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The Nobel prize 2024

The 2024 Nobel laureates in Physiology or Medicine (from left) Gary Ruvkun and Victor Ambros.

Photo: Joshua Touster och UMass via AP,AP

The Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology: “A groundbreaking discovery that has finally been rewarded”

Gary Ruvkun and Victor Ambros share this year's Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. They are being awarded for their discovery of microRNAs, which play a crucial role in the development of complex organisms. Research is underway at Karolinska Institutet on how these small molecules can be applied clinically.

The 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine is awarded to Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun

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The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2024 to Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun

The Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet has decided to award the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine jointly to Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun for the discovery of microRNA and its role in post-transcriptional gene regulation.

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The extraordinary life of Alfred Nobel

Alfred Nobel, the inventor and entrepreneur has left a lasting legacy with the annual prizes he established in 1901 for physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature and peace. But life wasn’t always so illustrious for Alfred Nobel, writes Professor Jonas F. Ludvigsson in The Conversation.

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New study

Key molecule in wound healing identified

A new study from Karolinska Institutet and the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences has identified an RNA molecule that is important for skin wound healing. The research may have implications for the treatment of hard-to-heal wounds.

Photo: Martin Stenmark

Ylva Trolle Lagerros receives Sweden's only professorship in prevention

A new donation professorship in prevention is being established at Karolinska Institutet. It will be named Prince Daniel's Professorship in Cardiovascular Prevention and will be awarded to researcher and obstetrician Ylva Trolle Lagerros, who took up the position on 1 October. The aim is to reduce the incidence of cardiovascular diseases in Sweden.

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New study

New hope for patients with chronic pain

KI researchers have developed a comprehensive mapping of genetic activity for understanding the causes of chronic pain. The study opens way to more efficient non-addictive treatment for chronic pain and potentially headache disorders.

Curious about ageing

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Who will live to 100?

Those who wish to live to 100 cannot rely on chance. Instead, it is essential to keep biomarkers associated with ageing and disease in check. By the age of 60, it may already be too late.

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How old are you - really?

You might be 50 years old, but your body could be as fresh as a 40-year-old’s ‒ or vice versa. Biological ageing has its own pace and rhythm. How we live our lives, what we experience, and the quality of medical treatment we receive all influence how quickly we wear out.

Photo: Alexander Donka

The curious link between animal hibernation and ageing

When the cold and dark winter is setting in, some of us envy animals that can hibernate. This long, deep rest is an example of how nature develops clever solution to difficult problems – and is something that science can learn from, according to KI researcher Peter Stenvinkel.

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New study

New cardiovascular disease risk marker discovered in older women

Researchers have identified a new potential risk marker for cardiovascular disease in women. A new study shows an association between low levels of an anti-inflammatory antibody and the risk of heart attack and coronary heart disease.

Grants, prizes and donations

A mans standing in the entrance to a tent. The tent is a field hospital

Photo: Jorge Durand

KTH Great Prize to Johan von Schreeb

Johan von Schreeb, professor of Global Disaster Medicine at Karolinska Institutet, is awarded KTH Great Prize 2024 "for his efforts to reduce suffering in the world".

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Two innovation environments at KI win Vinnova grants

Vinnova is investing in precision medicine and awarding grant funding to six innovation environments. Two of them are at Karolinska Institutet, and both focus on treating cancer. The aim of the grants is to fund efforts to bring greater precision to the diagnosis and treatment of common diseases.

Illustration of doctors examining an artery.

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Prize for study showing new cause behind vascular complications in type 2 diabetes

The Swedish Society of Medicine (SLS) awards researchers John Pernow and Aida Collado Sánchez at Karolinska Institutet with the Alvarenga Prize 2024. The laureates are rewarded for a research article on a study that shows a new cause behind vascular complications in type 2 diabetes and possible future treatment to prevent this.

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KI researchers lead a pilot HPV self-screening programme in Ukraine

Cervical cancer ranks as the fourth most common cause of cancer-related deaths among women, despite the disease being largely preventable. Now, researchers from Karolinska Institutet have received funding from the UICC to investigate how an HPV self-screening programme can be implemented in war-torn Ukraine.

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Six ERC Starting Grants awarded to KI researchers

The European Research Council (ERC) has announced this year’s recipients of Starting Grants for young scientists and scholars across Europe. Six project applications submitted by researchers from Karolinska Institutet have secured grants totalling 9.8 million Euro – an important recognition for KI.

Photo: Fredrik Persson

KI Biobank turns 20: “A goldmine for researchers”

The KI Biobank in Solna turns 20 this year. No fewer than 8.5 million samples from 750,000 individuals are preserved in its freezers. “The biobank is absolutely crucial to meeting tomorrow’s research needs,” says Sanela Kjellqvist, head of the KI Biobank.

Preparedness week 2024

A door in a underground shelter and people walking through it

Photo: Melker Dahlstrand

Preparedness Week 2024 has begun, but what exactly is preparedness?

Preparedness Week 2024 has started. The theme for the year is "Get started" and around the country, municipalities, regions, civil society organizations and many more are investing in information and communication campaigns. But what exactly is preparedness?

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Laboratory preparedness and the importance of making use of experience

Correct and functioning diagnostics are a basic prerequisite for knowing what is happening and what it is we are dealing with, both in everyday life, but not least in a health crisis. Therefore, the need for adaptable and scalable laboratory and diagnostic capabilities is central to rapid and adequate management in many health crises, whether infectious diseases or chemical spills.

Preparedness in intensive care and the need for prioritisation

Healthcare is a societal function that needs to function both in everyday life and in a health crisis. In any health crisis, be it a natural disaster, war in an unstable Europe or a new pandemic, the number of patients in need of care will increase. Among them, a certain proportion will be critically ill in need of intensive care. This will require difficult decisions and prioritisation from their doctors.

Two pill jar made of glass with the word penicillin on it, surrounded by yellow pills on a table

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Preparedness for a creeping health crisis - the case of antibiotic resistance

Some health crises occur suddenly and intensely, for example in the event of an armed attack or an earthquake. Others come more stealthily. One of the clearest and most worrying examples of an insidious health crisis is antibiotic resistance, which will be addressed at a high-level meeting of the United Nations in September.

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Infection control and outbreak preparedness when the virus is loose

We all recognise the scene from countless horror movies and thrillers. A new, unknown virus is spreading. Panic ensues! Suddenly, the streets of New York are filled with people in yellow hazmat suits with big helmets, carrying stretchers where people lie writhing in terrible agony. But what is does it really look like when we prepare for and manage communicable diseases? The Centre for Health Crises’ expert coordinator knows more.

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Ranking

KI one of Sweden's 100 most attractive employers

For the third year in a row, Karolinska Institutet has been placed on the list of Sweden's 100 most attractive employers according to students and young academics. This is in fierce competition with, among others, Ikea, Google, Spotify and Astra Zeneca. This is shown by the annual Young Professional Attraction Index.

Depressed woman sitting by the window in her bedroom

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New study

Unmedicated mental illness linked to lower COVID vaccination

Overall, vaccination coverage for COVID-19 is high in both people with and without mental illness, but Swedish registry data shows that individuals with unmedicated mental illness have lower vaccination levels.

Photo: Yanan Li

World-leading Alzheimer's researchers celebrated the Goodes Prize at KI

Some of the world’s most prominent Alzheimer’s researchers congregated recently in Stockholm for the tenth anniversary of the prestigious Goodes Prize. The programme included a seminar day and a study visit to Karolinska Institutet followed by a social event in Stockholm City Hall.

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New study

Iron given to pregnant women intravenously is more effective than iron taken orally

Researchers found that a medicine called ferric carboxymaltose given in drip through the vein works faster and better than an iron tablet taken by mouth for the treatment of anaemia – and it is as safe as the tablet, a new study shows.

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Ranking

KI climbs in annual reputation survey

When the research company Verian presents this year's reputation index for universities and colleges, KI has increased by four points. With an estimate of 70, KI is well above the average of 63.

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Lectureship

This year's Ulf von Euler Lectureship with Jens Juul Holst

This year's Ulf von Euler Lecture ‘Treatment of Metabolic Diseases with Gut Hormones’ will be given by Jens Juul Holst, Professor of Medical Physiology at the Department of Biomedical Sciences, and Senior Group Leader at the Novo Nordisk Foundation Centre for Basic Metabolic Research, both at the University of Copenhagen. The lecture will take place on 8 November.

The Conversation

Microscopic of Neural network Brain cells, Human nervous system.

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How a common infection tricks the immune system into attacking the brain

Epstein-Barr virus infection appears to be a major risk factor for developing multiple sclerosis (MS). Research from Karolinska Institutet brings us closer to understanding why some people get MS and may contribute to the development of better treatments and even cures.

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Go with the flow for better health

New research seems to confirm that regular flow, losing yourself in time and space during an activity, has positive health effects. For example, lower risk of cardiovascular disease and depression. At the same time, there are factors that complicate this picture. What is clear, however, is that what brings us joy is good for us.

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The gender-equality paradox: Psychological sex differences defy social change

In an equal opportunity country with a good economy, women and men should have increasingly similar characteristics and interests. But the reality is much more complex than that.

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Erections: what we learned from mice could help with sexual health in men

Researchers have delved into the role of penile fibroblasts, the most abundant cells in the human penis, about which little was previously known.

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Don't miss Nobel Calling 2024

In October the recipients of the Nobel Prizes are announced. In connection with this, the Nobel Prize Museum organizes inspirational events and instructive meetings in collaboration with, among others, Karolinska Institutet. The full programme can be found here.

Photo: Fredrik Persson.

Get to know the new KI professors

On 3 October, 18 new professors were inaugurated at Karolinska Institutet during a formal ceremony in Aula Medica. The installation ceremony is one of the highlights of the academic calendar. Read the interviews with them taken from the booklet ‘From Cell to Society 2024’, which was handed out at the ceremony.

Photo: Martin Stenmark

Petter Brodin wants to understand your immune system

Is your immune system functioning as it should? The question is not as simple to answer as one might think. Professor Petter Brodin is trying to understand more about it. At the same time, he hopes to help patients that are severely affected with post-COVID and other conditions where the regulation of the immune system is not working.

Four happy childre running in gym clothes.

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My Best Day - Generation Pep's new online training for school children

Generation Pep wants all children and young people in Sweden to have the opportunity and desire to live an active and healthy life. They collaborate with established knowledge partners, including Karolinska Institutet. Generation Pep now presents the online training programme My Best Day, developed in collaboration with researchers at KI and others, with the aim of improving young people's health.