A new partnership between NVS and Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer (IDAC) – Tohoku University, Japan
It is exciting to announce that NVS has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IDAC for academic exchange and to further strengthen the academic ties between the two institutions. The MoU was signed on August 11th, 2025, by Professor Maria Ankarcrona, Head of Department, NVS and Professor Kozo Tanaka, Director of IDAC.
This agreement builds upon years of academic collaboration between the two institutions, following the 1st Joint Symposium held in Stockholm in June 2023 and the 2nd Joint Symposium in Sendai in June 2025.
IDAC at Tohoku University, Sendai
IDAC is a leading center in Japan with a mission to elucidate the fundamental mechanisms of aging — from the origins of life through development, maturation, aging, and death. IDAC runs several programs to develop cutting-edge methods for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, as well as innovative medical devices, with the aim of overcoming age-related brain and neurological diseases such as dementia and intractable cancers. IDAC is affiliated with Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan.
What is in it for you?
This partnership is expected to promote joint research initiatives and active exchanges of students and researchers.
- Are you a PhD student? This partnership will support the exchange of doctoral students between the two institutions. Please explore available internationalization grants from both KI and IDAC – Tohoku University (contact: car-nvs@ki.se).
- Are you a group leader? This partnership will support the exchange of students between the two institutions, facilitate access to unique data, bioresources, and techniques available at IDAC, and encourage the preparation of joint grant applications (contacts: indu.motwani@ki.se for international grants at NVS; lotta.lundqvist@ki.se for coordination of international collaboration; per.et.nilsson@ki.se for academic collaboration in Japan; or the Grants Office at KI).
- For everyone: As part of this MoU, the Center for Alzheimer Research (CAR) at NVS will organize and host workshops, conferences, seminars, and other events to disseminate the results of joint iniciatives and projects between NVS and IDAC. There will also be opportunities to contribute to joint scientific publications and other forms of research collaboration (contact: car-nvs@ki.se)
Main contact at KI
Activities within this academic exchange will be coordinated by the Center for Alzheimer Research (CAR ) and NVS at Karolinska Institutet. Please contact car-nvs@ki.se for any further information or questions.