About SHARP
SHARP is an interdisciplinary research group focused on chronic pain, rehabilitation, physical activity, and health. We use large-scale registry data to study comorbidities, treatment outcomes, and health risks, with a special emphasis on chronic pain as both a disease and a risk factor for other conditions. Our projects explore links between pain and cardiovascular disease, as well as impacts on women during pregnancy and childbirth.
We develop digital tools to support rehabilitation, including personalized exercise programs and AI-based decision support. At Dalarna University’s Sports and Health Laboratory, we investigate how pain and training affect movement patterns.
SHARP collaborates with partners such as the Swedish Armed Forces, the Swedish Transport Administration, and KTH in research on physical strain, work environment, and health. Our team combines expertise in medical science, physiotherapy, sports science, psychology, statistics, computer science, and epidemiology to drive innovation across academia and society.
Leader of the research group:
External members
Katja Boersma, Professor, Örebro University
katja.boersma@oru.se
Anna Grimby Ekman, Professor, University of Gothenburg
anna.ekman@gu.se
Andreas Monnier, The Swedish Armed Forces (Försvarsmakten)
andreas.monnier@mil.se
Research projects
Project pAIn: Can a Personalised AI-driven Clinical Decision Support System Improve Interdisciplinary Treatment for Patients with Chronic Pain?
Start Date: 2023-01-01
Smärta efter hjärtinfarkt - en ökad risk för död?
Start Date: 2021-08-09
eVIS-projektet: utvärdering av eVISualisering av fysisk aktivitet och smärta (eVIS) som tillägg till multimodal smärtrehabilitering
Start Date: 2021-02-01
Långvarig smärta och utveckling av hjärtkärlsjukdom
Start Date: 2020-09-01
Effektivitet av multimodal rehabilitering vid långvarig muskuloskeletal smärta
Start Date: 2018-01-01
Fysisk aktivitet, rörelsekontroll och muskelaktivitet hos personer med långvarig smärta
Start Date: 2018-01-01
Publications
- Berglund, Lars, Rönnegård, Ann-Sofie, Lindahl, Bertil, Äng, Björn, Gordh, Torsten, Hambraeus, Kristina, Ärnlöv, Johan. Self-reported pain is associated with a poorer long-term prognosis in patients with myocardial infarction: A SWEDEHEART study, IJC Heart & Vasculature, 2025, Vol. 59
- Grönkvist, Rode, Vixner, Linda, Äng, Björn, Grimby-Ekman, Anna. Measurement error, minimal detectable change, and minimal clinically important difference of the Short Form-36 Health Survey, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and Pain Numeric Rating Scale in patients with chronic pain, Journal of Pain, 2024, Vol. 25, No. 9. Artikel: refereegranskat
- Elena Tseli, Andreas Monnier, Riccardo LoMartire, Linda Vixner Björn Äng, and Tony Bohman. Protocol for identifying and characterising critical physical tasks in the military: Development and validation. Work: A journal of Prevention, Assessment and rehabilitation, ISSN 1051-9815, E-ISSN 1875-9270, Vol. 77, nr 4, s. 1261-1272
- Vixner, Linda; et al. / High Self‐Reported Levels of Pain 1 Year After a Myocardial Infarction Are Related to Long‐Term All‐Cause Mortality: A SWEDEHEART Study Including 18 376 Patients / 2023 / Article in journal/ Journal of the American Heart Association (ahajournals.org) / 2023-09-05
- Westergren, Jens; et al. / Acute exercise as active inference in chronic musculoskeletal pain, effects on gait kinematics and muscular activity in patients and healthy participants: a study protocol for a randomised controlled laboratory trial / 2023 / Article in Journal / diva2:1761922 / 2023-06-02
- Tseli, Elena; et al. / Evaluation of content validity and feasibility of the eVISualisation of physical activity and pain (eVIS) intervention for patients with chronic pain participating in interdisciplinary pain rehabilitation programs / 2023 / Article in journal / diva2:1748334 / 2023-04-03
- Rönnegård Ann-Sofie; et al. / The association between short-term, chronic localized and chronic widespread pain and risk for cardiovascular disease in the UK Biobank / 2022 / Article in journal / diva2:1677588 / 2022-08-15
- Sjöberg Veronica; et al. / Effectiveness of the eVISualisation of physical activity and pain intervention (eVIS) in Swedish Interdisciplinary Pain Rehabilitation Programmes: study protocol for a registry-based randomised controlled clinical trial / 2022 / Article in journal / diva2:1652264 / 2022-04-28
- Tseli, Elena; et al. / What Is the Effectiveness of Different Duration Interdisciplinary Treatment Programs in Patients with Chronic Pain? A Large-Scale Longitudinal Register Study / 2020 / Article in journal / diva2:1465022 / 2022-03-29
- Lo Martire, Riccardo; et al. / Predictors of Sickness Absence in a Clinical Population With Chronic Pain / 2021 / Article in journal / diva2:1552714 / 2022-01-24
- Sjöberg, Veronica; et al. / Wrist-Worn Activity Trackers in Laboratory and Free-Living Settings for Patients With Chronic Pain: Criterion Validity Study / 2021 / Article in journal / diva2:1516859 / 2022-01-13
- Lo Martire, Riccardo; et al. / The value of interdisciplinary treatment for sickness absence in chronic pain: A nationwide register-based cohort study. / 2021 / Article in journal / diva2:1582864 / 2021-12-02
- Lo Martire, Riccardo; et al. / Psychometric properties of Short Form-36 Health Survey, EuroQol 5-dimensions, and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale in patients with chronic pain / 2019 / Article in journal / diva2:1362727 / 2021-11-12
- Owiredua, C.; et al. / The context matters: A retrospective analysis of life stage at chronic pain onset in relation to pain characteristics and psychosocial outcomes / 2020 / Article in journal / diva2:1503705 / 2021-11-12
- Tseli, Elena; et al. / Prognostic factors for improved physical and emotional functioning one year after interdisciplinary rehabilitation in patients with chronic pain: Results from a national quality registry in Sweden / 2020 / Article in journal / diva2:1395802 / 2021-11-12