News archive

On Wednesday 25 March, Minister for Older People and Social Security Anna Tenje visited Liljeholmen's University Health Centre to learn about the work of the newly formed Stockholm Centre for return to work. The centre is led by Theo Bodin, associate professor at the Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet.

A new film presenting Karolinska Institutet has now become a reality. The film showcases both the breadth and excellence of KI’s education and research and can be used in seminars and conferences, as well as in other contexts where staff and students want to give an overall presentation of KI.

Many common diseases and other complex traits, such as heart disease, diabetes, and psychiatric disorders, are influenced by a very large number of genetic variants, each with only a small effect. They are also shaped by environmental and lifestyle factors, which makes their causes highly complex. By analyzing genetic data from very large groups of people across the whole genome, researchers can identify these small genetic signals and better understand how they contribute to health and disease.

Feifei Yan from the Integrative Cardiovascular, Cancer and Ageing Research unit (ICCA), at the Department of Medicine, Huddinge (MedH), defends her thesis titled "Matrix rigidity control of breast cancer cell malignancy", on 10 April 2026. Main supervisor is Staffan Strömblad.

People with long COVID are at increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease, according to a new study from Karolinska Institutet published in eClinicalMedicine. The results show that the risk of conditions such as cardiac arrhythmias and coronary artery disease is higher even among those who were not hospitalised during the acute infection.

A major international collaboration on scientific reliability has been completed and is now presented in three articles in Nature by researchers from institutions including Karolinska Institutet. Around half of previously published research results in the social and behavioural sciences could not be replicated in new experiments.

An increasing proportion of patients with heart failure receive a combination of four medications shown to improve prognosis and recommended in guidelines. However, there is still room for improving adherence and persistence to heart failure therapy, which appears linked to a lower risk of hospitalisation for heart failure and cardiovascular death. These findings are shown by a new study from Karolinska Institutet published in the European Heart Journal.

The Swedish Parliament’s Committee on Education presented its new report on schooling and academic outcomes for students with ADHD and autism during an open session on 31 March. Sven Bölte, professor of child and adolescent psychiatric science at Karolinska Institutet, was invited to comment on the findings.

Are you a supportive and approachable person who enjoys helping others? Do you like building connections within your community? KI Housing is looking for new Residence Assistants (RAs) to KI Residence Solna as some of our current RAs will soon be moving out.

Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation is allocating additional funds, in total SEK 1.6 billion, to patient oriented, clinical research. The initiative will, among other things, strengthen research at the four Wallenberg Centres for Molecular Medicine. As part of this initiative, SEK 125 million has been allocated to Karolinska Institutet.

The Centre for Health Crises at Karolinska Institutet works to ensure that experience gained from working on health crises internationally can be transformed to benefit Sweden’s crisis preparedness. As part of this, they have conducted a one-day training excerise on global outbreak epidemiology in collaboration with the Swedish Red Cross. Its aim is to provide further education for people who have worked on projects abroad.

More places will be available this year for the eAT exam, which is a prerequisite for applying for registration as a foundation doctor. In previous years, not all applicants in different parts of the country have been able to sit the exam. Now, the exam will be held in two cities – Malmö and Stockholm – and on a new day of the week.

A collaboration between Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, and SciLifeLab has integrated whole genome sequencing into routine diagnostic investigations for rare diseases at Karolinska University Hospital. To date, more than 15,000 patients have had their entire genome sequenced, with 23 per cent receiving a genetic diagnosis, according to a study published in Genome Medicine.

A combination of immunotherapy and targeted cancer treatment given before and after surgery may reduce the risk of recurrence and improve survival in patients with muscle‑invasive bladder cancer who cannot tolerate conventional chemotherapy. The findings come from a new study from Karolinska Institutet, published in The New England Journal of Medicine.

M-CHAT does not catch all children with autism in the neonatal high-risk group, shows a study from Karolinska Institutet published in JAMA Network Open. The researchers see a need to supplement the test with other assessment methods.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet, have uncovered a previously unknown mechanism that helps pain sensing nerve cells stay healthy and respond to injury. The findings, published in Nature Communications, may improve understanding of chronic pain and nerve damage and maintenance of myelin integrity.

The upcoming Symposium “Naturalistic Neuroscience: From perception to action and back” will take place from May 28-29, 2026, at the University of Bonn. Experts from diverse fields will come together at this international symposium to discuss the current state and future directions for naturalistic neuroscience research.

On Wednesday 25 March, Karolinska Institutet opened the doors of Zanderska huset for this year’s Open Day. Interest was high, and there was a steady flow of visitors keen to ask questions to students from KI’s undergraduate programmes.

An opinion piece published in the Swedish daily Expressen highlights dementia as a growing societal challenge and refers to a recent report from Karolinska Institutet on the number of people living with dementia and the associated costs in Sweden. The report provides updated estimates of prevalence, future trends and the economic impact of the disease.

Inherited variations in antibody genes can affect how we respond to infections and vaccines, show two new studies from Karolinska Institutet published in the journal Immunity. The researchers have mapped immune gene variation across multiple global populations and shown how these variations affect the ability to form neutralising antibodies, for example against the influenza virus.

Gaming disorder is on its way to becoming a recognised diagnosis in Swedish healthcare. This is welcomed by researcher and psychologist Philip Lindner, who is increasingly concerned about the growing role of money in modern games.

On 15 April, Karolinska Institutet will host an open seminar on threats to academic freedom, with a special focus on imprisoned researcher Ahmadreza Djalali.

During a well-attended seminar at The Cell, leading politicians, including Minister Lotta Edholm, and researchers gathered for talks about crisis preparedness, what it takes to build a resilient society and about the universities' important role in this work. The seminar was organised by the University Alliance Stockholm Trio, where KI is a member, and Stockholm Science City.

How we engage our brains while sitting for long periods may affect cognitive health later in life. A new study from Karolinska Institutet, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, shows that adults who spend most of their sedentary time on mentally passive activities, such as watching TV, face a higher risk of developing dementia. By contrast, brain-stimulating sedentary activities, such as reading, appear to reduce the risk.

A group of senior leaders from Flemish organisations working with older people (In4Care) visited the Aging Research Center (ARC) at Karolinska Institutet on 25 March 2026. The visit, hosted by the Transdisciplinary Research Center for Personalized Dementia Prevention & Care (TraCeDem), focused on how research, policy and care practice interact within the Swedish system.

Factors in the blood of patients with dermatomyositis can impair muscle function by activating a specific inflammatory pathway. This is shown in a new study from Karolinska Institutet published in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. The results suggest that drugs that block this signalling could counteract muscle weakness.

With the publication of the QS World University Rankings by Subject for 2026, KI retains its position among the world’s and Europe’s leading universities. Among other things, KI regains the top spot globally in “Dentistry” and retains its position as the EU’s leading medical university.

The application deadline for the Summer School in Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback has been extended. Taking place from 21 May to 17 June 2026, this 4 ECTS Blended Intensive Programme combines online and on-site learning, focusing on applied psychophysiology, heart rate variability (HRV), self-regulation, and biofeedback. This course is organized by Reykjavik University, in collaboration with Karolinska Institutet and Radboud University.

Entrepreneur and inventor Leif Lundblad (1938–2025) has bequeathed SEK 538 million to Karolinska Institutet, the largest donation ever to have been made to a Swedish university in modern times. Much of the sum will go towards research on dementia diseases.

After almost two months on the medical programme, Ebbali Ekehammar sums up her start at KI as intense, rewarding and, above all, really fun. Here she shares what has surprised her, what has been most challenging, and how she manages it.

Digital CBT treatment reduced cardiac-related anxiety and improved patients' quality of life and physical function after a heart attack. This is shown in a new randomised study published in Journal of the American College of Cardiology, in which researchers at Karolinska Institutet compared digital CBT with standard care.

Welcome to Anna Frantz presentation of her thesis ”A problem-solving intervention among employees with mental health problems : effects, predictors and experiences”.

Living with a dog does not seem to worsen long‑term asthma severity in children with allergic asthma, but may increase the risk of asthma exacerbations slightly, according to a study from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden that has been published in Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: Global.

Anna Embring has been appointed docent in cancer and oncology at Karolinska Institutet. She is based at the Department of Oncology Pathology and is a member of the Clinical radiotherapy research group, led by Åsa Carlsson Tedgren. She also works as a specialist physician in oncology with a focus on radiotherapy at Karolinska University Hospital.

On 19 March, HM The Queen presented research grants from the King Gustaf V and Queen Victoria Freemason Foundation, which supports research on ageing in the areas of neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and nursing research.

Early treatment for rheumatoid arthritis leads to significant improvements in pain, fatigue, and quality of life — regardless of whether patients receive biologic drugs or conventional therapy. This is shown by a new international study which was led from Karolinska Institutet, and recently published in The Lancet Rheumatology. Biologic drugs provided slightly greater improvements, but the differences between treatments were small.

Clinical researchers Drs Hanna Brauner and Nikolas Herold appreciated collaborating as research leaders on equal terms, because it gives the best ideas the greatest room to flourish. Their project via Karolinska Institutet’s research incubator has the potential to improve the treatment of skin (cutaneous) lymphoma.

In the intersection between the two KIRI fellows Claudia Kutter’s and Erdinc Sezgin’s research fields, new knowledge emerged about a rare genetic disease. Today, the two research groups collaborate closely, and both leaders point up the important role played by postdocs.

The Karolinska Institutet Research Incubator (KIRI) is where young researchers meet each other across disciplines and in the collaborations that arise, the foundations for pioneering research breakthroughs are laid. After the four years of its existence, KIRI is now seeing its first cohort of KIRI Fellows.

Fathers in Sweden are less likely to receive a psychiatric diagnosis during their partner’s pregnancy and in the months following the birth of their child. However, diagnoses of depression and stress-related disorders increase a year later, according to a new study published in JAMA Network Open by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and Sichuan University in China.

Children living with obesity but showing no signs of metabolic complications still have a significantly increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and abnormal blood lipid levels later in life. A new study from the Karolinska Institutet, published in JAMA Pediatrics, also shows that these children benefit greatly from obesity treatment.

Seven researchers at the Department of Oncology‑Pathology (OnkPat) have been awarded funding in the Swedish Cancer Society’s 2026 call. In total, 26 researchers at Karolinska Institutet have been awarded funding as part of the Swedish Cancer Society’s 2026 call, which totals SEK 135 million. The call also includes research schools, one of which is affiliated with OnkPat.

Malin Granbom Koski receives the Swedish Medical Association's Candidate and Junior Physician Association's Asklepios Prize for best scientific article 2025. The study presents clinically significant findings and provides important information for how doctors can assess patients' risks before interventions on the aorta and aortic valve.

The Swedish Cancer Foundation supports young researchers early in their careers by funding research positions that make it possible to combine clinical work with research. We congratulate Christel Hedman, Mirna Abraham-Nordling and Fredrik Jäderling who receive support from the Swedish Cancer Foundation in the 2026 call.

Niek van Bree, previously a doctoral student at the Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology at Karolinska Institutet, has been awarded the 2025 Dan Grandér Research Prize for his thesis “Development of Translational Models and Identification of Novel Therapeutic Targets for Medulloblastoma”. This annual award recognises the best doctoral thesis in cancer research at Karolinska Institutet.

Although people in Japan tend to live long lives, this does not necessarily mean they are healthier than other populations. New research from Karolinska Institutet and collaborators shows that Japanese and Swedish older adults have a similar number of healthy life years – if ‘healthy’ is defined as living at home without the need for formal elder care. However, mortality among individuals receiving elder care is lower in Japan than in Sweden.

Karolinska Institutet has appointed Professor Karin Dahlman-Wright as director of KI’s new research infrastructure organisation, RIKI, with effect from 1 April. RIKI provides the tools, methods, technologies and networks that researchers need in their work.

The KI Housing office will be closed for the Easter holidays from lunchtime on April 2 through April 6.

Meis Omran has been awarded the Pfizer and Swedish Society of Oncology (SOF) postdoctoral research fellowship. The SEK 250,000 award supports her study exploring how patients with a hereditary risk of cancer experience the transition from paediatric to adult healthcare.

Genetic markers may be the key to more precise surveillance programs for individuals with the hereditary cancer syndrome Li-Fraumeni. In a new doctoral thesis from Karolinska Institutet, Alexander Sun Zhang shows how tailored follow-up strategies can reduce the burden on patients, particularly children. These findings have already influenced the Swedish national guidelines.