Our work
Persistent symptoms such as fatigue and cognitive difficulties are common after infection, yet their underlying causes remain poorly understood. COFFI brings together selected international cohort studies to better understand post-infective fatigue and related conditions. By combining data from diverse populations and settings, we aim to identify risk factors, underlying mechanisms, and potential targets for prevention and treatment.
Research areas
Our work focuses on key questions shared across post-infective syndromes:
Risk factors
Why do some individuals develop persistent symptoms after infection while others recover?
We investigate demographic, clinical, and psychosocial factors associated with increased risk.
Mechanisms
What processes underlie persistent symptoms?
We study biological, psychological, and social mechanisms, including interactions between the immune system, the brain, and behaviour.
Outcomes and trajectories
How do symptoms develop and change over time?
We examine symptom patterns, recovery trajectories, and long-term impact across different populations and infections.
Prevention and treatment
How can persistent symptoms be prevented or alleviated?
We aim to identify potential targets for intervention and inform future clinical trials and management strategies.
Working across cohorts
A defining feature of COFFI’s research is the integration of data from multiple cohort studies. These cohorts span different pathogens, age groups, and geographical regions, enabling comparative and pooled analyses across populations and settings.
This approach allows us to identify consistent patterns, explore sources of variation, and strengthen the robustness of findings.