The Conversation
Photo: Getty ImagesLong 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.
Photo: Getty ImagesWhat 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.
Photo: Getty ImagesMore articles by KI researchers published in The Conversation
From cold-resistant genes to face masks, Karolinska Institutet researchers contribute to the global public discourse on a range of topics through our collaboration with the international news site The Conversation.
Grants, awards and donations
Photo: Gettyimages,Getty ImagesSwedish Research Council grant to study blood biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease
KI researcher Giulia Grande has received a Starting Grant from the Swedish Research Council to study blood biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease. The project will investigate whether analysing many proteins together can improve detection and provide a clearer picture of how the disease develops.
Photo: Liza SimonssonProject 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: Liza SimonssonErling-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.
Photo: Carl QuickAward 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.
Spotlight on colorectal cancer
Photo: Rickard KilströmIn 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.
Photo: Martin StenmarkBenjamin 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.
Photo: Martin StenmarkTough 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.
Photo: Martin StenmarkAnna 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.
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2026
Photo: Cecilia OdlindThe 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.
Photo: Johanna GasslanderKI 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.
Selected top publications
Researchers trace antibodies behind severe viral infections
Harold Marcotte, Qiang Pan-Hammarström et al, Journal of Experimental Medicine, November 2026
Alzheimer’s in younger adults: brain scans reveal faster tau build-up
Konstantinos Chiotis et al, Science Translational Medicine, November 2026
No clear long-term benefit of no-touch technique in coronary bypass surgery
Ulrik Sartipy et al, JAMA Cardiology, September 2026
Study identifies inherited genetic risk factors in childhood leukemia
Ann Nordgren et al, Nature Communications, September 2026
New molecule protected against acute liver failure in study
Maurice Michel et al, Advanced Science, September 2026
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