Anna Embring appointed docent in cancer and oncology
Anna Embring has been appointed docent in cancer and oncology at Karolinska Institutet. She is based at the Department of Oncology Pathology and is a member of the Clinical radiotherapy research group, led by Åsa Carlsson Tedgren. She also works as a specialist physician in oncology with a focus on radiotherapy at Karolinska University Hospital.
We spoke to Anna Embring about her appointment and her research.
Congratulations on your docentship, Anna. What does it mean to you, and how will it affect your work going forward?
"Thank you. It is very rewarding to receive the recognition that comes with being appointed docent. I also believe that the docentship may open up new opportunities and, hopefully, make it easier to apply for funding for different research projects."
Which clinical challenge within radiotherapy do you hope your research will help to address?
"My current research primarily focuses on radiotherapy for children. In my experience, there is a great deal of progress in paediatric cancer research, but radiotherapy sometimes receives less attention. I hope that my research can help ensure that the technological advances in radiotherapy over recent decades benefit children in the best possible way.
Today, most children diagnosed with cancer are cured, but unfortunately many experience late side effects from treatment. I want to contribute to increasing knowledge about how treatment can be designed to be both curative today and associated with as few long‑term side effects as possible."
How does combining clinical work with research help new knowledge reach patients more quickly?
"The research I am involved in is very closely linked to clinical practice, which means that what I learn through my clinical work can be applied in research, and vice versa. In addition, we collaborate very closely within the Swedish Working Group of Paediatric Radiotherapy, a national network for clinical work and research in paediatric radiotherapy. This means that insights gained through research can quickly become part of everyday clinical practice and ultimately benefit patients."