| Karolinska Institutet

Lung antibodies can be measured in exhaled breath

For the first time, researchers have succesfully measured antibodies against specific respiratory viruses in exhaled air, a new study shows. The method may make it easier to study the immune system in the small airways of the lungs.

The Conversation

Sun and a thermometer showing high temperatures

Photo: Pixabay

How climate change affects kidney health

Climate change poses a growing threat to global public health. In an article published in The Conversation, kidney specialist Peter Stenvinkel highlights that rising temperatures, extreme heat and dehydration increase the risk of kidney damage and other serious health issues.

Long COVID linked to greater risk of high blood pressure

Long COVID is associated with symptoms such as persistent fatigue, shortness of breath and brain fog. But long COVID may also have a broad effect on the cardiovascular system, as well.

Photo: Getty Images.

High levels of ‘forever chemicals’ found in Lancashire residents’ blood

Mattias Öberg writes about what he has learned from studying exposed communities for over a decade.

What vegan and vegetarian diets can and can’t tell us about eating disorders

Many people worry that following a vegetarian or vegan diet may signal an eating disorder. But a systematic review found no clear overall association, suggesting that the reasons behind dietary choices matter far more than the diet itself. Read the article in The Conversation.

Good sleep linked to better brain health in cardiometabolic disease

People with type 2 diabetes, heart disease or stroke who sleep well have better cognitive function and greater brain volume than people with the same conditions who sleep poorly, according to a new study. Researchers believe that good sleep may help to counteract the negative effects on the brain associated with these conditions.

Photo: Liza Simonsson

Research funding

Swedish Research Council awards KI nearly 600 MSEK in three calls

The Swedish Research Council has made decisions on three calls for proposals under which researchers at Karolinska Institutet will receive grants in 2026. In the field of medicine and health, KI has been awarded 106 grants totalling nearly 563 million kronor. KI has also been awarded three grants totalling nearly 14 million kronor in the natural and engineering sciences, as well as two grants totalling just over 20 million kronor in accessibility to infrastructure

Spotlight on colorectal cancer

Photo: Sofia Di Marco

More young people are developing colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer is becoming more common among younger people, particularly younger women. They are also more likely to be at a more advanced stage of the disease at the time of diagnosis. Researchers want to identify more cases earlier and are seeing cause for optimism: in the form of a common painkiller.

Photo: Rickard Kilström

In search of the tumours’ bacteria

There is a connection between the gut microbiome and colorectal cancer. The question is what it looks like, and how it can be used to tackle the disease.

Benjamin Delfi got rectal cancer: “Hard to put my dreams on hold”

When Benjamin Delfi was in the midst of making his dream of opening his own restaurant a reality, he was diagnosed with rectal cancer. Now that his treatment is over, there is room for those dreams again.

Tough treatment for rectal cancer: “I did not think I would live to see 50”

Carina’s treatment for rectal cancer was tougher than she could ever have imagined. Despite her illness, she continued working half-time as an mortuary technician. Work became a way to keep her fear of dying at bay.

Anna Martling counts every step to cure colorectal cancer

“As long as we are making progress, no matter how little, it gives me the strength to keep on working.” Surgeon and professor Anna Martling does not rest on her laurels: Now she is testing whether regular aspirin might be the next step to improve the prognosis in colorectal cancer.

Photo: Liza Simonsson

Research funding

Erling-Persson Foundation supports clinical study on liver metastases

Professor Arne Östman at Karolinska Institutet has been awarded SEK 6 million by the Erling-Persson Foundation. The funding will support a clinical study investigating whether an existing drug can help other cancer drugs reach liver metastases more effectively.

Older woman holding her stomach in discomfort.

Common MS treatment linked to bowel disease risk

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who are treated with rituximab have an increased risk of developing inflammatory bowel disease, particularly Crohn’s disease, although the absolute risk remains low. This is according to the first large population-based study in the field.

Photo: Rasi Bhadramani/Getty Images

Nurses are an important resource in Swedish bowel cancer screening

Colonoscopies performed by specially trained nurses as part of the Swedish bowel cancer screening programme are of at least the same quality as those performed by doctors, according to a new study. The results suggest that nurses could help to address the increasing demand for examinations within the national screening programme.

Photo: Carl Quick

Academic freedom

Award for scientific integrity presented to Jonas F. Ludvigsson

When Professor Jonas F. Ludvigsson presented research findings on children’s health during the COVID-19 pandemic, he faced fierce criticism from the general public, researchers and doctors alike. For his courage in defending scientific findings even when they have been controversial, he has now been awarded Research!Sweden's (Forska!Sverige) honorary award.

Photo: The Nobel Committee for Physiology or Medicine. Ill. Mattias Karlén

Major study sheds light on fatty liver disease genetics

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have identified additional genetic factors underlying fat accumulation in the liver. In a study 60 genetic regions linked to the amount of fat in the liver were identified, 31 of which had not previously been associated with fatty liver disease.

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2026

The discovery sheds light on the brain’s mysteries: “There is a before and an after”

Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel have been awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discoveries behind optogenetics, a method that makes it possible to switch nerve cells in the brain on and off using light. The technique has given researchers new tools to understand how specific nerve cells contribute to memories, emotions and behaviour.

Photo: Cecilia Odlind

The Nobel Prize to the pioneers of optogenetics Peter Hegemann, Georg Nagel and Karl Deisseroth

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2026 is awarded for optogenetics — a method that makes it possible to show how nerve cells shape memories, feelings and behaviours in the living brain. Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel discovered a remarkable protein, channelrhodopsin, in a single-celled alga. Karl Deisseroth transformed the protein into a light-controlled switch for nerve cells. The laureates have laid the foundation of a new era in neuroscience.

Nobelmingle during this year’s Nobel Prize announcement.

Photo: Johanna Gasslander

KI students came together to share the Nobel moment

When this year’s Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was announced on 5 October, KI students came together to watch the exciting moment unfold. Refreshments were served as the live broadcast was shown on a big screen.

Photo: Anna Persson

Collaboration

A thousand upper secondary school students filled Aula Medica to learn about the environment and health

On 6 October, during the Nobel Calling week, Aula Medica was filled with upper secondary school students, who had the opportunity to learn about current research, meet researchers and find out more about education and career opportunities in environment and health.

Photo: Liza Simonsson

Research funding

Project grants from Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation to six KI researchers

Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation is awarding SEK 900 million to 30 research projects that, following evaluations by international experts, have been judged at the forefront of international research. Six out of ten funded research projects in medicine are headed by researchers at Karolinska Institutet

Photo: Getty Images,Getty Images/iStockphoto

Photo: GettyImages,Getty Images/iStockphoto

Relationship value shapes infection risk

How willing we are to share a water bottle, sit close to someone or greet them with physical contact is influenced above all by how important those people are to us. This is shown by a new study in which researchers have investigated people’s social behaviours in 61 communities around the world.

Photo: Fredrik Persson

Academic ceremony

KI’s installation ceremony celebrated learning and leadership in times of change

Trumpet fanfares, heartfelt speeches and prolonged ovations set the tone in Aula Medica on 8 October as KI inaugurated 21 new professors and welcomed new adjunct professors and visiting professors.

Photo: Getty Images/iStockphoto,Getty Images

Twin study sheds new light on screen time and mental health

Shared family factors, such as genes and upbringing, are likely to explain a large part of the link between high screen use and mental health problems in young people, according to new research published in Nature Human Behaviour.

Decorative image of a pregnant woman wearing a knitted sweater holding tummy with hands

Photo: Getty Images,Getty Images/iStockphoto

HPV-vaccinated women had a lower risk of preterm birth

The benefits of the HPV vaccine may extend beyond protection against cancer. In a study published in The BMJ, researchers found that women who had been vaccinated against HPV were less likely to experience several pregnancy and childbirth complications, particularly preterm birth.

Low family income during childhood is linked to atherosclerosis later in life

People who grew up in low-income families are at greater risk of developing atherosclerosis in the coronary arteries later in life, according to a new study. The association remained even after the researchers had taken lifestyle habits and other risk factors into account.

Hypnosis may help relieve stomach pain

Many children and young people experience recurring stomach problems, even though their symptoms cannot be explained by any known disease or abnormality of the gastrointestinal tract. Researchers are now investigating hypnosis as a possible treatment option. First published in the magazine Medicinsk Vetenskap no 3 2026.

Small wooden figures representing a family in the foreground. In the background, a person and a computer are visible.

They care for the carers

Being related to someone who has committed a crime or, for other reasons, become marginalised from society can be extremely difficult. Meet three researchers who are interested in how family members and loved ones are affected and what support they need. First published in the magazine Medicinsk Vetenskap no 3 2026.

Photo: Fredrik Persson

Meet KI's new professors

On Thursday 8 October 2026, 21 new professors were inaugurated at Karolinska Institutet in solemn forms in Aula Medica. The professors' installation ceremony is one of the highlights of the academic year.

Photo: Getty images/Stefan Hörberg

Jens Hjerling Leffler: “Research should be punk”

As a young man, he went through a life-changing period. Today, developmental biologist Jens Hjerling Leffler is trying to understand what happens in the brain as we grow into adulthood. First published in the magazine Medicinsk Vetenskap no 3 2026.

Can the ink stay under your skin

Got inked? One in four Swedes has a tattoo, and among young women they are even more common. But what exactly has been injected into your skin? We spoke to researchers who know more. First published in the magazine Medicinsk Vetenskap no 3 2026.