News archive

A new study from Karolinska Institutet discovered that blocking the MYC tumor protein in kidney cancer cells leads to an increase in fat droplets, which are associated with tumor growth. The study provides crucial knowledge for identifying new therapeutic targets for treating this aggressive form of cancer.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have made exciting discoveries about Alzheimer's disease, a common form of dementia affecting millions of people around the world. In a study published in Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association, they have explored the potential of novel synaptic PET-tracer UCB-J as an important early diagnostic biomarker/tool for Alzheimer's disease.

Professor Igor Adameyko offers the new course “Development of soft skills and better academic perspectives”, with focus on writing research papers, presenting at conferences, attracting funds, and interpersonal interaction and social aspects in the lab. The target audience are senior PhD students, postdocs and junior PI’s at FyFa.

Daniel Ferreira Padilla, senior researcher and docent at the Division of Clinical Geriatrics, has received SEK 1.9 million.

Karolinska Institutet is one of 24 partners in AD-RIDDLE, a collaborative project that aims to increase healthcare providers' ability to diagnose, prevent and treat Alzheimer's disease. The project, supported by, among others, the EU's Innovative Health Initiative (IHI), started in January 2024 and will run for five years.

An article in The Conversation written by a KI researcher broke a record in the number of readers. Associate Professor Karin Modig's article on centenarian biomarkers received almost 2.4 million reads and was translated into several languages.

Eva Åhrén, operations director of the Hagströmer Library and KI’s Medical History and Heritage, has been awarded a project grant of SEK 5 million by the Riksbankens Jubileumsfond. The grant is intended to support efforts to make KI’s academic heritage accessible for the purposes of research, education and outreach.

Zambia is currently experiencing the worst cholera outbreak in over two decades. The acute diarrhoeal disease can be deadly if not treated, however with rapid and correct help, the majority of people affected can be treated successfully. The Centre for Health Crises as seconded members of staff to cholera outbreaks before, and on the 26th of January, Caroline de Groot went to Zambia, via the Centre’s collaboration with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).

Senior lecturer and senior physician Vladimir Carli has been appointed as the new head of the National Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention (NASP) at Karolinska Institutet.

The eastern mediterranean region is currently facing a brewing health crisis, brought on not least by the war in Gaza. The danger of spread of infectious diseases means that effective epidemiological surveillance and action is key. To assist in these efforts, the Centre for Health Crises has seconded epidemiologist Moa Herrgård via our membership in WHO’s Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN).

The European Research Council (ERC) awards a Starting Grant to promising young investigators in a variety of research fields, to kick off their careers. Alessandro Furlan, Assistant Professor at the Department of Neuroscience, who investigates how the brain and body work together to regulate critical physiological processes, is one of the early-stage scientists to be awarded this five-year grant.

Regular erections could be important for maintaining erectile function, according to a new study on mice published in Science by researchers at Karolinska Institutet. “We discovered that an increased frequency of erections leads to more fibroblasts that enable erection and vice versa, that a decreased frequency results in fewer of these cells,” says principal investigator Christian Göritz.

On January 23, President Annika Östman Wernerson decided to name a lecture hall on Campus Solna after Christina Larsdotter. The decision was made after preparation by KI's advisory board for naming matters.

While the most extreme heatwaves have the greatest short-term impact on mortality, it is the mildest heatwaves that kill most lives over time. This is because mild heatwaves are more common. This is according to a new study published in Environment International that has mapped the health risks of heat waves in India.

No increased risks for babies, and for some serious neonatal complications lower risks. This is the result of the largest study to date on the safety of newborn babies whose mothers were vaccinated against COVID-19 during pregnancy. The study is a collaboration between Swedish and Norwegian researchers and is published in the journal JAMA.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet, together with partners in the Horizon Europe-funded EuCARE project, have shown that the reduced mortality from COVID-19 is not necessarily due to the fact that later variants, such as Omicron, have been less severe. Rather, the reduced mortality seems to be due to several other factors, such as immunity from previous vaccinations and previous infections. The study is published in the latest issue of Lancet Regional Health Europe and is funded by EUH2020.

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in young persons in Sweden and globally. The last decades have seen an increasing proportion of the youth population engaging in university level education. The university period usually coincides with other important life events such as moving away from home. Early adulthood is furthermore a period when severe mental disorders, such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, may become symptomatic.

A new study published in Nature Communications gives insights into the underlying mechanisms of the formation of protein clumps in Alzheimer’s disease. The study, led by researchers from Karolinska Institutet, could pave the way for new treatments for this devastating neurodegenerative disorder.

Karolinska Institutet is part of the AD-RIDDLE consortium, a project dedicated to increasing health professional’s capabilities to detect, diagnose, prevent, and treat Alzheimer’s disease. Funded by the EU Innovative Health Initiative (IHI) and the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the project was launched in January 2024, includes 24 partners, and will run over five years.

Elin Törnqvist and Maxine Waters are the new union presidents of Medicinska Föreningen (Medical Association) and Odontologiska Föreningen (Odontological Association). We asked them a few questions one month into the job.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have developed a method to study liver function and disease without requiring invasive procedures. After transplanting liver cells into the eye of mice, the cornea can be used as a window into the body to monitor liver health over time. The study is published in the journal Nature Communications.

By chance, Gunnar and his research group discovered the area of their publication, the purpose was different, but the findings were far too exciting to end up in a drawer. The work introduces a methodology to quantify binding of a bacterial toxin to its receptor.

Last week a course in the "Prechtl General Movement Assessment (GMA)" method were organized at Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital.

On January 25, a method support day was organized by Clinicum to introduce researchers to the coordinated method support offered to researchers at KI and Region Stockholm. The meeting was held in the Sune Bergström Hall at Karolinska University Hospital.

A new publication in Molecular Cell presents a collaborative study within the framework of the UTokyo-KI LINK program, headed by Camilla Björkegren from Karolinska Institutet, Kristian Jeppsson and Katsuhiko Shirahige from The University of Tokyo.

Can scientific methods be used to identify who is best suited for physically and mentally demanding missions? In his doctoral thesis, Peter Tedeholm explores the individual characteristics of Swedish operational police officers.

Welcome to Shuai Yuan's doctoral thesis defence on March 8 at 9:30 in Samuelssonsalen, Tomtebodavägen 6

Hi Patrik Karlsson, doctoral student at the Division of Physiotherapy. On February 9 you will defend your thesis "Enhanced mobilisation and physical rehabilitation after abdominal cancer surgery : feasibility, effects, and experiences". What is the main focus of the thesis?

Every year worldwide, around 1 billion children aged 2–17 experience physical, sexual or psychological violence or neglect, representing approximately half of the global child population. Sociologist Sergio Keita Nhassengo investigates epidemiology of violence against children in Mozambique and the readiness of stakeholders across organisations to counter and prevent child maltreatment. Meet the PhD student who wants a future where all children can live in a safe environment free from violence.

Asthma and cystic fibrosis are diseases which affect the lungs of children and adults. Previous research has shown that genetic and environmental factors during pregnancy and early childhood can contribute to the way children and young adults are affected by these lung diseases.

From the coast of Bottenviken to the Department of Women's and Children's Health. Ola Nilsson is an active, archipelago-loving, solution-oriented researcher with a solid background in paediatrics and joined as a new professor at KBH in September.

An investigation conducted by researchers at Karolinska Institutet has led to a discovery in breast cancer diagnostics and treatments that could reshape screening programs and clinical approaches. The study, published in JAMA Oncology, unravels the impact of rare genetic variants on interval breast cancers, providing new insights into tailored screening strategies.

The newly launched global training programme, Leadership for Transformative Change, gathers 22 leaders from all over the world who are working to contribute to transformative social development in their countries. The programme is offered by Uppsala University in collaboration with Karolinska Institutet, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

A new study at the Karolinska Institutet suggests that activation of a certain brain protein can protect women from developing neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease.

Recent and unintentional weight loss is associated with an increased risk of a cancer diagnosis in the coming year, according to a new study in JAMA. Researchers from Karolinska Institutet and others behind the study urge healthcare professionals and the public to be vigilant about sudden and unintentional weight loss.

Beyond surviving after an injury comes living. To what extent a person is able to return to the life and independence previously enjoyed is an important aspect of recovery and rehabilitation is often a crucial factor in that. Nonetheless, it is a factor often overlooked in humanitarian settings and it is an area where more research is needed. Bérangère Gohy’s PhD thesis looks beyond survival, to how recovery is measured and what the patients’ road to regained independence looks like.

On Thursday, January 25, the KI Housing staff is away on a conference. The KI Housing office will therefore be closed this day.

Ozempic and other GLP1 agonists are associated with a reduced risk of developing cirrhosis and liver cancer in people with type 2 diabetes and chronic liver disease, according to a nationwide study from Karolinska Institutet published in the journal Gut.

The Master's programme is a collaboration between Karolinska Institutet, Universidad de Oviedo in Spain and the University of Nicosia in Cyprus.

A joint web portal featuring information and activities from the student health services of all Swedish universities has recently been launched. Studenthälsa.se provides tips and advice for students to feel better and achieve a more sustainable student life.

Hi Mona-Lisa Malarte, doctoral student at the Division of Clinical Geriatrics. Om January 26 you will defend your thesis ”Tau pathology in Alzheimer's disease and other dementias : translational approach from in vitro autoradiography to in vivo PET imaging”. What is the main focus of the thesis?

Following an internal evaluation of the proposals, the StratNeuro board has decided to award SEK 100,000 to the proposal sent by Onur Dagliyan at the Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, to host a two months' visit in his laboratory by Cristian Ripoli, Associate Professor at the Department of Neuroscience of the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.

Dementia is a brain disease that affects mental capacities such as the individual’s memory, language, or capacity to understand and deal with emotions. Amongst the different types of dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is a relatively frequent dementia. Recently, there has been an interest in understanding better whether sex and gender play a role in DLB. Two recent publications from researchers at Karolinska Institutet addressed this question on sex differences in DLB.

Are you a KI student who wants to apply for a job in Life Science but is unsure how to get the job? Then you are welcome to attend the workshop "How to land a job" with career coach Niclas Lindqvist from Trygghetsstiftelsen.

Minister for Health Care Acko Ankarberg Johansson had a busy schedule when she visited Karolinska Institutet, where she spent an afternoon discussing research conditions and how to create sustainable infrastructures that can increase the interaction between education, research, development and healthcare today and tomorrow.

Five new members of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences (KVA) have been elected at the General Meeting held on 17 January 2024. Marie Carlén, Karolinska Institutet, Love Dalén and Hanna Johannesson, Stockholm University, were elected new members of the Academy's Class for Biosciences.

Lisa Westerberg has been appointed Professor of Experimental Immunology at the Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology from 1 January 2024.

Professor Per-Olof Berggren has been awarded a ERC Proof of Concept grant by the European Research Council (ERC). The funding will be used to advance a technology in which islets of Langerhans are transplanted into the anterior chamber of the eye and employed as a screening tool to identify novel pharmaceutical treatments for diabetes.

One in three children who suffer from bacterial meningitis live with permanent neurological disabilities due to the infection. This is according to a new epidemiological study led by Karolinska Institutet and published in leading medical journal JAMA Network Open.

Hi Marianne Reimers Wessberg, doctoral student at the Division of Clinical Geriatrics. On February 2 you will defend your thesis "Aspects on heart failure and drug treatment in geriatric patients". What is the main focus of the thesis?