FyFa’s 75-year celebration: a day of inspiration and community
Around 200 people from near and far gathered to celebrate FyFa 75 years on Tuesday 23 April. The day was characterised by togetherness, strategic and visionary talks, good food, and a positive outlook on the future.
“Today is a celebration of our journey together”, said Sophie Erhardt, head of the Department of physiology and pharmacology, in the introduction at the conference centre Skogshem & Wijk in Lidingö.
“Through collaboration and innovation, FyFa's celebration illuminates our shared journey of excellence, reminding us that together, we can push the boundaries and make a lasting impact in physiology and pharmacology, and to truly make a difference for people’s health”, said Sophie Erhardt during a break in the program.
FyFa management in the hot chair
The first session continued with the FyFa management in the “hot chair” answering questions from the audience and from moderator Carl Johan Sundberg on various FyFa related topics. While challenges like talent recruitment and retention were acknowledged, FyFa sees them as opportunities for growth and innovation. The department is also committed to staying relevant and enhancing internal communication to foster collaboration.
The first session also featured four inspiring talks on FyFa’s history from Olof Ljungström, Ernst Brodin, Bo Rydqvist and Sten Lindahl, moderated by Daniel Andersson.
Hot and cool research at FyFa
The celebration programme continued with a nice lunch followed by four examples of remarkable FyFa research presented by Hugo Zeberg, Eddie Weitzberg, Barbara Canlon, and Cristiana Cruceanu, moderated by Jon Lundberg and Hugo Zeberg. Their presentations highlighted FyFa's innovative spirit, and the impactful research being conducted recently and further back in time.
Exercise and Dragons’ Den
After a break containing an outdoor exercise class led by Jessica Norrbom, and coffee in the sun, the day programme culminated in a Dragons’ Den with four distinguished dragons – Jan M Lundberg, Anders Ekblom, Emelie Antoni and Johan Raud. The dragons listened to five pitches from the department and assessed who would be the winner of a great prize for the best innovation. The winning idea, presented at dinner, was ”MuscleRevive: restoring muscle force” by Johanna Lanner and Maarten Steinz. The Dragons’ Den session was moderated by Patrik Blomquist and Andreas Lundquist from KI Innovations.
Jazz, posters, and dinner
Noticeable during the day was all the engaged conversations that took place during the day, not least during the poster display after the Dragon’s Den. The poster viewing was enhanced by a great band, consisting of members from FyFa, playing jazz and soul. The last item of the day was a delicious dinner where also the winner of the cover art contest for best cover for the December 2024 issue of Pharmacological Reviews, Magdalena Scharf, was presented.
Two voices from the day:
Jon Lundberg, vice head of FyFa, what was your role in the celebration?
“I was a part of the committee that planned the event, and I was especially involved in the ‘Hot and cool’ research session, as well as in the Dragons’ Den section. I also participated as a member of the FyFa management team in the ‘Hot chair’ session. Finally, me and my band played some live music during the poster session in the afternoon”.
What are your thoughts on the day?
"As a participant in FyFa's celebration and as a member of FyFa’s management team, today was a meaningful and inspiring experience. The day was filled with thoughtful discussions, interesting presentations, and personal insights that highlighted our department's strengths and achievements. Overall, it was a positive and inspiring day, and I was especially intrigued by the innovative power that emerged during a special session in the afternoon. All of this left me feeling proud to be part of the FyFa community and optimistic about our future endeavors.”
Antonia Knipper, masters’ student, what was your role in the celebration?
“I have been helping out as a volunteer in the planning of the event, and I am also taking pictures of participants during the day, among other things.”
What are your thoughts on the day?
"I really enjoyed it! I didn’t know what to expect since this was my first event like this at the university, but everyone is very open and friendly. The one expectation I did have was to meet new people and to make new connections and that has really been fulfilled. This is a perfect mix of doing something fun together – old and new at the department –, with mingling and taking part in interesting presentations."