Newly established prize: The Skandia Lennart Levi Prize

Professor Lars Alfredsson of the Institute of Environmental Medicine becomes the first recipient of the Skandia Lennart Levi Prize at Karolinska Institutet. He receives the prize for his health-promoting research and inspirational training.

The newly established Skandia Lennart Levi Prize has been awarded to Lars Alfredsson, Professor of Epidemiology at the Institute of Environmental Medicine of Karolinska Institutet. He receives the prize for his contribution to promoting human health, through high-quality research on the causes of disease and ill-health and through his inspirational training.

"Lars Alfredsson has conducted world-class epidemiological research over a long period, and has been particularly successful in recent years", says Professor Nancy Pedersen, Chair of the Prize Committee.

Genetic and environmental causes

The epidemiological research concentrates among other things on genetic and environmental causes of rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory diseases. Professor Alfredsson´s previous research has also been of great benefit, focusing for example on the significance of psychosocial factors for cardiovascular disease and diseases of the musculoskeletal system. He has unique knowledge of epidemiological theory and methodology, and is able to quickly tackle complex issues in this area.

"In addition, he is a devoted teacher who, despite increasing research activity, continues to be involved in, and contribute to, the training of new generations of epidemiologists", says Professor Pedersen.

Professor Lars Alfredsson was born in Stockholm in 1950. He gained a Ph.D in medicine at Karolinska Institutet in 1983 and four years later was awarded a post as docent in epidemiology. He has worked in the Cardiovascular Epidemiology Unit of the Institute of Environmental Medicine at Karolinska Institutet since 1994, and was appointed Professor of Epidemiology on 15 April 2002. He has contributed to around 200 scientific publications.