KI researcher Olivia Thomas awarded the Bjarne Ahlströms Minnesfonds pris 2026
Olivia Thomas, researcher in translational immunology in neuroinflammation, and assistant professor at the Department of Clinical Neuroscience, has been awarded the Bjarne Ahlström Minnesfonds pris (Bjarne Ahlström Memorial Fund Prize) in “Clinical Neurology - especially inflammatory mechanisms affecting central or peripheral nervous system function”.
Dr Olivia Thomas, assistant professor at the Department of Clinical Neuroscience at KI, is awarded the prize from the Bjarne Ahlström Memorial Fund for showing how the immune response to Epstein-Barr virus can turn against the nervous system in multiple sclerosis. Her work is an important step towards new ways to understanding and treating the disease.
Chairman of the Board, Max Mitteregger, comments:
“It is with great pleasure that we present this award given in the spirit of Bjarne Ahlström for the seventh time. Once again, there were several highly qualified researchers among the nominees, but Dr. Olivia Thomas stood out as a truly deserving recipient. We look forward to following her future research with great interest.”
Olivia Thomas comments on the award:
”I am honoured and surprised to have been awarded this year's Bjarne Ahlström Minnesfond Pris. I feel very proud that my research into how Epstein-Barr virus can lead to multiple sclerosis has been recognised in this way. As an early career researcher, this prize will make an enormous difference to my newly founded research group, and I look forward to the exciting work we have in front of us.”
Bjarne Ahlström Minnesfond pris (the Bjarne Ahlström Memorial Fund Prize) consists of 1,050,000 kronor, divided into a personal prize of 100,000 kronor and a research grant of 950,000 kronor. The award is presented annually. Recipients are selected by the Foundation’s board, following a nomination process and an expert review.
The award ceremony took place on 15 October 2026.
The Foundation's citation
“The strongest candidate, given the precise focus of the prize. The 2026 Cell-publication (as corresponding author) establishes a mechanistic link between the Epstein-Barr virus and MS, a finding described internationally as a paradigm shift, and she has several other papers, as corresponding or first author, in Sci Adv and PLoS Pathogens. She has recently established herself as an assistant professor with a clear, independent research profile. Her work falls squarely within the foundation’s core area: inflammatory mechanisms in clinical neurology.”
Bjarne Ahlströms Minnesfond
The Foundation was established in 2017 by the will of Bjarne Ahlström. During his lifetime, Bjarne Ahlström (1938-2017) worked very successfully as a coin dealer with his own coin shop. He was a very knowledgeable and recognised numismatist and was also the author of several works in the field.
The purpose of the Foundation is to promote scientific research in the field of medicine, and to provide support for the preparation of teaching and training in these subjects.