University of Gothenburg, Sweden
Professor Bo Jacobsson is an internationally recognized leader in maternal and newborn health and a leading expert on preterm birth, with expertise in its epidemiology, underlying biological mechanisms, genetics, and prevention. He is Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, and Sahlgrenska University Hospital, one of the largest university hospitals in Northern Europe, with approximately 10,000 deliveries annually.
A central theme of Professor Jacobsson’s research is understanding why preterm birth occurs and what determines variation in preterm birth rates at both the population and individual levels. His work encompasses the epidemiological and population-level factors that influence the overall rate of preterm birth, including how changes in maternal characteristics, clinical practices, environmental exposures, and broader societal factors may affect rates over time and across populations. This population perspective is closely integrated with his longstanding interest in understanding the biological mechanisms that initiate and regulate parturition and lead to preterm birth. By combining epidemiology with mechanistic and molecular research, his work seeks to understand both the determinants of preterm birth at the population level and the biological pathways responsible for its occurrence in individual pregnancies.
Within this broader research program, Professor Jacobsson and his research group have been at the forefront of the genetics of gestational duration and preterm birth. Their work aims to identify the genetic and biological factors that determine the timing of birth and to understand how these factors interact with maternal, fetal, environmental, and clinical influences. A central objective is to translate insights from genetics, epidemiology, and biological mechanisms into improved prediction and, ultimately, effective strategies for preventing preterm birth and improving outcomes for babies born preterm.
Professor Jacobsson has made substantial contributions to the scientific understanding of pregnancy, parturition, and preterm birth. He has authored or co-authored more than 430 scientific publications, including articles in some of the world’s most prestigious scientific and medical journals, such as Nature, Science, The New England Journal of Medicine, Nature Genetics, PLOS Medicine, and JAMA. His work has achieved an H-index 94 according (Google Scholar), reflecting the broad impact and international recognition of his research.
Alongside his academic and clinical leadership, Professor Jacobsson has been actively engaged in international efforts to advance maternal, newborn, and child health for more than two decades. He has contributed his expertise to several World Health Organization (WHO) initiatives and special task groups and served as co-leader of the Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) working group within the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health.
Professor Jacobsson has also played a prominent role in shaping the international agenda on preterm birth. He served as co-editor of the WHO report Born Too Soon: Decade of Action on Preterm Birth and as co-chair of the Global Advocacy Group. From 2021 to 2025, he was the inaugural Director of the Division of Maternal and Newborn Health at the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO).”
