Danish Research Centre for Migration, Ethnicity and Health

What Danish Research Centre for Migration, Ethnicity and Health does

The Danish Research Centre for Migration, Ethnicity and Health (MESU) is a research center at the University of Copenhagen's Department of Public Health, established on January 1, 2010 through a grant from TrygFonden. It conducts interdisciplinary research on the health of migrants, refugees, and ethnic minorities in Denmark, using epidemiological methods, register-based cohort research, qualitative studies, and intervention designs that leverage Denmark's national health and population registers. Its work spans documented and undocumented migrants, asylum seekers, quota refugees, family-reunified migrants, and descendants, addressing health inequalities, healthcare access barriers, mental health, and culturally competent service delivery.

MESU's core offerings are research projects rather than commercial products, including the MAMAACT intervention on ethnic equality in maternal and child health, the CAGE Nordic comparative study on young refugees, SULIM on sustainable healthy lifestyle interventions, ApartTogether on COVID-19 impacts on migrants, RefugeesWellSchool on psychosocial well-being in schools, and IMPRODISE on diversity sensitivity in healthcare education. The center also contributes to teaching in Medicine, Public Health, and Global Health programs at the University of Copenhagen and runs a PhD course. Funding comes from research grants and donations from TrygFonden, the EU Horizon 2020 program, NordForsk, Novo Nordisk Foundation, EIT Health, Erasmus+, the Rockwool Foundation, and Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowships. MESU is not a commercially incorporated entity and does not generate product or service revenue.

Name

Danish Research Centre for Migration, Ethnicity and Health

Legal name

Danish Research Centre for Migration, Ethnicity and Health

Website

https://mesu.ku.dk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

MESU is a University of Copenhagen research center that conducts interdisciplinary research on the health of migrants, refugees, and ethnic minorities in Denmark, using register-based epidemiology, qualitative methods, and intervention studies, and contributes to public health teaching.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Migration and Ethnic Health Research

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Medical Laboratories (621511)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Refugee/Migrant Health & Resettlement Health Units (HLAJAAAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Monitoring, Evaluation, Performance Management & Quality Improvement (HLAJAMAJ), Immigrant & Refugee Community Education (Integration/Navigation) (EDAAAFAH)

Keywords

• Migration health research
• Ethnic health inequalities
• Public health research
• Register-based epidemiology
• Refugee health studies

Headquarters

HQ city

Copenhagen

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Research Grants and Funding: MESU was established through a grant from TrygFonden and continues to operate through various research grants from national and international funding bodies including EU Horizon programs, NordForsk, Novo Nordisk Foundation, and various Danish foundations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

MESU is a university research centre that conducts interdisciplinary academic research on the health of migrants and ethnic minorities in Denmark, including epidemiological register-based studies, qualitative studies, and intervention studies. It delivers PhD-level courses in migration and health, contributes teaching to Medicine, Public Health, and Global Health programmes at the University of Copenhagen, and advises national and international health authorities on evidence-based migrant health policies.

Product overview

The Danish Research Centre for Migration, Ethnicity and Health (MESU) is a research center at the University of Copenhagen focused on academic research, not commercial products. MESU conducts interdisciplinary research on migration, ethnicity, and health, offering no commercial products or services. The center initiates and conducts research on migrants' and ethnic minorities' health patterns, healthcare system access, prevention, and health outcomes. MESU also contributes to teaching students at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences within Medicine, Public Health, and Global Health programs. The center operates research projects including ApartTogether, MAMAACT, RefugeesWellSchool, CAGE, and SULIM, which are collaborative research initiatives rather than commercial products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MAMAACT: Intervention to reduce ethnic and social inequality in reproductive health, focusing on improving communication between pregnant women and midwives about pregnancy complications.
• CAGE
• SULIM
• ApartTogether

Products and services

• MAMAACT Intervention A complex intervention to reduce ethnic and social inequality in reproductive health, improving communication between pregnant women and midwives about signs of pregnancy complications. Includes continuing education for midwives in intercultural communication and pictogram-based information materials in six languages. Targeted at pregnant women, midwives, and maternity services in Denmark.
• ApartTogether Study A global study investigating the health and psychosocial consequences of COVID-19 on refugees and migrants, with particular focus on asylum seekers, undocumented migrants, and newly arrived migrants. Used a questionnaire translated into 37 languages and conducted qualitative interviews. Targeted at global public health policymakers and WHO.
• RefugeesWellSchool
• CAGE (Coming of Age in Exile) A Nordic research project examining inequalities in education, labour market participation, and health among young refugees in Nordic welfare societies, comparing policies and outcomes across Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland. Targeted at Nordic welfare state researchers and policymakers.
• SULIM (Sustainable Healthy Lifestyles Interventions for Migrants) A multidisciplinary research project focusing on immigrant health in Denmark using a life course approach covering health in different life phases and across generations. Targeted at public health researchers and Danish health authorities.
• IMPRODISE (Improving Diversity Sensitivity in Healthcare) A project aiming to improve healthcare professionals' ability to deliver diversity-sensitive health services through pre-graduate and post-graduate medical education interventions. Targeted at medical schools and healthcare educators.
• PhD Course in Migration and Health A PhD-level course on migration and health delivered at the University of Copenhagen. Course fee is 5,880 DKK for non-PhD students; free for PhD students at Danish universities and NorDoc member universities. Targeted at PhD candidates in public health, medicine, and global health.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• World Health Organization (WHO)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2020WHO partnered with a consortium led by Ghent University and University of Copenhagen on the ApartTogether study investigating health and psychosocial consequences of COVID-19 on refugees and migrants globally. MESU contributed to this EU Horizon 2020 funded project.
• Ghent UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2020Led the ApartTogether study consortium on COVID-19 impacts on migrants and refugees, in partnership with University of Copenhagen (MESU) and other institutions. The project ran from April 2020 to April 2021.
• Karolinska Institutet (Sweden)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on the REMAIN project examining mental health and social integration among refugee children. MESU researchers are involved in the project steering group.
• Norwegian Centre for Violence and Traumatic Stress Studies (NKVTS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNordic partner in the CAGE project, examining welfare policies affecting young refugees.
• Centre for Health Equity Studies, Stockholm University (Sweden)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwedish partner in the CAGE project, led by Professor Anders Hjern.
• Migration Institute of FinlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFinnish partner in the CAGE project.
• University of Amsterdam / Academic Medical CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the C2ME project on cultural competence in medical education and in the REFUSEPRE project on refugee maternal mental health. Coordinator of C2ME project.
• ROAM Network (Reproductive Outcomes Among Migrants)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational research network led by Professor Anita Gagnon, McGill University, focusing on reproductive outcomes among migrants.
• Indvandrermedicinsk Klinik, Hvidovre HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClinical partner in multiple projects including MAMAACT, stroke research, and HIV studies among migrants.
• Indvandrermedicinsk Klinik, Odense UniversitetshospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClinical partner in MAMAACT intervention project on ethnic equality in maternal and child health.
• Dansk Røde Kors (Danish Red Cross)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in research on undocumented migrants' health and asylum seekers. Operates the Health Clinic for Undocumented Migrants providing data for studies.
• DIGNITY - Danish Institute Against TorturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in research on torture, trauma, and PTSD among immigrant patients. Also collaborated on COVID-19 research with PhD fellow Ahlam Chemlali.
• Amnesty International DenmarkmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in research on torture and trauma among immigrant patients through Amnesty International's Physician Group.
• Danish Refugee CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization in MESU's Centre Council. Collaborated on seminars regarding Ukrainian refugee reception.
• SFI - Det Nationale Forskningscenter for Velfærd (now VIVE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the SULIM project on sustainable healthy lifestyle interventions for migrants, with researcher Kathrine Vitus leading substudy 4.
• Statens Institut for Folkesundhed (SIF), SDUcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in SULIM project, with Nanna Ahlmark responsible for substudy 5.
• African Population and Health Research Centre, KenyacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational partner in preparatory research on mental health of children left behind by parental migration in sub-Saharan Africa.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Migration Institute of Finland: Finnish partner in the CAGE project and a national research institute on migration. Directly comparable in size and role to MESU as a small Nordic migration research centre.
• Norwegian Centre for Violence and Traumatic Stress Studies (NKVTS): Nordic partner in the CAGE project and a research centre studying trauma, violence, and refugee mental health. Highly comparable in mission and target populations to MESU.
• Karolinska Institutet - Department of Global Public Health: Collaborates with MESU on the REMAIN project examining refugee mental health and social integration. Comparable as a Swedish academic research institution focused on migrant and global public health.
• COMPAS (Centre on Migration, Policy and Society), University of Oxford: Oxford-based interdisciplinary research centre studying migration and ethnic relations. Comparable as a university research centre producing evidence on migrant integration and health.
• Centre for Health Equity Studies (CHESS), Stockholm University: Swedish partner in the CAGE project and a leading Nordic research centre on social determinants of health, migration, and ethnic inequalities. Directly comparable in mandate, methods, and network positioning to MESU.
• University of Amsterdam - Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research: Coordinates the C2ME project and is a partner in REFUSEPRE with MESU. Comparable as a European university research group studying cultural competence in medical education and refugee maternal mental health.

Broad incumbents

• Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH): Swiss academic-public health institute with a migration and health research portfolio. Comparable on interdisciplinary public health methods targeting vulnerable populations including migrants.
• Migration Policy Institute (MPI): A larger, well-established think tank focused on migration policy globally with a health programme. Overlaps with MESU on evidence-based migration health research but operates at a much broader policy and global scale.
• Robert Koch Institute (RKI): Germany's federal public health institute conducting research on migrant and refugee health among broader infectious disease and epidemiology mandates. Comparable on public health research methodology but operates at national scale.
• International Organization for Migration (IOM): UN-affiliated organization conducting large-scale migration health research and policy globally. Overlaps with MESU on migrant health evidence but is a broad intergovernmental incumbent rather than a focused academic centre.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/forskningscenter-for-migration-etnicitet-og-sundhed

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Danish Research Centre for Migration, Ethnicity and Health