News archive

Nina Bošković from the Gastroenterology and Nutrition Unit (GUT), at the Department of Medicine, Huddinge (MedH) defends her thesis titled "Oxygen levels regulating Embryonic Genome Activation", on 13 June, 2025. Main supervisor is Juha Kere (MedH).

Hi Vilma Alanko, doctoral student at the Division of Clinical Geriatrics. On June 13 you will defend your thesis ”Translational studies on biological signatures, risk profiles, and prevention of dementia.” What is the main focus of the thesis?

On May 27–28, over 270 researchers, clinicians, and students gathered at the scenic Djurönäset conference center for the StratNeuro Retreat 2025

The latest Planetary Health Report Card (PHRC) has been recently released, in which health profession students evaluate planetary health content at their universities. KI has improved its scores in most areas, especially in support for student-led sustainability initiatives.

Fredrik Piehl, Professor of Neurology at the Department of Clinical Neuroscience at Karolinska Institutet and researcher at Karolinska University Hospital, has been named Neuroprofile of the Year 2025.

The prestigious Nordic Anders Jahre Award for 2025 goes this year to two researchers at Karolinska Institutet. Professor Sten Eirik Wælgaard Jacobsen is to receive the Anders Jahre Award for Medical Research for his work on normal and leukemic blood stem cells. William Nyberg is honoured with the Anders Jahre Award for Young Researchers for his work on the development of T-cell immunotherapy for cancer.

The rapid transformation we are now seeing in the healthcare sector brings a growing need for municipally provided health promoting and preventative activities, and, consequently, for research and education. On 3 June, KI signed collaboration agreements with Solna City and Upplands-Bro municipality, marking an important step towards reinforcing such strategic partnerships between the university and local government.

Hi there Isabelle von Saenger! On 13 June, you will defend your doctoral thesis entitled “Care and financial support in ageing families: the changing shape of inequality”. Can you tell us more about what it explores?

The Bridging Grant is a funding initiative through which StratNeuro provides support to promising researchers with outstanding scientific merits, offering them the opportunity to further consolidate and strengthen their research.

A new investigation from Karolinska Institutet shows that the majority of food and beverage advertisements that adolescents are exposed to on social media promote unhealthy products. The investigation is part of a new report from UNICEF Sweden and the Swedish Heart-Lung Foundation.

Research on uveal melanoma - the most common form of eye cancer in adults - at St. Erik Eye Hospital and Karolinska Institutet has been ranked fifth in the world according to the 2024 ScholarGPS ranking.

The Foundation for Child Research at Astrid Lindgren Children’s Hospital recently hosted a ceremonial event to present this year’s Hugo Lagercrantz Award alongside the fall research grants. It was an inspiring gathering that celebrated both groundbreaking research and emerging scientific talent in paediatrics.

Shengyuan Zeng from the Gastroenterology and Nutrition Unit (GUT), at the Department of Medicine, Huddinge (MedH) defends her thesis titled "Investigation of epigenome changes in quiescent fission yeast cells", on 5 June, 2025. Main supervisor is Karl Ekwall (MedH).

Karolinska Comprehensive Cancer Center (Karolinska CCC) will be the first center in Sweden to receive renewed accreditation. This milestone marks an important step in further strengthening the collaboration between Karolinska University Hospital and KI. Childhood cancer is now also part of Karolinska CCC.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have identified three types of nerve cells connected to the intestinal villi, suggesting that previously unknown neural networks regulate fluid balance in the gut. The findings, published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, could lead to a better understanding of diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Despite many digital tools showing promising results in research aimed at supporting patients in lifestyle changes, self-care, and monitoring of common chronic diseases, they rarely make it into routine healthcare. A new correspondence article in Nature Medicine presents six concrete recommendations to help accelerate the path from research to real patient benefit.

On May 29-30, the KI Housing office will be closed for the Ascension Day holiday.

The Swedish Agency for Health Technology Assessment and Assessment of Social Services (SBU) recently provided a commentary on a review conducted at the Aging Research Center (ARC) in collaboration with affiliated researchers. The review focused on interventions to support informal caregivers—family members or close friends who care for older adults without formal compensation.

People with an autism diagnosis are at a higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease early in life, a large-scale study from Karolinska Institutet published in JAMA Neurology reports. The researchers believe that the two conditions can share underlying biological mechanisms.

The number of Achilles tendon injuries has drastically increased over the past 20 years. Simon Svedman's thesis shows that blood clots are a common complication that needs better prevention.

Biomedicum was transformed into a colourful studio on May 26th when children rolled up their sleeves for a Science Clay Workshop that turned cell biology into art.

Mayo Clinic and Karolinska Institutet are marking 30 years of collaboration by rescheduling their next joint research meeting to Fall 2026, aiming to focus on cutting-edge themes like RNA therapeutics, precision health, and decentralized care. The event will be held at Mayo Clinic’s Jacksonville campus and is designed to reflect the evolving strengths of both institutions.

Alphonsus Matovu, PhD student at the Reconstructive Plastic Surgery and Global Surgery research group, the Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, will defend his thesis "Groin Hernia Surgery in Women. Outputs, Factors, Methods and Costeffectiveness" on June 2, 2025. Main Supervisor is Jenny Löfgren.

After cycling 90 kilometres through sunshine, hail and beech forests, Pernilla Alencar Siljehag arrived in Tomelilla with tired legs and a heart full of impressions. Together with the initiator Oskar Jonsson, she has cycled a leg of the tandem tour that takes researchers around southern Sweden to give lectures on ageing and health. She shares her reflections on the conversations along the way, the audience at the library, and why research journeys are sometimes at their best when on two wheels.

Thanks to a generous donation from businesswoman and investment company director Louise Lindh, the Department of Dental Medicine at Karolinska Institutet is able to establish a new professorial chair. This marks an important step towards making dental health a self-evident and integral part of public health, a move that both researchers and healthcare professionals have long been calling for.

Giola Santoni, biostatistician at the Upper Gastric Intestinal Surgery group at Karolinska Institutet, became docent in epidemiology on April 29, 2025.

Dr. Santoni holds a broad expertise in Epidemiology and Biostatistics, with a focus on cancer outcomes using Nordic registry data. Her work includes large-scale, register-based cohort studies focusing on cancer etiology and outcomes, intervention effects on cancer risk and survival, and socio-economic and lifestyle factors.

In today's complex world, ethical issues are particularly important. Marie Chenik, senior advisor, monitors a wide range of sources, including leading newspapers from around the world, to gather the latest news on ethics in areas ranging from politics and religion to healthcare. "The ethics newsletter" is distributed free of charge once a week to anyone interested in the subject. A report on the first 350 newsletters is now available.

Ingrid Lundberg, senior physician and professor of rheumatology, has been awarded the title of honorary doctor at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) for her significant contributions to myositis research.

Amir Ata Saei, assistant professor at the Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology has been awarded the Novo Nordisk Foundation Excellence Emerging Investigator Grant within Endocrinology and Metabolism 2025.

Researchers are getting better at growing miniature organs and embryos in test tubes or on chips. This creates new opportunities for answering research questions while reducing the need for animal testing in some cases.

The Kamprad Family Foundation awards SEK 5 million to Elisabet Rydwik, researcher at the Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, for her research project on home rehabiltation for the elderly.

On May 16, 2025 Lis Frykler Abasi, physician at the Department of Anaesthesiology at Norrtälje Hospital, as well as our colleague and friend, successfully defended his doctoral thesis.

A new study from the Institute of Environmental Medicine at Karolinska Institutet presents a promising method for identifying endocrine-disrupting chemicals – without the need for traditional animal testing. By combining RNA-sequencing of zebrafish embryos with a structured toxicological framework, researchers can now better predict harmful effects on human health.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet (KI), in collaboration with Umecrine Cognition AB, have been awarded a grant from The Michael J. Fox Foundation to explore a promising new treatment for Parkinson’s disease.

An international team of researchers has found a genetic link to long-term symptoms after COVID-19. The identified gene variant is located close to the FOXP4 gene, which is known to affect lung function. The study, published in Nature Genetics, was led by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland.

A donation of SEK 10 million from the Promobilia Foundation is to provide crucial funding for a project designed to help children, adolescents and adults with motor impairments identify more as physically active and included in sport. The project is led by Ferdinand von Walden, researcher at the Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, and Jessica Norrbom, researcher at the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology at Karolinska Institutet.

Welcome to Anna Zettergren's defense of the thesis ”Tobacco Exposure and Health – From Fetal Life to Adulthood”.

At this spring’s conferment ceremony in Stockholm City Hall, honorary doctorates were awarded to Margareta Persson and Leif Lundblad, both of whom are influential and leading figures in their respective fields. They were moved and proud to receive their hats, diplomas and tributes in the form of a cannon salute and applause from a packed Blue Hall. “My thoughts go to my dad today, he would’ve been so happy and proud,” said Margareta Persson after the ceremony.

At this spring’s most important academic ceremony, 143 doctors and two honorary doctors received their hats and diplomas at Stockholm City Hall. Each one has a story to tell of exciting challenges and many years’ devotion to their work. One of them is Martina Gustavsson. Raised on a farm in Västergötland, her journey to the City Hall podium involved many miles by motorbike through remote parts of Uganda.

The committee for higher education has decided to award Anders Sondén and Anna Pettersson KI's Pedagogical Prize in 2025.
The prize is awarded during the inauguration ceremony in Aula Medica in October.

The partnership between Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine (J&J) and Karolinska Institutet (KI) marks this year a decade of joint initiatives for promoting the development of tomorrow’s therapies. This long-standing collaboration between industry and academy has given rise to significant scientific advances in several fields of medicine.

The tandem tour is a popular science initiative where researchers cycle through southern Sweden, giving lectures on ageing and health at libraries and community centres. The aim is to reach a broader audience, foster dialogue, and spark interest in the role of research in society. The tour, organised in collaboration with the graduate school SWEAH, runs from 4–27 May 2025 and is made possible thanks to support from the Sten K Johnson Foundation.

Oskar Swartling from the Integrative Cardiovascular, Cancer and Ageing Research unit (ICCA), at the Departmet of Medicine, Huddinge (MedH) is defending his thesis titled "Progression of Chronic Kidney Disease: Risk Factors, Sex Differences and Intervention", on 23 May, 2025. Main supervisor is Ylva Trolle Lagerros (MedH).

Manne Godhe, PhD student at the Sports Medicine research group, the Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, will defend his thesis "Physical Activity and Fitness Measurements in Healthy Older Adults and Osteoarthrities Patients Undergoing Total Hip Arthroplasty" on May 23, 2025. Main Supervisor is Eva Andersson.

David Wulliman from Center for Infectious Medicine (CIM), at the Departmet of Medicine, Huddinge (MedH) is defending his thesis titled "T Cell Immunity Induced by SARS-CoV-2 and Flavivirus Vaccination", on 23 May, 2025. Main supervisor is Hans-Gustaf Ljunggren (MedH).

The combination of air pollution, dense urban development and limited green spaces increases the risk of asthma in both children and adults. This is shown by a new study conducted as part of a major EU collaboration led by researchers from Karolinska Institutet. The paper is published in Lancet Regional Health-Europe.

A study from Karolinska Institutet reveals how cells adapt to nutrient scarcity by altering their genetic instructions. This discovery, published in Molecular Cell, sheds light on cellular stress responses and opens up new medical treatments.

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who attended and presented at the very first Swedish Suicide Research Conference – a platform designed to promote high-quality, research-driven discussions on suicide and suicide prevention.

FyFa researcher Maria Lee has received a postdoctoral grant from the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation: Wallenberg - Bienenstock Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme at Stanford. The grant funds two years of studies at Stanford.

The European Federation of Psychologists’ Associations (EFPA) has announced Professor Lars Bäckman, Karolinska Institutet, as the recipient of the Aristotle Prize 2025. This distinguished award recognises individuals who have made a substantial and original contributions to psychology, particularly in the field of cognitive ageing.