News archive

Close relatives of people with metabolic-associated fatty liver disease have a higher risk of developing liver cancer and dying from liver-related diseases, according to a national study from Karolinska Institutet published in The Journal of Hepatology. This means that family members could also benefit from the lifestyle advice that is currently only given to patients, the researchers conclude.

Researchers at the Ageing Research Centre have been awarded a number of grants from Demensfonden, Stiftelsen Sigurd och Elsa Goljes minne, Stiftelsen Ragnhild och Einar Lundströms minne, as well as the SfoEpi Consolidator grant, for studies on the health and well-being of older people. In addition, ARC is involved in a project within preventive and health-promoting interventions that has been granted funding from Forte.

New date!
Scheduled maintenance work for IDAC on September 21,
between kl 12:00 and 22:00 will take place.

During this day, it will be possible to search for employees/students and use the "Reset password" service in the IDAC portal.
Please, we do not ask you to use the remaining services in the IDAC portal between kl 12:00 and 22:00.

Cardiogenic growth factors play important roles in heart development and in a new study published in the scientific paper Nature Communications from researchers at Karolinska Institutet shows how stem cell therapeutics and mRNA technology are beginning to converge offering major improvements in vascularization, survival, expansion, differentiation, and ultimately the function of human stem cell grafts.

Due to planned system maintenance, the bibliometrics system will not be available from 09.00 to 16.00 on 12 September. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

Cluster headache, one of the most painful diseases known to man, is genetically correlated with risk-taking behaviour, ADHD, depression and musculoskeletal pain, and smoking is a causal risk factor, according to an article published in Annals of Neurology.

Since 2015, Karolinska Institutet has been a member of Scholars at Risk, a network that offers protection for researchers whose lives are in serious danger. Thanks to a request granted by KI and a donation by the Olle Engkvist Foundation, a researcher from Afghanistan has been given a position at KI.

Children of a parent with alcohol or drug use disorder have a greater risk of intellectual disability, even if the problem only lies with the father, researchers from Karolinska Institutet report. According to the study, which is published in the journal eClinicalMedicine, preventive measures should be directed at both parents.

Petter Brodin, professor at Karolinska Institutet, is awarded the Oscar Medin's prize 2023 by the Swedish Medical Association (SLS) for his outstanding research efforts in Paediatrics.

Tips from KI Grants Office about current calls.

Recently four of the researchers at the Department of Global Public Health received funds for different research projects, Kristi Sidney Annerstedt, Anna Ohlis, Ann Liljas, and Renee Gardner. We asked them a few questions to know more about the projects and what the funds will contribute to.

Students and employees have now the opportunity to nominate candidates for the academic election of three new members to the Faculty Council.

Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever Virus (CCHF) spreads via ticks and is on the World Health Organization’s (WHO) list of priority diseases, with a high case fatality rate and no or insufficient countermeasures. A recent study published by researchers from Karolinska Institutet in collaboration with Sivas Cumhuriyet University, Turkey, sheds light on the connection between Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever Virus (CCHFV) infection and prolonged fatigue.

CLINICUM is part of the region-wide initiative that aims to strengthen the quality of clinical and translational research. In its entirety, CLINICUM consists of a central function and seven nodes which represent the care provider organizations in Region Stockholm and SLSO. The nodes' activities aim to offer scientific advice and to provide methodological support and guidance in the planning and execution of research projects.

"My new assignment is both fun and challenging. I am really looking forward to heading a department that is so active in both education and research," says Tassos Grigoriadis."

Researchers at Karolinska Institute have developed a novel method using DNA Nanoballs to detect pathogens, aiming to simplify nucleic acid testing and revolutionize pathogen detection. The study's results, published in Science Advances, could pave the way for a straightforward electronic-based test capable of identifying various nucleic acids in diverse scenarios quickly and cheaply.

Professor Mats Trulsson at the Department of Dental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, has been awarded an honorary doctorate at Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier, in Toulouse, France.

Extracellular vesicles are small cell bubbles that play a crucial role in how our cells communicate. A recent study published in Science Advances has unlocked some fascinating insights into these tiny messengers and their potential in healthcare.

On 28 August, Karin Vikström started as communications officer at the Department of Medicine, Huddinge.

The government has appointed Jan Albert, professor of infectious disease control at Karolinska Institutet and senior consultant at Karolinska University Hospital, to lead a government inquiry looking into strengthening the country’s preparedness for future pandemics. The directive concerns a national strategy for how pandemics are to be managed and a possible revision of the Communicable Diseases Act. The investigation should be delivered in February 2025.

A study by five NVS researchers published in The Journal of American Medical Directors Association, shows that fear of falling can increase the risk of injurious falls in older adults, especially for those with no apparent physiological risk of falling.

STINT, the Swedish Foundation for International Cooperation in Research and Higher Education, annually publishes an index measuring the internationalisation of Swedish higher education institutions. It has now given the maximum of five stars to Karolinska Institutet.

Pedagogical ambassadors are teachers or persons otherwise active in doctoral programmes or research schools who initially receive funded time to promote educational development. The purpose is to stimulate educational development within KI’s doctoral education. Now the application for a new call is open.

Two researchers at Karolinska Institutet have been awarded ERC Starting Grants, totalling 3 million euro over five years. Kasper Karlsson and Juan Pablo Lopez will each receive EUR 1.5 million for projects that aim to fight cancer in children and understand how psychedelic compounds can be used to treat psychiatric disorders.

KI Housing has four Residence Assistants working in our accommodation area KI Residence Solna. Their mission is to be a helping hand for tenants staying in the area and to create a community where the tenants get to know their neighbors.

We are excited to share an interview with one of our standout students who recently completed the course on Applied Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Healthcare (15hp).

KI’s only Erasmus Mundus Master programme, the Master programme Public Health in Disasters, will continue, following a renewed agreement between the three collaborating partners; KI, Universidad de Oviedo and the University of Nicosia. Course leaders look forward to continuing to provide students with the latest tools to work with public health in disasters and advance research in the field. And the new format of the programme allows for all students to come to KI.

On August 31, 80 new master's students from 23 different countries were welcomed to the Department of Global Public Health at Karolinska Institutet. During a welcome day, they got to know their new department, received tips on the use of AI tools, answered a quiz from Gapminder, and got to know fellow new students. In addition, they were treated to a lecture by former state epidemiologist Anders Tegnell on the topic "Is the pandemic over?"

Red blood cells exposed to oxygen deficiency protect against myocardial infarction, according to a new KI study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigations. The study also shows that the protective effect is enhanced by a nitrate-rich vegetable diet.

People without a secure job contract can reduce their risk of premature death by 20 percent if they gain permanent employment, a study from Karolinska Institutet published in The Journal of Epidemiology and Community reports. According to the researchers, the results indicate that job security in the Swedish labor market needs to improve.

Patients with cluster headache suffer from various sleep problems, such as insomnia, which also occur in periods when the patient is symptom-free and should be considered during treatment. This is shown by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in a study recently published in The Journal of Headache and Pain.

To start with, new bins, cleaning routines and staff information channels will be trialled over the coming weeks in Aula Medica and the administration building in Solna. The aim is for food waste to be recycled effectively throughout KI by the end of the year.

According to UNICEF, approximately one in five young people suffer from mental health issues, which in turn often leads to risk-taking with alcohol, tobacco and drugs. In the long run, it can cause lifelong health impairments in adulthood. In a three-year project coordinated by Karolinska Institutet, a method used to improve young people’s wellbeing in India, Kenya, the U.S. and Colombia is being evaluated to see if it can work in other parts of the world.

Tips from Grants Office regarding current calls

Cholesterol-lowering statins might protect patients with ulcerative colitis from developing and dying from colorectal cancer. Statin treatment was also associated with a lower risk of death regardless of cause in patients with ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease. This is according to a study by researchers at Karolinska Institutet published in eClinicalMedicine.

Vitamin C and other antioxidants stimulate the formation of new blood vessels in lung cancer tumours, a new study from Karolinska Institutet published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation shows. The discovery corroborates the idea that dietary supplements containing antioxidants can accelerate tumour growth and metastasis.

StratNeuro awards a total of 15 MSEK to support Collaborative Neuroscience Projects.

Researchers from Karolinska Institutet found a high number of the so called natural killer cell, an important anti-lymphoma cell, in samples from patients with cutaneous lymphoma. However, the cells were immature and less active. A future therapy could be to restore their function locally. The study was published in Frontiers in Immunology.

Aula Medica was inaugurated in October 2013 and won the award Building of the Year 2014. Its expression is well known and associated with world-class medical research. Annually, many gatherings are held in the auditorium where the world's foremost people meet and ideas are shared and born.
On October 3rd, we want to celebrate this mighty building's tenth anniversary! All staff invited!

From 1 September 2023, there is a new routine for MEB access cards.

Professor Lars Olson is awarded the Arvid Carlsson Foundation’s major prize for outstanding research 2023. In addition, Professor Sophie Erhardt and Adjunct Professor Johan Lundberg are both awarded grants from the foundation.

During the fall, KI RIMS will gradually open up for usage. In the first step, you will be able to log in with your KI-id and view the aggregated information available about you and your research, as well as edit and add information. In the next step, new profile pages are released on ki.se, utilizing the information stored in KI RIMS.

Lifestyles, the pandemic and dental care were some of the topics under discussion when Minister for Social Affairs and Public Health Jakob Forssmed visited Karolinska Institutet on 28 August, the same day as the autumn term kicked off.

Starting from week 34, there will be two lunch training sessions per week for all employees at Biomedicum. The training will be diverse, and everyone can participate since the exercises will be easy to perform at the level that suits each individual.

When the Minister for Minister for Social Affairs and Public Health Jakob Forssmed visited KI on Monday 28 August, he met, among others, the director of the Centre for Health Crises, Johan von Schreeb. During the meeting the Centre highlighted the need for national collaboration on the role of universities in crises, as well as a national ability (surge capacity), focused on people trained in handling health crises, to be ready when the crisis hit.

Do you want to increase your awareness of the environment and climate in a fun, simple and different way, and at the same time feel the pep of being more people doing it at the same time?! Then you should take the chance and join the NVS autumn challenge for 14 days: October 9-22. Everyone can participate!

The European Commission recently released the results of the 2023 call for European universities. NeurotechEU, the European University of Brain and Technology, where KI is a partner, is among the 30 selected alliances that will receive 14.3 million euro to continue their collaborations for another four years.

Stressed at the office or in the lab? Stiff shoulders? Need focus? Join us for lunch yoga sessions in Biomedicum. Everybody is welcome - no experience needed!

On August 22, Magnus Håkansson took office as head of security at KI and as head of the security unit at the university administration.

KI and the Univeristy of Toronto recently celebrated a course collaboration that has been ongoing for more than 25 years.