News archive

A study conducted by researcher Juan Du's research group at the Karolinska Institutet sheds light on the capabilities of our gut microbes and their metabolites. The findings reveal potent inhibitory effects on the growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and suggest interactions and signaling between gut microbes and pathogens.

On June 6-7, the KI Housing office will be closed due to the Swedish National Day holiday (on June 6).

Researchers from the Clinical Genetics Group at the Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, have set up a collaboration with the Centre for Research and Technology in Greece to make publicly available resources in biology and cancer more accessible to the research community. The teams are developing a first-of-its-kind cancer knowledge graph, as part of the SciLake Project involving partners across Europe.

Together with researchers from University of Oxford, researchers at Karolinska Institutet have demonstrated that a subclass of stem cells that are dedicated to the production of platelets replenish platelets through a distinct and shorter pathway than other stem cells. This is presented in a study published in the journal Nature Immunology.

Karolinska Institutet disposes of funds from a large number of foundations and from donations. From these, research and travel grants are awarded.

David Marlevi, Associate Senior Lecturer in Medical Science at the Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, is one of nine young prominent researchers elected to the Young Academy of Sweden.

Researchers from Karolinska Institutet have in collaboration with the University of Eastern Finland and Lund University a new publication in Genome Biology, demonstrated that targeting cell cycle and cell fate regulatory programs blocks non-genetic cancer evolution in acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

How can we help decision-makers during health crises, by developing rapid and useful decision bases, built on research and proven experience? With this question in mind, the Centre for Health Crises gathered a group of curious participants in Aula Medica on Thursday 29 May for a full-day workshop on creating rapid response briefs for decision-making in health crises.

Doctoral student Cara Swain at the Department of Learning, Informatics, Management and Ethics is a rising Star! As one of five winners in the Defence category 2024 Rising Star Awards she gets praised!

This year marks 50 years since the dentistry programme moved from Holländargatan to Huddinge. The move to Huddinge meant a closer location to other medical education and research facilities, especially at Karolinska Institutet.

Congratulations Emma Swärdh! NVS is today a proud department as one of our environmental and sustainability representatives has received the KI's Sustainability Award 2024

Tips from KI Grants Office about current calls.

Anna Nilsson has been appointed Professor at KBH and will take up the position on July 1, 2024. Her journey began by chance when she ended up in pediatric oncology during her early years as a pediatric resident. She enjoyed working in the department, which was then called '8an', and over time her interest in research was awakened.

Michael Wells has been appointed research group leader at the Division of Neonatology, Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Health as of 1 June. His main research interests lie in intervention and implementation research with a focus on social and family policy outcomes. His work revolves around Swedish reproduction and child health, especially the support given to parents, with a focus on fathers of infants.

In a recent ceremony held at Karolinska University Hospital, Professor Angelica Lindén Hirschberg, a distinguished gynecologist and researcher, was awarded the prestigious prize for exemplary research contributions to patient welfare.

Jonas Bergh, Klas Kärre, Lars Rydén and Karin Schenck-Gustafsson are awarded the Grand Silver Medal 2024. The medal has been presented since 2010 to individuals who have made tremendous efforts to support the activities of KI and is recognized during the installation ceremony at Aula Medica on October 3.

The Swedish Chemicals Agency (KemI) has launched a new network for the safe handling of nanomaterials. The network is based on the national platform for safe handling of nanomaterials which was hosted by IMM.

Riitta Möller is awarded the prize for her great commitment to students and pedagogical development.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have developed a new method for detecting malignant melanoma. A new type of patch equipped with microneedles can identify the biomarker tyrosinase directly in the skin, according to a study published in Advanced Materials.

Welcome to Anna-Maria Lampousi´s defense of the thesis ”Diet, genetic susceptibility, latent autoimmune diabetes in adults, type 1 and type 2 diabetes” on June 4th.

During an open meeting on 17 May at KI campus Flemingsberg, employees from KI and Karolinska University Hospital could hear more about the Karolinska ATMP Center and what it offers researchers or clinicians working with drugs for advanced therapies. Matti Sällberg, Dean of KI South and acting director of the center, answers three questions about the opportunities available.

Having a profession that one enjoys on multiple levels is crucial for most people. Regardless of the reason for retraining, many of KI’s students switch to a new line of work through their education here. This is the case for Anna Edsjö, who is in her third term of the occupational therapy program.

The brain's flexibility and ability to cope with loss of neurons or other lesions in the brain is called cognitive reserve. In a fifteen-year follow-up study, researchers at the division of Aging Research Center (ARC), Karolinska Institutet, suggest that lifelong cognitive reserve helps maintain late-life cognitive health by delaying cognitive transition in the preclinical stages of dementia. The results of their findings were recently published in Alzheimers & Dementia.

Welcome to Paulina Werners defense of the thesis ”Exploring allergic and irritant contact dermatitis : biomarkers, mechanisms, and allergen uptake".

The harmful combination of abdominal obesity and reduced muscle strength, also known as sarcopenic obesity, is already present in primary school children. This is shown by a new study among eight-year-olds, conducted at Karolinska Institutet.

In March Louisa Cheung and Rachel Fisher at the Department of Medicine Solna, travelled to Vilnius University in Lithuania to participate in a “BalticSeaBioMed” network meeting.

Society's preparedness to deal with crises and disasters needs to be constantly developed and adapted to changes in the world around us. As preparedness depends on up-to-date medical expertise, the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare has established a number of knowledge and research centres for crisis preparedness around the country, located at universities, authorities or equivalent with links to clinical activities.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have identified an interesting potential future therapeutic target in primary headache disorders. They have found increased amounts of a gene associated with cluster headache, MERTK, and its ligand Gal-3, in tissue from cluster headache patients. The study was recently published in The Journal of Headache and Pain.

Lizzy has done a great job in the ISP seminar. She is now officially a PhD student in the group. Well done Lizzy! We are looking forward to working with you. We hope you will embrace the challenges and enjoy the adventure in the next 4 years. Good luck!

Welcome to Jeffrey Casely-Hayfords' defense of the thesis ”Should i stay, or should i go: teachers’ motivation to stay at their workplace” on June 10.

As the first research unit in the Nordic region, the Center for Infectious Medicine at the Department of Medicine, Huddinge (MedH), has acquired the MACSima™, a technology that enables high-plex immunofluorescent imaging and spatial biology. The new technique acquires microscopy data for a multitude of parameters without harming the sample and will empower cutting-edge research.

Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital are launching another tripartite collaboration, this time with Elekta. The aim is to join forces in the field of cancer with a focus on radiation therapy and precision medicine.

To maintain balance, several factors must align. The inner ears and eyes need to send accurate signals to the brain. Good motor skills and sense of touch, especially in the feet, along with a healthy brain, are necessary. It is not surprising that balance disorders can occur, but how should they be treated?

In recent weeks, the Swedish Government has issued several new assignments in health crisis preparedness, to be carried out by the National Board of Health and Welfare, including an assignment to establish a national reinforcement resource (nationell försörjningsresurs) for disaster medicine.

The study "Androgens Modulate the Immune Profile in a Mouse Model of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome" sheds light on immune dysfunction as a possible aspect of PCOS pathology, which could constitute a novel target for therapies.

Astrid Paul Nordin from the Heart and Lung Diseases Unit at the Department of Medicine, Huddinge (MedH) is defending her thesis titled "Catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation - methods for improving outcome", on 31 May, 2024. Main supervisor is Nikola Drca (MedH).

In a study published in Nature Communications, scientists have made significant strides in understanding the complex interplay between the immune system and cancer metabolism in breast cancer treatment. The research offers new insights into how the immune state and cancer metabolism evolve during neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC).

Per Nilsson, docent and deputy head of division of Neurogeriatrics, has been appointed as KI's new Academic coordinator for Japan.

Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women worldwide, and the third most common cause of death of cancer in women. In 2022, the incidence was estimated to 660 000 new cases and 350 000 deaths. In Sweden, around 450-550 new cases are diagnosed each year, and the incidence has been fairly stable since the 1980s.

Professor Eleni Aklillu‘s appointment as a member of the World Health Organization's Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (WHO-TDR) Scientific Working Group (SWG) extends until 2026. This extension covers the period from 2024 to 2026, reinforcing Professor Aklillu's ongoing contributions to this crucial international body.

Together with UNICEF, Karolinska Institutet hosted the Bold Ideas for Brighter Futures conference on May 15-16. Klas Bergling, father of Tim Bergling, known as Avicii, was one of the speakers who spoke about his experiences of mental illness in young people.

Our colleague and friend, professor emeritus Anders Rane has passed away at 80 years of age.

In KI's webshop you can buy a selection of profile products, including pens, mugs, glass products from Orrefors, silk scarves, pins, roll-ups, name tags etc. More products are in the works and the webshop is updated continuously.

From April 1, 2024, (eLife and Copernicus) and June 1 (JMIR) researchers at KI can publish articles open access without having to pay a publication fee in all journals from the publishers JMIR, eLife and Copernicus. The agreements are financed by the Swedish Research Council, Forte, Formas and Vinnova.

Th meeting is open for all interested in and working with dementia in clinical practice. This conference will focus on the upcoming new disease modifying treatments in Alzheimer’s disease, prevention of dementia and the new blood-based biomarkers.

Tips from KI Grants Office regarding current calls

To foster fresh collaborations and interactions across the NeurotechEU network, the KI NeurotechEU group is introducing funding opportunities for short-term visits by KI faculty and researchers.

Zebrafish have a remarkable ability to heal their spinal cord after injury. Now, researchers at Karolinska Institutet have uncovered an important mechanism behind this phenomenon – a finding that could have implications for the treatment of spinal cord injury in humans.

The Strategic Neuroscience Research Network (StratNeuro) at Karolinska Institutet celebrated the International Brain Awareness Week with an open symposium on Monday 11 March 2024.

New postdoc at the Division of Physiotherapy, NVS.