News archive

Severe, lasting hot flushes during menopause are associated with atherosclerosis in the coronary artery, new research from Karolinska Institutet and Linköping University and published in the Journal of the American Heart Association reveals.

KI’s ambition is to halve its emissions of greenhouse gases by 2030 and become climate neutral. In 2018, KI topped the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency’s list of the ten public authorities with the greatest CO₂ footprint from long-haul flights. It is gratifying to find that in its 2023 environmental management report, KI is no longer on that list.

In a study recently published in PLoS pathogens, researchers at AIMES, The Center for the Advancement of Integrated Medical and Engineering Sciences at Karolinska Institutet, have identified one of the subtle, yet effective, pathways by which human skin differentiates commensals and pathogens. Understanding these mechanisms opens for new treatment and prevention targets, and particularly ways in which to enhance innate immunity to prevent antibiotic resistant infections.

Long-term use of beta-blockers in patients with myocardial infarction and preserved heart function does not significantly change quality of life or well-being compared to no beta-blockers. This according to a study from Karolinska Institutet and Uppsala University, presented at the European Society of Cardiology’s annual congress in London and simultaneously published in the European Heart Journal - Cardiovascular Pharmacotherapy.

The International Vaccine Institute (IVI) will be teaming up with specialists from KI again this year for a vaccinology course aimed at healthcare professionals and researchers from around the world. The course also now forms part of doctoral education at KI.

Lockable cabinets are now finally available on levels 7 and 8 for those sitting in a touchdown seat at ANA Futura.

Heatwaves in sub-Saharan Africa are predicted to become more common due to climate change. A new study by researchers at Karolinska Institutet and others, published in Nature Medicine, reveals a worrying correlation between high temperatures in the final week of pregnancy and an increased risk of stillbirth and early neonatal mortality.

This year's Ulf von Euler Lecture ‘Treatment of Metabolic Diseases with Gut Hormones’ will be given by Jens Juul Holst, professor of medical physiology at the Department of Biomedical Sciences, and senior group leader at the Novo Nordisk Foundation Centre for Basic Metabolic Research, both at the University of Copenhagen. The lecture will take place on 8 November.

At this semester's first staff meeting for KI's Professional Services (PS), some current results in the work on KI's strategic focus areas were presented, including the review currently underway of the PS. Here you will find brief information on the issues raised at the meeting.

On September 5th, the election period begins to appoint new faculty members to KI's University Board. During May, employees and students had the opportunity to nominate candidates for the role as faculty member on KI's board. Now, a total of three positions need to be filled.

Arvid Sjölander works with statistical tools and mathematical models to help medical scientists make more reliable estimations of causal effects. Meet one of the new professors of Karolinska Institutet who will participate in this year's installation ceremony at Aula Medica on 3 October.

Lisette Farias Vera, Assistant Professor and Docent at the Division of Occupational Therapy, has been appointed as the new Junior Academic Leader for WISE.

The Annual PREGART Project Consortium meeting took place from August 5-6, 2024, at Haile Resort in Hawassa City, Ethiopia. The event brought together over 60 participants, including consortium members, government stakeholders, and representatives from the Ministry of Health, the Ethiopian Food and Drug Authority, and partner organizations. Attendees gathered to review the project’s progress, share insights, and outline plans for the year ahead.

Policy labs at KI continue to be popular. On Tuesday 27 August, it was time for the first lab of the autumn. The theme was Sweden and antibiotic resistance, with a focus on how research and evidence can influence policy at the highest level. This time, the policy lab was opened up to a slightly wider and more external audience, to provide an opportunity to network and share experiences with others.

On 30 August, the President announced her decision to adopt a new model for the allocation of government research grants. The model, which grants a flat-rate allocation to all departments, will come into effect in 2025. All in all, the new model means that more funding will be channelled to core activities than previously, in part due to a reduction in the president’s allocation. When the model comes into effect, all departments will receive more resources than they did in 2024.

Researchers from Karolinska Institutet and Maastricht University have developed a technique that enables the examination of embryos for all known genetic abnormalities with a single test. The new method is more accurate and faster than existing techniques, increasing the chance of a healthy child for parents at increased risk of inherited conditions. The research was published today in Nature Communications

A new project RER-CTO (Regulatory and Ethics Readiness for Clinical Trials Oversight) aimed at achieving excellence and harmonization in clinical trial oversight across sub-Saharan Africa has been launched, backed by nearly 1 million euros in funding from the Global Health EDCTP3 Joint Undertaking.

Abbie Barry is a public health specialist and project manager with extensive expertise in pharmacovigilance, public health epidemiology, and disease control. She currently works as a consultant for the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Africa, where she focuses on conducting desk research and epidemiological analysis to identify strategic investment areas and develop targeted interventions aimed at reducing the disease burden across the African continent.

Patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) often develop liver failure and the risk of cancer is high. Annika Bergquist hopes her research will add to the understanding of the disease and lead to more efficacious treatment. Meet one of the new professors of Karolinska Institutet who will participate in this year's installation ceremony at Aula Medica on 3 October.

On 1 September we welcome Professor Stefano Romeo to the department of Medicine, Huddinge.

In a study recently published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: the journal of Alzheimer’s Association, researchers at Karolinska Institutet and Shandong Provincial University have reported the polygenic risk scores (PRS) with and without APOE gene that were associated both cross-sectionally and longitudinally with around double risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Moreover, the PRS, in combination with age, sex, and education, showed good discriminative and predictive accuracies for Alzheimer’s disease.

Being at home is as safe as at the hospital when a medical abortion after twelve weeks of pregnancy is initiated. These are the findings of a study conducted at Karolinska Institutet and the University of Gothenburg and published in The Lancet. When starting at home, day patient care is usually sufficient, and women are satisfied with the treatment.

In a study published in Science, researchers at Karolinska Institutet describe the neural processes behind how morphine relieves pain. This is valuable knowledge because the drug has such serious side effects.

Children who have undergone treatment for cancer often lose the protection against infection provided by previous vaccinations. Anna Nilsson is studying how cancer therapies affect the immune system in order to improve vaccination guidelines for these children. Meet one of the new professors of Karolinska Institutet who will participate in this year's installation ceremony at Aula Medica on 3 October.

Tips from KI Grants Office about current calls

A new study from Karolinska Institutet published in Nature Communications provides valuable insights into the activation of receptors on the cell surface. The knowledge opens up for new targeted therapies and drugs against intestinal tumours, among other things.

Karolinska Institutet has discovered that an already registered antidepressant, duloxetine, may also have positive effects on memory and cognitive functions in the elderly.

Many immunodeficiency diseases are serious conditions that require stem cell transplantation. Lisa Westerberg is studying how mutations prevent immune cells from moving properly in order to find new therapeutic strategies. Meet one of the new professors of Karolinska Institutet who will participate in this year's installation ceremony at Aula Medica on 3 October.

Girls with mental illness or neurodevelopmental conditions are less likely than their peers to be vaccinated with the HPV vaccine that protects against future cervical cancer. This is according to a new registry study from Karolinska Institutet published in The Lancet Public Health.

Welcome to the 2024 autumn term! The new term officially kicks off on 2 September and I look forward very much to seeing all our students back on campus.

In the spring of 2024, an invitation was sent to researchers to participate in an evaluation of Clinicum's method support. Of all those who used the support, 7/10 were very satisfied and 9/10 would recommend it to a colleague. Some of the reasons for the satisfaction were that many people refer to a high level of competence and pedagogical ability of the methodological advisers, as well as the possibility of getting help quickly. Helpfulness, friendliness, and flexibility are also highlighted.

A new registry study from Karolinska Institutet and Tampere University shows that hospital admissions due to allergic reactions in children have increased in Finland while they have decreased in Sweden. The study, published in the journal Allergy, also shows that the incidence of anaphylaxis is higher in Finland than in Sweden.

When analyzing inflammatory markers in blood and cerebrospinal fluid, researchers at Karolinska Institutet found signs of inflammation in tissue from patients with cluster headache, specifically in the samples from the nervous system. The study was recently published in The Journal of Headache and Pain.

Type 2 diabetes and prediabetes are associated with accelerated brain ageing, according to a new study from Karolinska Institutet published in the journal Diabetes Care. The good news is that this may be counteracted by a healthy lifestyle.

Andrea Varrone uses PET technology to study how the brain changes in Parkinson’s disease. His aim is to develop new imaging tools that can be used for making early diagnoses and measuring the effects of different therapies. Meet one of the new professors of Karolinska Institutet who will participate in this year's installation ceremony at Aula Medica on 3 October.

Eva Kosek, professor of Clinical Pain Research, has been awarded Roland Melzack Lecture Award by the International Association for the Study of Pain.

Per Nilsson, docent at the Division of Clinical Geriatrics, receives this amount together with Evandro Fang at the University of Oslo. Additionally, the funding is 200,000 USD per year for two years with the possibility of extension.

Professor Agneta Åkesson at the Institute for Environmental Medicine (IMM) has been appointed as a member of EFSA's panel "Contaminants in the food chain". The appointment is valid for five years.

A new study published in Microbiome by researchers at Karolinska Institutet, suggests that a few well-timed samples could help predict long-term imbalances in vaginal health, which is linked to various health issues.

Hang Tran, doctoral student in the Global Child Health and Sustainable Development Goals research team has successfully defended her thesis, titled Clinical and experimental implementation of standardized hypothermia treatment for neonatal asphyxia in low-income setting. Her research in Vietnam explores the use of phase changing material to cool babies with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy.

Teaching and Learning welcome you to a workshop on psychological safety, to discuss its significance, apply concrete strategies in the teaching contexts, and reflect and discuss with colleagues.

At the start of the academic year, the Global Child Health and Sustainable Development Goals research group meets for an annual retreat. This year editor-in-chief for Acta Paediatrica, Professor Hugo Lagercrantz and Associate Professor Nick Brown, editor-in-chief of Archives of Disease in Childhood Contact were invited to discuss handling of manuscripts and the process of publishing academic papers.

FitForLife is a study where patients with psychosis are educated to physical exercise trainers. For 6 months the trainers led exercise sessions for their fellow patients at sixteen psychiatric outpatient units in three regions. The most important finding was that 6 months after the study ended 15 out of the 16 units continued with the concept. The researchers have seen effects on need of care, social skills and metabolic markers.

Expression of interest open until September 13, 2024.

Would you like to know more about how the Research & Innovation system of the EU works to boost your international research career? The EU research landscape is complex but if you learn to navigate the system, it offers many opportunities to contribute to both European research and to relevant EU-policies through its various initiatives, networks and EU-funded projects.

As the volume of clinical data increases, so does the amount and complexity of the work needed for a doctor to interpret them. Magnus Boman researches on how AI can be employed for healthcare-improving analyses. Meet one of Karolinska Institutet's new professors who will participate in this year's installation ceremony at Aula Medica on 3 October.

On 1 July 2024, the number of departments at KI went down from 22 to 21 as the integration of BioNut as a division of MedH came to a close. The project, which will now continue within MedH, has boosted the work KI is doing on its strategic focus areas as well as the “we” spirit within the department and KI as a whole.

Are you planning to collect data abroad for your thesis?

Acute kidney injury is associated with an increased risk of developing dementia, according to a new study published in the journal Neurology by researchers at Karolinska Institutet and others.

We congratulate Caroline Nordenvall, docent and lecturer in surgery, who was awarded two prizes during the Surgeons' Week in Karlstad 2024. She was awarded both with the Regional Prize of Stora Forskarpriset and the Bengt Ihre Scholarship 2024.

Jennifer Cleland has been awarded the Karolinska Institutet Prize for Research in Medical Education (KIPRIME) 2024. Her scientific work has had a significant influence on the development of medical education worldwide.