News archive

A new doctoral thesis from Karolinska Institutet shows that the balance system can be assessed during the first months of life. Using new, child-friendly methods, healthcare services can detect vestibular dysfunction in children with hearing impairment at an earlier stage and offer targeted habilitation.

Parents of children with ADHD, autism and other disabilities reported increased psychological flexibility and reduced stress after participating in the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy–based programme Navigator ACT. The results come from a study conducted at Karolinska Institutet and published in the journal Autism Research. “The intervention made it easier to be the parent you want to be,” says first author Tiina Holmberg Bergman.

Sunshine, heat, cold and rain all play a role in how active preschool children are during the day. This is shown by a new study from Karolinska Institutet, published in the journal Environmental Research, in which researchers have linked children’s activity patterns to everyday weather conditions.

Smartphone-based heart rhythm monitoring from home can reduce same-day cancellations and help save significant healthcare resources ahead of planned electrical cardioversion in patients with atrial fibrillation. This is shown in a new study published in JAMA Cardiology by researchers at Karolinska Institutet and Danderyd Hospital.

The thresholds for kidney function currently used to diagnose chronic kidney disease (CKD) reflect a true increase in the risk of serious illness. This is shown by a study from Karolinska Institutet and Leiden University Medical Center published in the journal JAMA. The researchers also show that risk assessment becomes more accurate when two common blood tests, creatinine and cystatin C, are combined to estimate kidney function.

Donations by Björn Savén and his wife Inger Savén to Karolinska Institutet’s research on colorectal cancer will hopefully improve our understanding of the disease and the possibility of early detection. One of the aims of the research is to enhance the disease prognosis by increasing the number of people tested at an early stage.

By seeking to understand those who commit intimate partner homicide, Shilan Caman hopes to find ways to prevent future killings. Her research shows that one factor unites them: the need for control.

At the end of last week, Karolinska Institutet took part in Järvaveckan, an annual event focused on dialogue and societal issues. Each year, political parties, public authorities, companies, organisations, universities, and schools come together to meet the public, discuss current topics, and build new connections.

Mikael Rydén, professor at the Department of Medicine, Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, has been awarded a grant of USD 9 million from the Leducq Foundation.

A mapping of publications from Karolinska Institutet, KTH Royal Institute of Technology and Stockholm University shows a broad range of research linked to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Bibliometric analysts at the three universities have compiled an overview of publications issued by the universities between 2018 and 2023. The results point to opportunities for further collaboration.

This question is currently being considered by the World Health Organization (WHO) and was also the topic of a panel discussion held by the Department of Global Public Health in May.

Okan Gültekin, a postdoctoral researcher at Karolinska Institutet, has been awarded an international grant from the Cancer Foundation to develop an AI-based tool for the treatment of advanced ovarian cancer. The project brings together expertise from Sweden, Finland and the UK.

An estimated 500,000 to 700,000 people in Sweden live with the lung disease COPD. Research is currently being done on developing an inhalation therapy for such patients by examining how antibodies can protect the body from disease-related inflammation and infections. KI researcher Charlotte Thålin has been awarded the Swedish Heart-Lung Foundation’s (HLF) major research grant of SEK 20 million for the project.

Karolinska Institutet is the coordinator for a new IHI-funded project aims to unlock health data for research while safeguarding intellectual property and trade secrets.

Andri Papakonstantinou and Sean Rudd have been appointed docents in cancer and oncology at Karolinska Institutet. Both are based at the Department of Oncology-Pathology.

Paolo Ceriani has always been interested in science, but when his mother was diagnosed with cancer, that interest took a new direction. He wanted to understand the disease on a deeper level and later began studying Biomedicine at Karolinska Institutet. Before moving to Sweden, he had only visited the country once – on a road trip from Italy through northern Sweden.

Our capacity for innovation, rather than being the work of random variation, is based on an intrinsic understanding of how the world works, report researchers in a new study from Karolinska Institutet and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, published in PNAS.

A new doctoral thesis from Karolinska Institutet shows that the blood test PEth can play an important role in the management of hypertension. By providing a more objective picture of alcohol consumption, the test can facilitate dialogue between physician and patient, identify hazardous alcohol use, and provide valuable insights—provided that the method is used with transparency and a non-judgmental approach.

Researchers at the Institute of Environmental Medicine (IMM), Karolinska Institutet, have identified a possible mechanism behind the spread of the aggressive brain tumor diffuse midline glioma. The study shows that the brain’s own immune cells, microglia, may contribute to the tumor’s invasive capacity by producing the protein fibronectin. The results are published in the journal Cell Death and Disease.

On 1 June, Karolinska Institutet launches a major international recruitment campaign for 21 Assistant Professor positions – building on the success of last year’s initiative, which attracted more than 2,700 applications from nearly 90 countries. The aim is clear: to bring in the very best early-career researchers and strengthen KI’s position as a world-leading medical university.

Coercive measures are used recurrently in inpatient child and adolescent psychiatric care but vary greatly between services and countries, according to a new doctoral thesis from Karolinska Institutet. The results also suggest that coercion has not decreased after Sweden introduced more restrictive legislation.

In late May, the Department of Global Public Health hosted an international visit within the EU-funded CURIOUS project, bringing together partners to exchange experiences and develop approaches to strengthening nursing education in Somalia.

Gianluigi Savarese, docent and research group leader at the Centre for Heart Failure and Arrhythmia within the Department of Clinical Science and Education at Södersjukhuset, has been appointed Professor of Cardiology at Karolinska Institutet with effect from 1 June 2026, a position he will hold alongside his role as Senior Consultant at Södersjukhuset.

Lina Stepanauskaitė-Bellisario from the Gastroenterology and Nutrition Unit (GUT), at the Department of Medicine, Huddinge (MedH), defends her thesis titled "Influence of molecular sex differences and estrogen signaling on colorectal cancer", on 5 June 2026. Main supervisor is Cecilia Williams.

On 22 April, Karolinska Institutet formally inaugurated its Centre for AI Innovation. The event marked a public milestone, but the Centre's work is already well under way. Here is what it is doing, and why.

People with celiac disease and dermatitis herpetiformis have a slightly increased risk of cardiovascular disease, certain types of blood cancer, and premature death. This is shown by a large U.S. registry study led by researchers at Karolinska Institutet. The results are published in the journal The Lancet Regional Health – Americas.

For the second consecutive year, the cancer association PALEMA is awarding grants to young researchers in the field of oesophageal and gastric cancer. This year, as in the previous year, two grants of SEK 25,000 each will be awarded during the PALEMA Cancer Day on May 28 at the Swedish Society of Medicine in central Stockholm.

NVS has appointed three new research group leaders: Xiaofei Li and Luis Enrique Arroyo-García at the Division of Neurogeriatrics, and Konstantinos Chiotis at the Division of Clinical Geriatrics.

In a new thesis from Karolinska Institutet, PhD student Xiaoyi Ji investigated the generalisation and robustness of AI models for computational prostate cancer pathology across multiple sources of variation and examined possible strategies for improvement.

Most breast cancer patients in Uganda and Ethiopia are diagnosed too late, and many lack access to life-saving treatment. Tove Ekdahl Hjelm defends her thesis "Early-onset breast cancer in East Africa: Genetics, tumor characteristics and clinical management" on June 5, where she highlights deficiencies in access to adequate care, but also that more lives can be saved.

Seven researchers affiliated with Karolinska Institutet have been awarded funding in the Swedish Childhood Cancer Fund’s latest call for research positions, with a total allocation of SEK 57 million. The funded projects include initiatives aimed at improving chemotherapy for children with leukemia, as well as studies seeking to better understand relapse in acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

On 21 May 2026, a delegation from Leyden Academy on Vitality and Ageing visited the Aging Research Center (ARC) at Karolinska Institutet. The visit, hosted by ARC and the Transdisciplinary Research Center for Personalized Dementia Prevention & Care (TraCeDem), focused on the interaction between research, policy, and care practice within the Swedish health and social care system.

People with good physical fitness in their 30s and 50s have more elastic arteries later in life. This is shown in a new study from Karolinska Institutet, published in the journal Scientific Reports. The association remains regardless of cholesterol levels and other risk factors.

The macaques Nanuq, Fox, Hyena, Grizzly and Lynx came to Karolinska Institutet 17 years ago and have been central to medical research. Their lives have now ended as part of ongoing research projects where they have contributed to new knowledge about vaccines and neurodegenerative diseases.

Occupational exposure to wood dust can entail a high risk of nasal cancer even at levels close the current Swedish occupational exposure limit. This is shown in a new scientific evaluation from the Nordic Expert Group for Criteria Documentation of Health Risks from Chemicals (NEG) and the Dutch expert committee DECOS, in which researchers at the Institute of Environmental Medicine (IMM) had a leading role.

The step from working on Gotland to working in Afghanistan may seem a long one, but for anaesthetist Dr Anders Mattsson, it could soon become a reality. If it happens, it will not be his first time working on missions abroad. It is a way of working that he feels facilitates a two-way exchange of expertise, a philosophy that is entirely in line with the Centre for Health Crises’ and, not least, the idea behind the course ‘Anesthesia and critical care with limited resources’.

Texts for cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) that were culturally adapted using AI were perceived as equally relevant and acceptable as texts adapted by a psychologist. The findings, published in JMIR Formative Research, suggest that AI could help make evidence-based psychological treatments more accessible to refugees and migrants.

A new Lancet Commission on Precision Health has been launched to develop a comprehensive framework for integrating precision approaches into health systems worldwide. Researchers from Karolinska Institutet are contributing to the work, with a particular focus on ensuring equitable access, including in resource-limited settings.

Does it matter whether you breathe through your nose or your mouth? Here’s how three researchers answer.

Breathing usually happens without us having to think about it. At the same time, conscious breathing exercises can have a calming effect during anxiety or stress, but there are also breathing techniques that are not without risks.

Humanitarianism is often seen as an implicit good. The dedication to preserve, protect and support human life, dignity, and the reduction of suffering. But its implicit goodness can also stand in the way of further analysis and debate about what it contributes to in practice. That is why Centre for Health Crises at Karolinska Institutet organised just such an evening of discussion.

Ann Langius-Eklöf and Lena Nilsson-Wikmar are awarded Karolinska Institutet’s Grand Silver Medal and Silver Medal for 2026, respectively.

Treatment with so-called BTK inhibitors has improved the prognosis for people with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). At the same time, these drugs affect the immune system and may cause side effects over time. This is shown in a new doctoral thesis from Karolinska Institutet.

A new research project at the National Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention (NASP) will investigate measures used to reduce suicides on the railway and metro systems. The project has a total budget of SEK 5 million, will run from 2026 to 2030, and is funded by the Swedish Transport Administration (Trafikverket).

Three people are to receive Karolinska Institutet’s Grand Silver Medal, and a further two KI’s Silver Medal. These two classes of medal are awarded to people who have made tremendous or excellent efforts, respectively, in support of KI’s activities during their careers, and will be presented at this October’s installation ceremony.

The choice of technique in thoracic aortic surgery can affect the risk of complications and treatment outcomes. On June 5, 2026, Erik Braatz will defend his doctoral thesis "Perfusion and surgical management in patients with thoracic aortic disease" in which he has investigated how thoracic aortic surgery can become even safer.

A new doctoral thesis from Karolinska Institutet shows that brief questionnaires may be used to aid the assessment of persistent physical symptoms in primary care, and that internet-delivered therapy can be beneficial for patients with pronounced symptoms and distress.

Hannes Hagström, adjunct professor at Karolinska Institutet and consultant in gastroenterology at Karolinska University Hospital, has passed away suddenly. We remember a valued friend, colleague, physician and researcher whose work made a lasting impact both within his field of research and on all those who had the privilege of meeting and working with him.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have identified new properties of CD4-positive T cells in the human intestines and liver. The cells display a combination of features from both the adaptive and innate immune systems, according to a study published in Science Advances.

SRP Diabetes is happy to announce the awardees of seven Blue Sky Grants for high-risk, high-gain innovative projects.