, Lindström S, Darst BF

Time to suicide after psychiatric inpatient discharge: a nationwide Swedish survival analysis.
(2026 Feb 5)
BMC Psychiatry 26(1):
Berge J, Saric EF, Sellin T, Waern M, Westrin Å, Lindström S

Symptoms and Diagnoses Prior to Suicide in Children and Young Adults-A Swedish Medical Record Review.
(2026 Jan 13)
Int J Environ Res Public Health 23(1):
Hansson AL, Johnsson P, Eberhard S, Bergqvist E, Fröding Saric E, Karlsson L, Lindström S, Waern M, Westrin Å

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