News archive

What were the successes and challenges of clinical trials of COVID-19 treatment during the pandemic in Sweden? What have we learnt, in order to be better prepared for future health crisis? Those were questions asked at a symposium and roundtable discussion organised by the Centre for Health Crises at KI on December 14.

After half a century in near-Earth orbit, humans are heading further out in space. First to the moon again. Then on to Mars! For this to go well, more research is needed on how space stresses the human body.

In clinical studies, new methods and treatments are tested on humans under controlled conditions. However, clinical treatment studies are often very expensive to carry out and require resources that allow many different professional groups to work together. The Swedish Cancer Society has now decided on an extra allocation of grants to ten researchers for clinical studies. Six of these are researchers at Karolinska Institutet.

The ANA Futura service team is present every working day during the Christmas holidays.

AI is increasingly being used in healthcare, education and research. AI chats are part of the AI offering at KI and Copilot (previously called Bing Chat Enterprise) has recently been made available to all employees. The goal is for AI to become part of the everyday work of KI's researchers, staff and students.

For KI researcher Ylva Trolle Lagerros, AI and Microsoft Copilot (formerly Bing Chat Enterprise) offer time savings and texts with cited sources, but also future opportunities for research collaborations with several countries. She also sees valuable connections between the use of AI tools and the role of teacher and researcher on digital support in healthcare.

For KI doctoral student Eric Åhlberg, AI and Microsoft Copilot (formerly Bing Chat Enterprise) offer tools for statistical analysis work and for managing certain administration. His long-term goal is for AI to become a validated tool for high-quality research results.

For ICT educator Marcus Emas, Microsoft Copilot (formerly Bing Chat Enterprise) and AI offer new opportunities to streamline the work with reference management, reading lists and assessing assignments, among other things. He emphasizes that AI at KI should be an equal tool and welcomes the introduction of Microsoft Copilot.

The Docent Committee decided on the 24 of August 2023 to admit Rayomand Press and Chartih Cooray as docents in neurologi.

At the beginning of December, Rasa Sundelius started as Financial controller at the Department of Medicine, Huddinge (MedH).

The mhGAP guideline supports countries to strengthen capacity to deal with the growing burden of mental, neurological and substance use (MNS) conditions and narrow the treatment gap. These recommendations were first published in 2010 as part of the mhGAP intervention guide. The third edition of the mhGAP handbook, reflecting 15 years of investment, covers 11 modules on various mental health disorders and related conditions.

The University of Toronto invites doctoral students and post-doctoral fellows at KI to apply to the summer course “Summer in Design” given by “Medicine in Design” given the 10-19th of June 2024.

Helena Karlström, senior lecturer at the Division of Neurogeriatrics is awarded 250 000 Euro (approximately 2,8 million SEK) from the Dutch Brain Foundation for the project ”NOTCH3 immunotherapy to target toxic protein aggregation in CADASIL”.
In addition, she receives 3,6 million SEK from the European Joint program – Rare Diseases (EJP-RD) for the project ”CADASIL-Naturliga sjukdomsförloppet ”.

Book the 15th of February today!

The Swedish Childhood Cancer Fund's allocation reflects the needs that exist in areas such as new technology and precision medicines. This year's call for proposals means that SEK 125 million will be allocated to 62 projects in the field of childhood cancer, of which SEK 35,400,000 will go to researchers at Karolinska Institutet.

The abundance of unhealthy food in society means that obesity doctor and researcher Ylva Trolle Lagerros is working against certain headwinds. But the arrival of new medications have made her job more enjoyable. In parallel, she has developed apps that provide patients with support.

The project of integrating BioNut into MedH is ongoing, and an important part of it is to give the employees of the two departments the opportunity to get to know each other. So far, a "get to know each other day" for the administrative staff and an AW has been arranged. Two successful and much appreciated activities.

Tips from Grants Office regarding current calls

Dementia diseases cost Swedish society around SEK 80 billion per year. The EU has now awarded funding to the Prominent project, which aims to improve both diagnostics and treatment for these diseases. Karolinska Institutet is responsible for the project in the role of coordinator.

The IT Office is expanding its software portfolio with three titles with a large KI user base.

The Swedish Research Council has awarded project grants for international collaborations in rare diseases (EJP RD). Of the seven researchers awarded grants, four are researchers at Karolinska Institutet.

Graduation time is approaching at KI! On Friday 12 January 2024, the graduation ceremonies will take place for the programmes: occupational therapists, nurses, doctors, and physiotherapists. Meet four graduating students and share their best memories and tips.

The Royal Patriotic Society awarded the Fostrargärningsmedaljen 2023 to Hugo Lagercrantz, professor emeritus in pediatrics and former chief physician at Astrid Lindgren's Children's Hospital. This is for his efforts in children's medicine as well as his strong and straightforward commitment to social debate.

Aimo Park parking stickers for KI staff are now available in the reception in Biomedicum

From 1 January 2024, you must apply for compensation for medical expenses and drugs in the PA-web.

The research group Cultural Medicine at the Department of LIME hosted PRAO students from the International School of Kungsholmen with the learning outcome to identify global key concepts to promote health and discuss importance of physical activity to promote health.

During January, NVS will move their BSL2 lab and BSL2/Isotope lab from floor 8 to floor 7 in Neo. They will also move their lab-offices down to floor 7.

Too little sleep during school days and poor sleep quality can be linked to an increased risk of depression and suicidal thoughts among middle school students, shows a study conducted at the National Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention (NASP).

KI researcher Birgitta Henriques Normark is a newly elected fellow of IVA (the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences). IVA works to build bridges between academia, business and politics, and promotes people's ability to make a positive contribution to society through technical and economic sciences.

A group with broad expertise in the field of health crises, consisting of people from fifteen Swedish universities, gathered at Karolinska Institutet on Tuesday 5 December, when the Centre for Health Crises hosted a meeting about how universities can contribute before, during and after health crises. During the meeting, experiences were shared and the foundation was laid for a health crises network.

The Indian Embassy in Sweden is delighted to announce the registration for Swedish research delegation to India with a focus on life sciences is now open! The visit is planned from 11 to 13 March 2024 and further details about the registration and the delegation are below and on the attached invite.

The authors of KI's first Planetary Health Report Card (PHRC) are twelve students from KI's various educational programmes. The commitment comes from a common interest and concern for the environment, climate, and planetary health.

During October, KI together with Mayo Clinic organized an event designed to empower educators and learners to advance health professions education teaching and learning, through innovative use of generative AI. In the spirit of "We are better together" it was an opportunity to experiment with generative AI and together with 200 educators across the world co-constructe a repository of prompts.

Advice and suggestions on generative AI in teaching and assessment are now available. They can serve as a guide in questions related to the technology of generative AI.

THANK YOU to all 152 employees who responded to the spring survey on sustainable development with a focus on the environment and climate! Employees of different ages, professions, and positions and from all departments responded.

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a common mental disorder, affecting around 20% of the population worldwide. Several causes that can lead to MDD, and patients display a wide range of symptoms as well as responses to treatments. This diversity makes it challenging to pinpoint the root causes, understand the underlying mechanisms, and tailor treatments effectively. Suicide is a pressing public health concern, impacting not only individuals living with MDD but also the general population.

The discoveries of Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman made possible the first COVID-19 vaccine. But it was just one of the many things that can be done with mRNA, explained the Nobel laureates in Physiology or Medicine in their Nobel lectures.

On the 4th and 5th of December, national and international researchers, experts, and stakeholders met to listen to and discuss good examples of suicide prevention interventions within railbound traffic. The event was organized by the National Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention (NASP) at Karolinska Institutet and Region Stockholm.

A successful KI Alumni China Chapter 2023 networking event was arranged in Shanghai in November, gathering a large crowd from all over China.

Kaixuan Zhao at the research group Signal Transduction, the Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, will defend her thesis "The role of T-type calcium channels in human pancreatic β cell maturity" on December 15, 2023.

Main Supervisor is Shao-Nian Yang.

As previously announced, IMM received research grants during the autumn from, among others, Forte and AFA Insurance. New grants have now been received from The Swedish Research Council, The Swedish Cancer Society, The Swedish Heart Lung Foundation and FORMAS.

Newer diabetes medicines do not appear to increase the risk of birth defects. The largest comparative study to date found no increased risk compared to treatment with insulin, which is considered safe during pregnancy. The study was published in JAMA Internal Medicine.

A successful doctoral student and supervisor day was organized on the 23 November 2023 by FiH & PUF-V. Participants from various institutions and the research school in health science attended. The theme was generative AI and its implications on doctoral education

Successful SFO-V kick-off! Eight new fellows presented their research projects, received task information, and the SFO-V report was presented.

The Mälardalen Area Doctoral School in Healthcare Science (MoF-V) welcomed everyone to their kick-off event which took place on the 4th and 5th of December at the Clarion Hotel Sign, Stockholm.

On November 9, the seminar ”How can Sweden contribute to Global Neonatal Research” was organized on the initiative of Global Youth and Child Health, a section of the Swedish Paediatric Society and the Swedish Network for Global Child Health. Around 50 physical participants and up to 70 online with different engagements in global newborn health attended the seminar. From researchers and academics to clinicians working for NGOs and public health specialists participated.

Tigist Wodaje from the Endocrinology Unit at the Department of Medicine, Huddinge (MedH), is defending her thesis "Hereditary hypercholesterolemia and cardiovascular disease: functional and epidemiological aspects", on 14 December 2023. Main supervisor is Jonas Brink (MedH).

Congratulations to the six researchers from the Department of Medicine, Hudinge (MedH), who receive grants from the Swedish Heart Lung Foundation 2024-2026! Together they receive SEK 9 300 000 in grants.

Congratulations Christian Giske at the Department of Laboratory Medicine, who received funding from the Swedish Heart Lung Foundation 2024-2026.

Some people seem to age faster than others. Whilst “chronological age” describes the time that has passed since someone was born, “biological age” tells us how old their body appears. We can measure biological age using standard clinical data such as blood test results and blood pressure readings. Alternatively, we can measure biological age using information about DNA methylation, which are marks on our DNA that change over time.