Partner 1 – Stakeholder

name

Steven Lucas

nationality

American / Swedish

work place

Department of Women's and Children's Health
Uppsala university

city / country

Sölvesborg, Sweden

professional status

Associate Professor (Docent) in Pediatrics, Pediatrician and Research Group Leader (REACH – Research Enhancing Adolescent and Child Health)
Uppsala university

Senior Advisor, Stiftelsen Allmänna Barnhuset

keywords

#child health #child maltreatment #child abuse #child neglect #violence prevention #adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) #early identification #child health services #health promotion #prevention #implementation science #parental support #public health #access to care #youth wellbeing

role in the project

Stakeholder representing child health, child protection and violence prevention, contributing expertise in childhood trauma, early identification of psychosocial risk factors, and improved access to care for vulnerable children and adolescents.

general expertise and its relevance for the project

Steven Lucas is a pediatrician, Associate Professor, and leader of the REACH research group at Uppsala university. His research focuses on promoting child and adolescent health, preventing physical, psychological, and social adversity, and identifying psychosocial and environmental risk factors affecting children and young people. He has more than twenty years of experience working with child health services and children exposed to maltreatment and adversity. His research includes child abuse, child neglect, violence exposure, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), preventive interventions, parental support, and early identification of psychosocial risk factors. He has also contributed to the Swedish adaptation and implementation of the SEEK (Safe Environment for Every Kid) model, known in Sweden as BarnSäkert, supporting the early identification of psychosocial risk factors and strengthening preventive child health services.

His expertise is highly relevant to the VOICE project through his work on childhood trauma, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), violence prevention, early detection of vulnerability, and strengthening pathways to timely support and care for vulnerable children and young people.

additional information

Steven Lucas has more than two decades of experience combining pediatric clinical practice, public health, and research to improve outcomes for vulnerable children. His work has focused on preventing child maltreatment, identifying psychosocial risk factors at an early stage, and implementing evidence-based interventions within routine child health services.

Through his leadership of the REACH research group and the Swedish implementation of the SEEK/BarnSäkert model, he has demonstrated how research can be translated into sustainable healthcare practice. His expertise in prevention, implementation science, and integrated child health systems is directly aligned with the objectives of the VOICE project.

responsibilities

- Associate Professor (Docent) in Pediatrics at Uppsala university.
- Medical Director for Child Health Services in Uppsala County.
- Leads the REACH (Research Enhancing Adolescent and Child Health) research group.
- Leads research on child maltreatment, violence prevention, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and preventive child health interventions.
- Has extensive experience implementing and evaluating the SEEK/BarnSäkert model for early identification of psychosocial risk factors.
- Translates research evidence into preventive child health practice and policy.

education

2004 - Specialist in Pediatrics
1998 - PhD, Uppsala university
1993 - MD, Uppsala university. Medical studies at the Medical College of Pennsylvania, Karolinska Institutet, and Uppsala university.
1987 - BA in Physiology, University of California San Diego