Kerstin Brismar Award 2026 to Prof. Per-Ola Carlsson

Per-Ola Carlsson is a physician-scientist with a distinguished and strong track record in diabetes research. His early work focused on islet physiology, using preclinical models to investigate the regulation of pancreatic islet blood flow and its importance for endocrine pancreas function. Over the course of his career, he has made major contributions to translational and clinical diabetes research.

A substantial part of his more recent work has been devoted to understanding and improving the function and long-term survival of transplanted human islets, including the development of strategies to prevent immune-mediated rejection. He has also led randomized clinical trials evaluating the potential of mesenchymal stem cell therapies to preserve residual beta cell function in individuals with recent-onset type 1 diabetes.

Most recently, Per-Ola Carlsson has led the first study in the world to evaluate the survival of genetically engineered insulin-producing cells transplanted in the absence of immunosuppressive therapy. These approaches have demonstrated remarkable success, with transplanted islets maintaining survival and function in vivo for nearly a year. This highly translational work holds considerable therapeutic promise and has the potential to transform future treatment paradigms for diabetes. His current research program represents a unique and ambitious extension of these groundbreaking studies.

In recognition of his outstanding scientific achievements, sustained research excellence, and significant potential for clinical impact, the committee unanimously selected Per-Ola Carlsson as this year's recipient of the Brismar Award.

The purpose of the Kerstin Brismar Award is to meet the increasing need for effective clinical research, by offering research funds to promising and outstanding researchers in the field of diabetes.