News archive

Neuroblastoma is a rare disease that affects children, often before the age of two. Some are born with the disease. Paediatric surgeon Jakob Stenman is investigating whether targeted radioactive drugs can slow down the disease in those with the most severe form.

When Louise Karlsson was treated for breast cancer, she suffered radiation damage to her lung. Now she wants more people to know that it can happen.

As a child, Loke Lassen underwent harsh treatment, including whole-body radiotherapy. Today she lives with the side effects of the treatment that saved her life.

Hi Charlotta van Eggermont Arwidson, doctoral student at the division of nursing. On January 23 you will defend your thesis ”New Beginnings, New Challenges: Health & Housing of Asylum Seekers and Refugees in their Early Post-Migration Period in Sweden.” What is the main focus of the thesis?

A new study from Karolinska Institutet and Mayo Clinic has revealed important insights into brain degeneration in dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). This research, published in JAMA Neurology, could help doctors better monitor and treat this serious brain disease.

Daniel Sjöholm is one of many experts in Clinicum's network, supporting researchers who need help with various methodological issues. Daniel is a research engineer at the Department of Medicine in Solna, and a specialist in programming. He can help you understand what you want and can do with data - something that is very useful in his role as one of Clinicum's advisors.

Pete Williams, researcher at Karolinska Institutet and St. Erik Eye Hospital, has been awarded a research grant from the American Glaucoma Foundation to develop a treatment for glaucoma and other eye diseases. With the grant of USD 75,000 (SEK 840,000), the Foundation wants to recognize groundbreaking, innovative glaucoma research. This is the second time Pete Williams has received the grant.

Sven Carlsson has been appointed as new head of the Legal, Planning and Economic Affairs Office. He comes from the position of CFO at SLU, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences.

Remember to apply care of a sick child (VAB) and parental leave in the PA web portal.

On Friday, 17 January 2025, the graduating classes of four programmes at Karolinska Institutet will receive their diplomas. These programmes are the nursing programme, the medical programme, the physiotherapy programme, and the occupational therapy programme. Two of the graduating students, Måns and Niklas, have answered questions about their time at university and future plans.

Patients with celiac disease face an increased risk of developing any chronic liver disease. This risk increase can persist for at least 25 years after celiac diagnosis. The findings from a national study from Karolinska Institutet published in Lancet Regional Health - Europe underscore clinical vigilance to signs of liver disease in patients with celiac disease to prevent major adverse liver outcomes.

Ten innovation projects in life sciences have received grants within the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation's and SciLifeLab's Proof-of-Concept Program. Four of the projects are run by researchers at Karolinska Institutet. The Proof-of-Concept Program aims to bridge the gap from academic research to innovations in the life sciences.

Following a procurement process, KI is switching to a new security contract with the supplier CSG. The new contract is valid from Friday 10 January.

Due to data storage laws Wondr needs to delete and clear all member accounts and data in the beginning of 2025.

The library's open events (including the workshop series for researchers and doctoral students) have become more and more presentation or webinar orientated, shorter or longer sessions, with or without Q&A. Under the heading KIB Talks, we have gathered our wide range of workshops, presentations, Q&As, etc. in our various areas of expertise.

From the jubilee year of 2010 and onwards, Karolinska Institutet awards medals to people who have made special efforts in support of KI’s activities. There are three categories: the Gold Medal, the Grand Silver Medal and the Silver Medal. Medals are awarded in conjunction with various academic ceremonies.

The Society for Child Welfare announces over 4 million SEK in grants for applications supporting research and further education in the field of pediatric diseases.

A new international study led by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden shows that AI-based models can outperform human experts at identifying ovarian cancer in ultrasound images. The study is published in Nature Medicine.

A new study from Karolinska Institutet maps the cellular and molecular dynamics of human wound healing in exceptional detail. The study was published in Cell Stem Cell.

An international research team, including researchers at Karolinska Institutet, has mapped the genes expressed in the brain cells of people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The atlas, which is presented in the journal Neuron, is hoped to contribute to more personalised treatment of MS in the future.

This year, the Asthma and Allergy Association's Research Fund is distributing SEK 8.8 million to important asthma and allergy research. Eight of the researchers who receive grants work at Karolinska Institutet.

Using an AI tool, researchers at Karolinska Institutet have analysed brain images from 70-year-olds and estimated their brains’ biological age. They found that factors detrimental to vascular health, such as inflammation and high glucose levels, are associated with an older-looking brain, while healthy lifestyles were linked to brains with a younger appearance. The results are presented in Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association.

New PhD student at the Division of Occupational Therapy.

New lecturer och researcher at the Division of Occupational Therapy.

Researchers at the Institute for Environmental Medicine (IMM) have received a large number of grants from various research financiers during the autumn.

KI University Library (KIB) meets the future through the hybrid way of working.

The President has on 10th of December 2024 decided on a new qualification portfolio for teachers and researchers at KI.

From January 21 until January 2, KI Housing will be closed for the celebration of Christmas and the New Year.

In 2024, sisters Lisa, Maria, and Anne Örtqvist were all appointed as docents at Karolinska Institutet, a unique achievement that has garnered attention both within their family and the research community. Despite pursuing different career paths and research fields, they have inspired one another and drawn strength from their shared passion for medicine and research.

A new study from Karolinska Institutet shows that self-guided cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) online is as effective as psychologist-led internet-based CBT in reducing the symptoms of atopic eczema. The results, which are published in the highly ranked journal JAMA Dermatology, can lead to improved access to treatment for patients and reduce the burden on healthcare.

How are emerging plasma biomarkers related to the diagnostic tests currently used in clinical routines? And does the earlier evidence from highly selective research cohorts translate to the heterogeneous real-world data? Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have sought to answer these questions in a study published in eBioMedicine with Dr. Marina Bluma from the Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society as the first author.

Tips from Grants Office regarding current calls

KI President Annika Östman Wernerson has been elected as a member of IVA's Biotechnology Division. This took place in connection with the Academy meeting in November, when IVA, the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences, elected 41 new Swedish and international members – prominent researchers and experts from both the business community and the public sector.

As the year comes to a close and we look forward to a well-deserved holiday, let me, Vice-President Martin Bergö and University Director Veronika Sundström, share some of the highlights of the past couple of months

Anna Kågesten, Associate Professor in Global Health at the Department of Global Public Health, was one of the expert guests in Musikhjälpen’s booth at Stora Torget in Sundsvall this year. Over 60 million kronor was raised for organisations working to reduce maternal mortality worldwide. Anna Kågesten contributed research and knowledge based on her work focusing on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) among young people globally.

The group will be deciding on the establishment of senior lectureships and professorships and identifying both short and long-term competence shortages in order to secure and strengthen KI’s core activities and create long-term stability in education and research.

Professor Anna Wredenberg wants to understand in detail how the body works. That is why she delves into the unknown world of mitochondria. For patients with hereditary genetic diseases, this could mean a long-awaited diagnosis.

Administrative news for staff and affiliates at the Department of Neuroscience (December 2024).

Congratulations to the 2 researchers at Labmed who receive funds from the Swedish Cancer and Allergy Fund 2025.

In this episode of the KIB podcast Alvin, bibliometric analyst, Lovisa, librarian, and Anna, writing instructor, discuss questions from colleagues and students at KI on LLMs (large language models).

NVS Head of Department Maria Ankarcrona, together with Head of Administration Carin Ullman, received KI’s Work Environment Award 2024 at the Work Environment Day on December 12. They received the award for their persistent efforts on work environment issues, with a particular focus on safety.

A new study from the Institute of Environmental Medicine (IMM), published in The Lancet Regional Health – Europe, shows that certain cardiometabolic diseases may affect the risk and prognosis of motor neuron diseases. The findings highlight a complex link between heart diseases and neurological disorders like ALS, which could contribute to improved prevention and care for patients with these severe conditions.

In this webinar series we will explore the wide scope of psychedelics research conducted at various centers in Europe. Throughout the sessions we will cover a wide range of topics: from pharmacology and preclinical investigations to the clinical trials conducted in psychiatry. The three sessions in this series build upon each other but can also be attended in isolation. In each session, cutting-edge research is presented by esteemed researchers from different universities in Europe.

Cancer- och allergifonden (the Swedish Cancer and Allergy Fund) is awarding a total of SEK 3.6 million to 21 research projects in the field of cancer and allergy. Of these, twelve researchers at Karolinska Institutet will be awarded SEK 2.3 million. The grants aim to promote groundbreaking research that improves the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of cancer and allergies.

The Decision-making Procedures and Delegation Rules will be published in full early in the new year. Some of the amendments apply to the delegation of authority to the deans, university director and heads of department, while others concern the organisation as a whole.

Ten years ago, a cancer patient in Sweden was treated with CAR T-cell therapy for the first time. Today he is cured. Several challenges remain before the treatment can be given to everyone who could benefit from it, and how to achieve this was one of the questions discussed at the SWECARNET network’s annual education day.

Walking, running, cycling to work, strength training and yoga. Activities undertaken by 400 employees during November's varied weather. The Pep@Work exercise challenge has ended and participants have been moving at record levels.

Karolinska Institutet is investing over SEK 200 million over five years on a new funding package for EU-financed research projects. The aim of this investment, which was decided by the President on 11 November 2024, is to bolster research at KI and attract more international research grants and global collaborations designed to address today’s societal challenges. It is also intended to reward successful researchers that have won large prestigious external grants for breakthrough research.

Congratulations to Louise Emilsson who receives the Rising star Award from United European Gastroenterology. Ten emerging scientists are selected annually from all over Europe to receive the prize, which is awarded to young, promising researchers in gastrointestinal diseases in connection with the annual European UEG conference in gastroenterology. The award ceremony will be held in Berlin in October 2025.

Get to know Hong Qian, Professor of Molecular Haematology at the Department of Medicine, Huddinge (MedH) since 26 November 2024.