News archive

Children whose mothers have congenital heart defects are more likely to experience difficulties in areas such as language, communication and social skills when they start school. This is according to a new study from Karolinska Institutet and the University of British Columbia, published in PLOS Medicine.

A prostate cancer research initiative in Sweden has been made possible by a donation from the entrepreneur and inventor Björn Gysell. The investment will enable Karolinska Institutet’s leading research environment in prostate cancer to develop the next generation diagnostics and therapies using AI, genomics and precision medicine.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have uncovered how serotonin-related metabolism helps regulate an under studied immune cell involved in allergic inflammation. The study, published in the journal Allergy, adds new knowledge about how allergic immune responses may be maintained over time.

MedH researchers Christina Alexandrou and Marie Löf, together with their co-authors, have been awarded the Best Cited RCT 2023 prize by the highly regarded journal International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (IJBNPA).

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have demonstrated that it is possible to create early germ cells from preserved testicular tissue of young boys facing cancer therapy. The study, published in the journal Human Reproduction Open, may eventually contribute to new ways of protecting and restoring fertility after childhood cancer.

Every year, the Swedish Asthma and Allergy Association’s Research Fund awards the Kerstin Hejdenberg Scholarship to doctoral students conducting research on allergic diseases in children. This year, three of the scholarship recipients are affiliated with Karolinska Institutet.

Exhaust emissions from kerosene‑powered aircraft contain ultrafine particles and several substances that are known or suspected to be carcinogenic. They should therefore be classified as presumed carcinogenic to humans.

StratNeuro has established a Student Council to strengthen the connection between StratNeuro and the neuroscience PhD students at KI. This initiative was presented at the PhD Student Day at the StratNeuro Retreat 2026.

The StratNeuro community gathered once again at Djurönäset on June 3rd-5th for three days of scientific presentations, discussions, workshops, and networking.

In cases of serious aortic valve disease, choosing a new heart valve is particularly difficult for young women who wish to become pregnant. A new Swedish registry study from Karolinska Institutet shows that a biological aortic valve provides good pregnancy and birth outcomes, even though the need for reoperation is more common than with a mechanical valve. The study is published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC).

Matthew Hunt at Karolinska Institutet is one of the recipients of the IBSA Foundation Fellowships 2025. He is awarded the fellowship for a research project on new treatment strategies for aggressive skin cancer.

We congratulate researchers at CNS who have been awarded CIMED project grants for the period 2027-2029.

Emma R. Andersson has been awarded the prestigious ERC Proof of Concept Grant to further develop her technique to create mice with specific genetic signatures. “This innovation can lead to a drastic reduction in the number of animal experiments worldwide, not just in my lab,” she says.

Karolinska Institutet is leading the HELIX project, which has received SEK 10 million from the Swedish Foundation for International Cooperation in Research and Higher Education (STINT) to build a long-term, scalable joint platform between Sweden and Brazil in life science and health.

Seven out of eight awarded grants go to researchers at Karolinska Institutet in the Swedish Research Council's spring call for international postdocs in medicine and health. In total, 8 out of 44 applications were approved.

The rapid advancement of AI in medical research is increasing the need for coordination. Karolinska Institutet is therefore funding a cross-institutional AI network that brings together researchers, clinicians and experts, coordinates initiatives, and provides support for reliable and clinically relevant AI.

How do autistic people and their relatives view genetic research? A study published in the journal Autism shows broad support, but also clear concerns about issues such as discrimination and eugenics.
"When my colleagues and I asked autistic people and parents of autistic children in Sweden how they feel about genetic research in autism, one response stood out: ‘I hope genetic research finds new ways to help us, not erase us,’" says Samuelle Fajutrao Falk, researcher at Karolinska Institutet.

From June 29 to August 17, KI Housing will have limited staff on duty so there may be a delay in answering emails and handling of maintenance requests. Urgent email questions and maintenance requests will be prioritized during this period.

The amount and distribution of the tau protein in the brain differs between early and late-onset Alzheimer's disease. This is shown by a new study from Karolinska Institutet published in the journal European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging. The results also indicate that blood tests do not always reflect changes in the brain.

A healthier diet may be associated with a lower risk of dementia among older adults, including those with blood biomarkers indicating an increased biological risk of Alzheimer's disease pathology. This is shown in a new study from Karolinska Institutet published in JAMA Network Open.

The National centre for suicide research and prevention (NASP) has published a new annual report that provides an overview of suicide statistics for Sweden as a whole and for the country’s 21 counties. The report focuses on the 15-year period 2010–2024 and includes more detailed statistics for municipalities in Stockholm County.

In a recent study published in Nature Communications, researchers at Karolinska Institutet report that the molecular machinery responsible for cellular energy conversion is more interconnected than previously understood, shedding light on how mitochondria adapt under stress.

For one intensive week in June 2026, 33 emerging health leaders from around the world gathered in Sigtuna, Sweden, for the masterclass of the Executive Programme in International Politics and Diplomacy for Health. The programme is jointly run by Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm School of Economics and aims to equip emerging health leaders with the skills needed to navigate the complex political processes that shape global health.

An early clinical study shows that a new oral drug is safe and well-tolerated in patients with chronic heart failure. The study, led by researchers at Karolinska Institutet, has been published in the scientific journal The Lancet.

In this year's call for CIMED project grants, seven grants were awarded to NVS: five to junior researchers and two to senior researchers.

In a review article in Nature Reviews Endocrinology, researchers at Karolinska Institutet summarize current knowledge of how iodine influences thyroid cancer. The article describes mechanisms behind why treatment with radioactive iodine works differently in different patients.

In a study published in Nature Communications, researchers at Karolinska Institutet have mapped key steps in the assembly of the mitochondrial ribosome, offering new clues to how defects in this process can lead to disease.

Obesity is common but often underdiagnosed in Swedish healthcare and is associated with a high cardiovascular burden and a markedly increased risk of future cardiovascular disease and premature death. This is shown in a new study by researchers from Karolinska Institutet published in the journal Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism. The findings point to a need for improved detection and treatment.

A pilot study from Karolinska Institutet shows that immunotherapy may enable stimulation of egg maturation in women with autoimmune POI (premature ovarian insufficiency) – a condition that usually leads to infertility. Three out of ten women gave birth to healthy babies following the treatment.

Kristina Gemzell Danielsson will develop contraceptives that protect against breast cancer, while Thomas Helleday aims for new points of attack to counteract chronic inflammation and, by extension, cancer, autoimmunity and ageing. They receive the ERC Advanced Grant for their projects.

Women with gynaecological pain conditions such as endometriosis and vulvodynia have a significantly higher prevalence of psychiatric conditions such as depression, anxiety, ADHD and autism. This is shown in a new review commissioned by the Swedish Gender Equality Agency and produced by researchers at, among others, the Centre for Psychiatric Research. The report also highlights major knowledge gaps and the need for more coordinated research and care.

A new blood test may make it easier to detect the most dangerous forms of prostate cancer early on. In a study from Karolinska Institutet, the Stockholm3 blood test detected more clinically significant cancer cases than the PSA test, without subjecting more men to unnecessary testing. The study was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have contributed to an international study published in Science Translational Medicine demonstrating how artificial intelligence (AI) can accelerate the discovery of new antibiotics against Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the bacterium that causes gonorrhoea.

Karolinska Institutet (KI) is launching a strategic initiative in medical preparedness aimed at strengthening Sweden’s ability to prevent and manage the health-related consequences of crises and war.

On 28–29 May, Nobel Conference No. 72 was held at the Nobel Forum at Karolinska Institutet. The conference, organised by Professor Bertrand Joseph at the Institute of Environmental Medicine (IMM) and Professor Klas Blomgren at Department of Women's and Children's Health, brought together leading international researchers to discuss microglia – the brain’s resident immune cells – and their roles in both normal brain function and disease.

Fathers who take several months of parental leave have a lower risk of developing depressive symptoms during the early years of their child’s life than fathers who take only a short period of leave. This is shown by a new Swedish study involving researchers from Karolinska Institutet, published in the journal American Journal of Public Health.

Three assistant professors at Karolinska Institutet have been awarded funding as part of the Swedish Research Council’s new initiative on strategic recruitment. The grant aims to strengthen the development of future research leaders and create long-term conditions for research of the highest quality.

Department of Laboratory Medicine has established the Center for Systems Infection Biology (CSIB), a new interdisciplinary initiative designed to bring together advanced technologies and expertise to accelerate discoveries in infection biology and their translation into clinical practice. This change formalises a research line that has been growing over the past years into a recognised structural center at Karolinska Institutet.

We congratulate the researchers at the Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology (CLINTEC) who are receiving CIMED’s project grant.

We congratulate researchers at MedH who have been awarded CIMED project grants for the period 2027-2029.

When Gottfrid Rehnman and his fellow students from the 5.5‑year medical programme enter working life, they will first begin their general medical internship. “The learning curve is likely to be steep,” he says.

On 5 June, the last group of students graduated from the 5.5-year Study Programme in Medicine, which had been in place for half a century. However, many of the educational advances developed within the programme live on in the new 6-year Study Programme in Medicine, including the student-run teaching wards.

Pär Nordlund is an internationally prominent researcher who successfully combines excellence in basic research with tangible societal impact. By translating groundbreaking discoveries into successful companies, he has contributed to accelerating the development of new medicines and strengthening the link between academia and industry. He is now awarded the 2026 Prize for Innovation and Utilisation.

The Autism Research Network at Karolinska Institutet (AutNetKI) has awarded its 2026 Transdisciplinary Pilot Project Grants to a select group of research collaborations at Karolinska Institutet, supporting innovative projects that bridge disciplines to address key questions in autism.

Systematic reviews and meta-analyses form the basis for healthcare and health policy, but access to the data on which the results are based is often lacking. This is shown in a new policy forum article from Karolinska Institutet published in the journal PLOS Medicine.

How can universities move from good intentions to meaningful action on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI)? The DEI in Higher Education Toolkit, co-created within the NeurotechEU alliance, offers a practical and engaging answer.

Women are more likely than men to report poor sleep, even though objective measurements show that their sleep is better in several respects, according to new research from Karolinska Institutet.

A type of white blood cell in the immune system, known as neutrophils, can make cancer immunotherapy less effective. This is shown in a new study from Karolinska Institutet published in the journal Immunity. The results show that a signalling molecule in the tumour affects neutrophils, reducing the effect of treatment.

The KI NeurotechEU steering group is pleased to announce the availability of limited competitive funds for KI faculty, staff, and/or students to conduct collaborative work within the field of Neurotechnology.

Patients with COVID-19 can show several different antiviral immune response patterns, which may influence how the disease develops. This is shown in a new study from Karolinska Institutet, published in Genome Medicine, highlighting the importance of interactions between the immune system and metabolism.