| Karolinska Institutet

New method reveals how the brain and inner ear are formed

KI researchers have developed a method that shows how the nervous system and sensory organs are formed in a mouse embryo, and used it to study how the inner ear is formed. The discovery, published in Science, could provide important insights for future treatment of hearing loss.

Photo: Lewalski.

Student 2026

Great interest in Open Day at KI Campus Flemingsberg

Applications to universities and colleges are now open, and KI welcomed prospective students to the Open Day at Campus Flemingsberg. There was great interest and many questions as visitors from Sweden and Europe learned more about their dream programmes.

Photo: Getty Images

New study

Blood test may rule out future dementia risk

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have demonstrated how specific biomarkers in the blood can predict the development of dementia up to ten years before diagnosis, among older adults living independently in the community.

Grants, prizes and donations

Photo: Getty Images.,Getty Images

Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation extends support for research on obesity-related diseases

Congratulations to Mikael Rydén who has been granted an extension as Wallenberg Clinical Scholar. The extension from the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation means three million SEK per year for five years for his research.

Photo: Andreas Andersson

Rolf Kiessling receives a distinguished award for immunotherapy research

Professor Rolf Kiessling at Karolinska Institutet has been selected as the recipient of the 2025 CIMT Lifetime Achievement Award for his groundbreaking discovery of natural killer (NK) cells, which has significantly advanced our understanding of the immune response to viruses and cancer cells.

Photo: Getty Images,Getty Images/iStockphoto

Generous allocation from the Swedish Rheumatism Association to KI research

This year, the Swedish Rheumatism Association (Reumatikerförbundet) is awarding almost SEK 14 million to research into rheumatic diseases. What unites many research projects is a clear focus on personalised diagnostics and treatment. Of the total of 87 research projects in this year's allocation, 32 are conducted at KI.

Photo: shutterstock

KI research receives SEK 3.4 million from the Swedish Kidney Foundation

This year's awarded research grant from the Swedish Kidney Foundation (Njurfonden) was a record amount, seven and a half million SEK for kidney research. About half, SEK 3,450,000, goes to projects at Karolinska Institutet.

Photo: Getty Images

Prestigious Göran Gustafsson Prize to Laura Baranello

Researchers who are awarded a Göran Gustafsson Prize are among Sweden's foremost under 45 years of age in their field. One of this year's five Göran Gustafsson Prize winners is KI researcher Laura Baranello, who is being recognized for “groundbreaking studies on the regulation of topoisomerases and their role in tumor biology”. The aim of the research is a new strategy for less intrusive cancer treatments.

Photo: Getty Images

New study

Researchers have mapped the genetics of cardiovascular disease

Researchers have identified gene variants that increase the risk of atherosclerosis. The goal is for these new findings to enable earlier detection of atherosclerosis and improved treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

Photo: Getty Images.,Getty Images

New study

Protein in the nose provides information about COPD

Researchers have now shown that material from nasal lavage provides a basis for assessing COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The study could lead to a simple diagnostic method for early assessment of COPD.

Photo: Getty Images

New study

Three out of ten breast cancers are detected between screenings

In a new study, researchers have shown that so-called interval cancers, which are detected between two screening sessions, account for a significant proportion of breast cancer cases and that certain risk factors may increase the likelihood of developing this type of cancer.

Photo: Getty Images

New study

New mechanism for how cells handle stress discovered

In a study published in Nature, researchers at Karolinska Institutet and SciLifeLab, among others, have identified a new mechanism for how cells deal with stress. This could have implications for treating cancer and certain hereditary, neurodegenerative diseases.

Photo: Getty Images

New study

Fatty liver linked to increased risk of death from several diseases

New research from Karolinska Institutet shows that people with fatty liver disease have almost twice the mortality rate of the general population. They have an increased risk of dying from both liver diseases and common diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease.

Doctor putting oxygen mask on patient face. Male nurse taking care of unconscious patient in intensive care unit.

Photo: Getty Images

New study

One in eight patients in hospitals are critically ill

About one in eight patients admitted to hospitals are critically ill, and most of these patients are cared for outside intensive care units. The researchers behind the study believe that simple but underutilised care could save many lives at a low cost.

The Conversation

Photo: getty images,Getty Images

Why the eyes are the mirror of breathing

New research has discovered a fundamental mechanism that affects pupil size - our breathing. The pupil is smallest when we breathe in and largest when we breathe out - something that could affect vision. In The Conversation, the researchers explain the implications of this.

Photo: Getty Images

How fluoride may be linked to poorer cognition in children

Photo: Sara Bakhshi

Nine reasons why the myth that vaccines cause autism persists

From a research perspective, there is little left to discover about vaccines used in long-standing nationwide vaccine programmes, such as polio, measles, and rubella. So why do suspicions that vaccines cause autism remain? Professor Sven Bölte presents nine reasons in The Conversation.

Photo: Martin Stenmark

Hyperbaric chamber treatment may alleviate PTSD

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is common in military veterans but can affect anyone who has suffered or witnessed an extreme physical or emotional event, and it is very hard to treat. Novel treatments are urgently needed. A recent study has been showing promise with an unusual treatment: hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT).

Photo: Getty Images

Palliative care: how to improve quality of life in terminal illness

We have all been born, and we will all die. But how do we want to die, and how can the final period be as good as possible? Researchers in palliative care aim to improve the quality of life for people with incurable diseases.

Photo: Johan Nord

Important to talk about death when children are incurably ill

Children who are dying often understand that they are indeed dying. A major task for healthcare professionals is to help children, parents and siblings to talk about it. But how do you do that?