Clinical epidemiologist at Karolinska Institutet wins the 2013 Folksam Prize

The 2013 Folksam Prize for Epidemiological Research is awarded to Olof Nyrén, professor of clinical epidemiology at the Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet.

Professor Nyrén receives the prize for his groundbreaking discoveries of the causes and treatment of cancer and other diseases of the upper gastrointestinal tract. His researches on causes and treatments of gastritis and the potential dangers of blood transfusions have had immediate consequences for public health.

Professor Nyrén has spent many years researching into the relationship between cause and effect in the development of chronic disease and has identified and mapped risk factors in, above all, cancer epidemiology, especially with regard to cancer of the oesophagus and stomach. One of his most important contributions is determining the bacteria Helicobacter polyri's role for the development of stomach cancer. He has also used large scale epidemiological methods for studying progress and prognosis for a wide variety of medical conditions.

His research has a solid scientific grounding in clinical work, and as a mentor and inspiration he helps new generations of doctors and researchers to understand the value of evidence-based medicine.

"Professor Nyrén's research is a textbook example of how his sharp mind, methodological stringency and unfailing integrity have given us an essential understanding of disease causalities, which has led to important clinical results," says award committee chair Professor Nancy Pedersen. "As a teacher, hes a key person in the training of a new generation of talented clinical epidemiologists."

The Folksam Prize for Epidemiological Research is awarded to internationally outstanding researchers engaged in scientific work in which epidemiological material is used for the purposes of prevention in the field of public health. Prize winners are selected by a panel of judges appointed by Karolinska Institutet. The prize is worth SEK 100,000 and is to be awarded at Karolinska Institutet's installation ceremony in Aula Medica on 24 October 2013.