News archive

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have taken part in the largest study to date on the genetic risk factors for multiple sclerosis (MS). The study, which is published today in the journal Science, corroborates earlier studies and provides new clues as to what causes this neurological disease. The resulting map will prove a vital resource for future researchers and could one day lead to new, more potent drugs.

Hello Claes Frostell, professor and senior physician at the Department of Clinical Sciences at Danderyd Hospital who as of September 1 is KI’s scientific representative for two years.

The partnership between KI and the Mayo Clinic in the US is celebrating its 25th year. Since inception, the collaboration has supported a great many successful research projects and innovations. Sophie Erhardt has recently been appointed as KI’s academic coordinator for the collaborative platform.

To bridge the gap between individual-focused clinical medicine and societal approaches, the course administration for the course ”Hälsa i samhälle och miljö” once again organised a panel debate in collaboration with the Swedish Society of Medicine’s student and junior doctor section. The theme was “Sickness insurance certification by young doctors – how can we improve praxis”.

Two recently graduated students from KI’s Global Master’s Programme in Nutrition Science were among the top 3 teams competing in the Baltic Sea Young Planner’s Contest in Poland. One of them was in the winning team.

Gonçalo Castelo-Branco is awarded the Anniversary Prize for influencing and inspiring international research on brain development, glial cells and multiple sclerosis. The prize includes an award of SEK 5 million and will be presented in conjunction with the Swedish Society for Medical Research’s 100th anniversary celebration.

Title: The comorbidity between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and other neurodevelopmental disorders: aetiology, treatment and outcomes

People – or more specifically just Swedes – are more like chimpanzees than previously known. This is indicated in a genetic mapping of one thousand Swedish individuals, where new DNA sequences that should be included in the reference genome have been identified. The study is published in the scientific journal Molecular Biology and Evolution.

Three grants, of in total 37 MSEK, have been awarded to Karolinska Institutet towards a doctoral programme grant within register-based research and two research environment grants within register-based research. The Swedish Reserach Council awarded in total grants to an amount of 102 MSEK for 2020-2023.

Hi there Kevin Baker, doctoral student at the Department of Public Health Sciences at Karolinska Institutet. Today Friday 20 September you will defend your thesis. Tell us, what is the main focus of your thesis?

Karolinska Institutet’s exit poll, which was sent out for the third time to all 37 undergraduate and second cycle programmes, has now been compiled and presented in a report. The survey is conducted twice a year, for the January and June degree programmes. The response rate was 51% for the Swedish programmes and 71% for the international programmes. The total number of respondents was 1023.

Professor Claes Frostell has been named scientific representative at KI for a period of two years starting September 1, 2019.

The timing of anemia—a common condition in late pregnancy—can make a big difference for the developing fetus, according to research at Karolinska Institutet published in JAMA Psychiatry. The researchers found a link between early anemia and increased risk of autism, ADHD and intellectual disability in the child. Anemia discovered toward the end of pregnancy did not have the same correlation. The findings underscore the importance of early screening for iron status and nutritional counselling.

Drivers, factory workers, and cleaners are three times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than teachers and physiotherapists. Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have studied how the occurrence of diabetes differs between occupations in Sweden. The results are being published in the scientific journal Diabetologia and are also presented at the European diabetes conference in Barcelona in September.

A new method, developed by Banushree Kumar and Simon Elsässer at Karolinska Institutet, produces quantitative maps for modifications of so-called histone proteins that package the DNA molecules in every eukaryotic cell. The study, published in the journal Cell Reports, describes new properties of naïve pluripotent stem cells.

The fall nomination period is now open - all KI employees and students are welcome to nominate representatives to the Faculty Board and Faculty Council between 18 September and 2 October.

Women have an increased risk of high-grade cervical lesions returning after surgery if there have been lesions in the resection margin, especially if high-risk HPV (human papillomavirus) is found in the follow-up test, reports a new longitudinal study from Karolinska Institutet published in The American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. The researchers also found that many other diseases can be independent risk factors in lesion recurrence.

Title: Socioeconomic influences on late-life health and mortality : exploring genetic and environmental interplay 

Title: Risk prediction in prostate cancer diagnostics : current challenges and improvements

As part of the international strategic collaboration between KI-KTH-SU and the University of Tokyo (UTokyo) the three Swedish universities hosted a group of 20 undergraduate students from UTokyo during the first week of September.

Four researchers are awarded Karolinska Institutet’s Grand Silver Medal 2019. They are given the medal for their great contributions to support KI’s activities.

A group of biostatistical scientists at the Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics (MEB) have been awarded a research environment grant of SEK 13 million from the Swedish Research Council for research into the development and application of statistical methods for register-based research.

After witnessing the positive effects that exercise has had on the wellbeing of breast cancer patients, Yvonne Wengström is certain where she stands: It’s time to introduce physical activity in cancer care across the board.

The Swedish Brain Foundation supports qualified research on the brain and other nervous systems, as well as diseases, injuries and disabilities throughout the nervous system. 98 out of 273 applications were granted funding this year.

One Mind Rising Star Awards was launched in 2005 and is awarded each year to draw attention to and financially support pioneering research on brain injuries and mental illness.

Stanford Medicine X has launched a new self-paced online course through Stanford online with faculty from Stanford University.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet and Umeå University have examined whether it has any significance if employees and managers agree or not at the introduction of a health-promoting operation.

The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation's NARSAD Young Investigators Grant was awarded for the first time in 1987.

It appears that when our nervous system is developing, only the most viable neurons survive, while immature neurons are weeded out and die. This is shown in a ground-breaking discovery by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. The results indicate that the long-standing neurotrophic theory, which states that chance determines which cells will form the nervous system, needs to be revised.

Professor Jesper Lagergren from the research group Upper GI Surgery, the Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, receives research grants of SEK 13 million from the Swedish Research Council.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have studied the effects of exercise in a mouse model of premature ageing. The study with fellow researchers from Harvard Medical School, was recently published in the journal Aging Cell.

Many people struggle to keep their weight in check as they get older. Now new research at Karolinska Institutet has uncovered why that is: Lipid turnover in the fat tissue decreases during ageing and makes it easier to gain weight, even if we don’t eat more or exercise less than before. The study is published in the journal Nature Medicine.

Karolinska Institutet’s Vice President Karin Dahlman-Wright has today requested to be relieved from her assignment as vice president with immediate effect. Consequently, KI’s University Board (Konsistoriet) agreed to relieve her from the assignment at an extra meeting today.

A complaint was filed in July 2018 against the vice president of Karolinska Institutet (KI), Karin Dahlman-Wright, for suspicion of research misconduct. In order to avoid conflict of interest, in August 2018, KI reached an agreement with the University of Gothenburg to manage the investigation.

On August 22, the Government appointed Carin Götblad as a new member of the Board of Karolinska Institutet. Carin Götblad replaces Liselotte Højgaard who has asked to be dismissed.

Two researchers at Karolinska Institutet, Per-Olof Berggren and Birgitta Henriques-Normark, receive a total of SEK 68 million in grants from the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research, SSF. The Med-X research program is an interdisciplinary initiative in medicine and technical science. The purpose is to provide new solutions for clinical needs.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have, together with colleagues from Aalto University in Finland, developed a new method for creating images of molecules in cells or tissue samples. The method is based on the use of DNA snippets and is called DNA microscopy. The approach is currently described in the scientific journal PNAS.

In a new register-based study, Swedish and Danish researchers show that common drugs for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), so called TNF-α inhibitors, are not linked to increased risk of serious infections in children. Previous studies have shown an increased risk in corresponding adult patients. The results are published in The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology.

Antibodies present in the blood years before development of painful chronic joint inflammation may cause early changes in the synovial tissue and bones, according to a study by researchers at Karolinska Institutet published in the journal Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. The findings could pave the way for new methods of preventing development of the disease.

Young women with early stage ovarian cancer can undergo fertility-preserving surgery without affecting the safety of their cancer treatment, researchers from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden report in a national study published in the journal Gynecologic Oncology.

Expectation was in the air when the international students were welcomed to KI last week. The program included an intensive course in Swedish, workshops in cultural competence and of course "fika".

Three researchers at Karolinska Institutet have been awarded the ERC Starting Grant 2019: Jenny Mjösberg, Maria Genander, and newly recruited Pia Dosenovic. Their projects concern inflammatory bowel disease, esophageal cancers, and HIV vaccine, respectively. In all, the ERC will support 408 early-career researchers from around the world with its prestigious starting grant this year.

A study by researchers at Karolinska Institutet shows that a treatment adjustment algorithm based on lung function and symptoms in a mobile phone can be an efficient tool in managing uncontrolled asthma. For fuss-free measuring of lung function, the phone connects to a wireless spirometer and the app can register respiratory symptoms and provide visual feedback on treatment. The study is published in the highly respected European Respiratory Journal.

Hi Tobias Holmlund, PhD-student at the Division of Neurogeriatrics. On October 4 you will defend your thesis ”Energy Expenditure and Accelerometer Cut-points for Sedentary Behavior and Physical Activity in Spinal Cord Injury – Implication for Guiding and Prevention”, what's the main focus of the thesis?

Hi Lieke de Boer, PhD-student at the Division of Aging Research Center. On October 3rd you will defend your thesis ”Dopamine, decision-making, and aging : neural and behavioural correlates”, what's the main focus of the thesis?

Hi Lucas Morin, PhD-student at the Division of Aging Research Center. On 20 September you will defend your thesis ”Too much, too late? Drug prescribing for older people near the end of life”, what's the main focus of the thesis?

”It will be both fun and exciting to take up as a new head of department,” says Maria Ankarcrona. She wants to keep steady in the helm and hopes to do a good job.

Hi Lucas Morin, PhD-student at the Division of Aging Research Center. On 20 September you will defend your thesis ”Too much, too late? Drug prescribing for older people near the end of life”, what's the main focus of the thesis?

The new type of drugs for type 2 diabetes, the so-called SGLT2 inhibitors, are associated with a reduced risk of heart failure and death as well as of major cardiovascular events, a major Scandinavian registry study led from Karolinska Institutet reports in The BMJ.