Carl Johan Sundberg awarded newly instituted honorary prize for his work in science communication
KI professor Carl Johan Sundberg has been awarded the newly instituted FFF Hall of Fame Prize for his efforts to make science accessible to the public and develop science communication.
“I feel incredibly honoured and grateful to receive this award,” says Carl Johan Sundberg, professor of molecular and applied exercise physiology at the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, with research activities also at the Department of Learning, Informatics, Management and Ethics and dean of KI North. “It’s important for science communication more generally and sends a positive signal to everyone active in a diverse range of fields.”
Professor Sundberg is the first person to have their name inscribed in the Forum For Science Communication (FFF) Hall of Fame. The new award was presented for the first time ever at the annual FFF conference in November.
Over the years, Professor Sundberg has worked hard to make research available to the general public. He has started and run courses in medicine for journalists and in popular science communication for students and researchers.
He has also contributed to KI’s collaboration with the National Museum of Science and Technology on The Cell in Hagastaden’s Forskaren building.
Demonstrating the value of knowledge
Professor Sundberg has written several textbooks and popular science books, and often appears on the radio and television. He also set up the international ESOF (EuroScience Open Forum) conference, which was held for the first time in Stockholm in 2004, and which has served as a forum of researchers, decision-makers and the public in Europe.
“I’ve been motived over the years by a drive to make research news public and to raise awareness of the scientific method and the value of knowledge to individuals and society,” he says. “What’s more, I find it hugely stimulating to interact in different ways with people who are interested in and affected by scientific discoveries.”
AI complements but doesn’t replace
Professor Sundberg does not believe that AI will replace science communication in the future:
“AI will fortify research and science communication and make them more efficient, but the AI models are based on what already exists and we might well drop behind in innovation if the machines take over completely,” he says. “I think we complement each other.”
Text: Cecilia Odlind
The judges’ citation
“Carl Johan Sundberg is a true pioneer in broadening the availability of research and developing science communication. Thanks to his passion for both the scientific process and science communication, he has aroused curiosity and inspired his research colleagues to share their knowledge.
He builds bridges with fingertip precision between scientific complexity and everyday reality. His tireless efforts to improve public health through exercise have had a profound impact and his international engagement has struck a chord around the world”.