News archive

Welcome to read our LIME Newsletter - either via link below or if you want to read older ones you can find them in All about LIME / Kommunikation.

KI Master’s, PhD, and early-career researchers are invited to apply for the Winter School on Brain Architecture for NeuroAI and Neurotechnology: A Systems Neuroscience Perspective, taking place at the Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche.

The Swedish Cancer Society (Cancerfonden) has announced its research grants for 2025. Around 73 million has been awarded to researchers at the Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Karolinska Institutet.

On November 11, the MMK Research Grand Prix was held for the first time. Seven doctoral students at the department presented their doctoral projects in the most captivating, inspiring and educational way possible - in five minutes!

Leaders and experts from Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital met in Stockholm on 7 November to discuss cooperation in the fields of prevention, AI and advanced therapies. The parties have been in formal collaboration since 2023.

The BonnBrain Conference 2026 will take place in Bonn, Germany, from March 23–25, 2026 bringing together leading neuroscientists from across Europe and beyond to discuss the latest advances in brain research.

On Friday, 14 November, this autumn’s doctoral degree conferment ceremony will take place in the Blue Hall at Stockholm City Hall, where newly conferred doctors and jubilee doctors will be celebrated. Medical students Nora Khatibi and Gottfrid Rehnman are two of the evening’s marshals. Here, they share insights into their roles – and how they prepare for the event.

A puzzling experiment in the 1970s led to the discovery of a new type of immune cell. In 2025, the NK cells celebrate their 50th anniversary. Rolf Kiessling tells the story of the serendipitous finding that changed the course of his career.

Depression is one of the most common mental health conditions, and some people recover with medications or therapies. However, for some individuals, treatment does not work, even after several attempts. This harder-to-treat form of depression is known as treatment-resistant depression (TRD). People affected by TRD often experience more severe and long-lasting symptoms, lower quality of life, and more physical health problems than other depression cases without TRD.

KI president Annika Östman Wernerson honoured professor emeritus Hugo Lagercrantz with this years KI Cultural Award at a ceremony on November 6th. With this award KI celebrates individuals at KI whose efforts have brought culture and science together in meaningful ways - both within our university and in our engagement with society

Twelve researchers at the Department of Global Public Health have been awarded grants from Forte. In total, the Department has been awarded over 60 million SEK.

Congratulations to the 5 researchers at the Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery who have been awarded research grants from the Swedish Cancer Society in the latest call on November 10, 2025.

A treatment that could protect premature babies from brain damage showed promise in a recent study in Sweden. Using a first-of-its-kind prenatal brain model created with human cells researchers observed new details about the effects of cerebral hemorrhages on stem cells during premature birth. And they successfully tested an antidote that reduced the damage.

A new study from Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University reveals that sons born to mothers with type 1 diabetes may develop early vascular dysfunction – independently of metabolic health. The finding may help shape future strategies to prevent cardiovascular disease early in life.

This year's decision from the Swedish Cancer Society's Research Board means that just over SEK 1 billion will go to new cancer research. It is the largest investment in the history of the Swedish Cancer Society. KI is granted SEK 447.8 million to 104 research projects and 3 planning groups. This year, a special investment is also being made in the area of early detection of cancer.

The Swedish Cancer Society (Cancerfonden) has announced its research grants for 2025. Over SEK 90 million has been awarded to researchers at the Department of Oncology-Pathology at Karolinska Institutet.

In Cancerfonden's latest call, SEK 19,5 million was awarded to 6 researchers at the Department of Laboratory Medicine for the years 2026-2028.

A specific pattern of proteins in the blood may reflect an increased risk of hereditary atherosclerosis. This is shown in a new study from Karolinska Institutet, examining close relatives of people who had suffered a heart attack at a young age. The study has been published in the journal Circulation: Genomic and Precision Medicine.

Professor Ola Hermanson, who served as a distinguished member of the neuroscience community at Karolinska Institutet, passed away on 2 October 2025 at the age of 60. His career was marked by scientific excellence, visionary leadership, and a deep commitment to the advancement of neuroscience both in Sweden and internationally.

The Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet) has awarded a total of approximately SEK 42 million in research funding to seven researchers at the Department of Oncology-Pathology. The grants span a period of three to six years.

Researchers from Karolinska Institutet have a new publication in Nature Genetics about their surprising finding.

Dr. André Görgens at the Department of Laboratory Medicine receives a grant from Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research (SSF) for his project to develop a new, advanced technology for sorting nanoparticles.

In the Swedish Cancer Society’s latest call, research grants totalling SEK 34 300 000 were awarded to 11 researchers at the Department of Medicine, Huddinge (MedH) for the years 2026–2028.

Jonas Enqvist is back at KI – 20 years after he first studied physiology at FyFa. Now he will support the development of FyFa's new lab in extreme physiology.

Martin Uhrbom from the Integrative Cardiovascular, Cancer and Ageing Research unit (ICCA), at the Department of Medicine, Huddinge (MedH) defends his thesis titled "Studies of the molecular anatomy of stroma vascular cells in murine adipose and renal tissues", on 13 November, 2025. Main supervisor is Christer Betsholtz (MedH).

Anorexia nervosa is widely recognized as one of the most severe and complex eating disorders. In a new doctoral thesis from Karolinska Institutet, Jingjing Xu, PhD student at the Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, investigates the biological mechanisms underlying this condition.

Professor Jean-Laurent Casanova to deliver this year’s Nicholson Lecture at Karolinska Institutet

Karolinska Institutet is pleased to welcome Professor Jean-Laurent Casanova from The Rockefeller University as the keynote speaker for this year’s Nicholson Lecture. The lecture, titled "Human autoantibodies neutralizing type I interferons", will take place on 10 November 2025 at 16:00 at Nobel Forum, Campus Solna.

In a significant step for European collaboration in neuroscience and technological innovation, the Medical University of Innsbruck (MUI) has officially joined The European University of Brain and Technology – NeurotechEU.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide, largely due to late detection, when treatment options are limited. Detecting the disease earlier and tailoring treatments more precisely are essential to improve survival and quality of life for patients.

A new form of CAR T-cell therapy has recently made headlines after a patient in a clinical trial became cancer-free in record time. The treatment was produced at Karolinska ATMP Center, a collaboration between Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital. Production takes place at the affiliated manufacturing unit, Vecura.

Are you a researcher or PhD student at Karolinska Institutet who wants to sharpen your communication skills and disseminate your research to a broad international audience? Then you are welcome to join a presentation on how to write popular science articles for The Conversation, a news platform that KI collaborates with.

Marie Carlén has been named the new Head of the Department of Neuroscience. The formal decision, signed on 3 November 2025 by Dean of Solna Campus, Sten Linnarsson, in consultation with the President of Karolinska Institutet, confirms that she will succeed Gilberto Fisone in this role as of 1 January 2026. Her tenure as Head of Department is set for an initial period of five years.

The Scientific Council of the Swedish Institute for Educational Research has decided to award a grant to Susanne Andermo for her research on physical activity in special needs school.

A group of 14-year-olds from the International English School in Solna were the first class to try out the new educational programme at The Cell – a collaboration between the National Museum of Science and Technology and Karolinska Institutet that gathers research, art and life science into one multidimensional experience.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet and Yale University have created a multidimensional, molecular map of how the mouse brain develops after birth and how it reacts to inflammation. The study, which is published in Nature, shows that some of the molecular programmes that govern brain development can be reactivated in the brain during inflammation.

The director of the Centre for Health Crises, Johan von Schreeb, surgeon and professor of global disaster medicine at Karolinska Institutet is awarded the Forska!Sverige Honorary Award for his outstanding commitment to reducing suffering around the world and for his leading research in a field that is becoming increasingly relevant also in Sweden.

The CIMED board has decided on the allocation of planning grants for 2026. Three of the four researchers awarded grants work at the Department of Medicine, Huddinge (MedH).

A total of 26,5 million SEK has been awarded to six researchers at NVS in grants from Forte in various calls for proposals.

People who have been treated in psychiatric care against their will are at increased risk of taking their own lives after hospital discharge. This is shown by a new study from Karolinska Institutet published in the journal The Lancet Regional Health – Europe. The results highlight a need for follow-up care after discharge.

The updated European Code Against Cancer (5th revision) has recently been published and includes several new recommendations aimed at reducing cancer risks related to environmental and occupational factors.

The Hagströmer Library's former exhibit, The Fragility of Life – 500 Years of Knowledge about Foetuses and Childbirth, is getting a new lease on life at the KI University Library in Solna.

Karolinska Institutet awards grants from a large number of foundations and from donations. The foundations & donations award research and travel grants.

Newborns who are placed skin-to-skin with their mother directly after birth show better health outcomes, according to an updated review of extensive research. The contact supports the infant’s basic bodily functions and increases the likelihood of breastfeeding – yet it is still not standard practice in all healthcare systems.

A total of seven researchers at NVS will share 33.2 million SEK in research grants from the Swedish Research Council in the latest calls for proposals.

On November 17-18, Akademiska Hus will test the circuit breakers in ANA Futura. This will cause short power outages in the lab- and office building.

Maja Fjaestad, former State Secretary at the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs and until now working at the European Commission's AI Office in Brussels, will become Senior Advisor to the President at Karolinska Institutet. The position is newly established and aims to strengthen KI's position as an active and driving social actor.

In the Swedish Research Council's latest call, SEK 17,4 million was awarded to 4 researchers at the Department of Laboratory Medicine for the years 2025-2031.

In the Swedish Research Council's latest call, research grants of SEK 41 950 000 was awarded to eight researchers at the Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery. We congratulate:

Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer among women, with around 9,600 new cases diagnosed each year in Sweden. The breast cancer can spread to other parts of the body, and the first spread is usually to the lymph nodes that run from the breast to the armpit on the same side. Knowing whether the cancer has spread to these lymph nodes is crucial, as it helps determine the most appropriate treatment.

Dr. Ping Chen at the Department of Laboratory Medicine receives a project grant for her research in endocrinology and metabolism from the Novo Nordisk Foundation. The grant may contribute to reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease over time in people living with the fatty liver disease MASLD.