News archive

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.

Karolinska Institutet is the host organisation for nine applications – and KI researchers are involved in several other additional ones – in the Swedish Research Council’s and Vinnova’s call for excellence clusters for groundbreaking technologies. These clusters of excellence will combine research of the highest scientific quality with the best and most extensive innovation capabilities. Among the KI applications is a cluster for RNA-based drugs.

Welcome to Anna Hvarfner's half-time seminar.

Title: Investigating the provision of essential emergency and critical care: quantitative and qualitative studies in Sweden and Tanzania

The aim of a systematic review is to summarize the currently available evidence for a given research question. In addition, meta-analysis is often used to statistically combine results from multiple studies. This report provides a methodological guidance for conducting systematic reviews and meta-analyses in environmental epidemiology, with a particular focus on etiological research questions.

The University of Bonn is offering 10 scholarships to NeurotechEU students for an Intensive German Language Course in September 2026.

The Department of Global Public Health is recruiting an Assistant Professor in Mental and Sexual Health to join our dynamic team. We are seeking an ambitious and creative early-career researcher with the potential to become a future academic leader.

Anders Jahre Senior Medical Prize 2026 is awarded to Professor Ole Kiehn, Karolinska Institutet and University of Copenhagen. Professor Kiehn receives the main Jahre prize for his groundbreaking discoveries on the organisation of and the function of neural circuits that control movements. These are findings of great significance for the treatment of disorders such as ALS and Parkinson’s disease.

Early intervention targeting a key stress protein could protect against lasting behavioural and brain changes linked to childhood adversity, according to a study in Advanced Science led by researchers at Karolinska Institutet and Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry.

Three researchers at KI SÖS have been awarded funding in the first announcement of the KI SÖS Junior Faculty Start-up collaboration grant. The funded projects include development of a psychological self-care program, evaluation of a referral support system, and investigating the utility of intraoperative autotransfusion.

Over two ceremonial and joyful days, KI celebrated students who completed their bachelor's and master's degree programmes. Family members, friends, teachers and students gathered in Aula Medica to mark graduation – an important milestone and the beginning of a new chapter in life.

AI is not just another technology. Medicinsk Vetenskap has spoken to researchers who describe their hopes and fears amid the current AI fever.

Dr AI has become a colleague of Dr Google. Researchers see both benefits and risks in this development. 

John Wallert’s research aims to develop tools that can be used in psychiatry to predict the risk of serious incidents, so-called prediction models.

Andreas Luttens has trained an algorithm that can explore the so-called chemical space – all conceivable combinations of atoms and bonds.

KI professor and pediatrician Ulrika Ådén will take over as Secretary General for medicine and health at Vetenskapsrådet, the Swedish Research Council, in September. She wants to strengthen the impact of research in healthcare and society.

Per Uhlén, professor of cell signalling at Karolinska Institutet, is awarded the 2026 Lennart Nilsson Award for his pioneering development of advanced microscopy methods that visualise the fundamental processes of life.

A new study identified new protein targets and drug candidates, including opportunities to repurpose existing drugs. Six key proteins were highlighted as potentially providing new insights and supporting future treatment development for progressive multiple sclerosis (MS).

Children with asthma and allergies who live with one or more cats do not experience worse asthma outcomes than children without cats at home. This is according to a comprehensive Swedish registry study from Karolinska Institutet, published in Frontiers in Allergy.

On 11–12 May 2026, Karolinska Institutet hosted the NeurotechEU Neuroinnovation Summit, bringing together researchers, clinicians, educators, and entrepreneurs from across the European University of Brain and Technology alliance to explore how neurotechnologies can move from laboratory discovery to real-world impact.

Karolinska Institutet found itself well-represented when the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (IVA) recently released this year’s Research Impact list, which spotlights 30 research projects with a real potential to be translated into innovations of significant societal benefit. Three of these projects are run by researchers at KI.

Ljubica Matic, Associate Professor at the Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, has been awarded a grant from the Leducq Foundation, one of the largest international grants in the field of cardiovascular research. The grant, 9 million USD for totally 5 years, will be used within the international network ATHENA, which brings together researchers from the USA and Europe, and is coordinated by Prof Thomas Quertermous, Stanford and Helle Jørgensen, Cambridge.

A new doctoral thesis from Karolinska Institutet shows that the health outcomes of children conceived with assisted reproductive technology (ART) are generally reassuring, although certain combinations of specific methods were found to be linked to a slightly increased risk of rare conditions. The findings alleviate concerns about the safety of ART and can support better counseling as well as informed decision making among patients and clinicians.

How can art contribute to better teaching and greater understanding in medical education? A new course at Karolinska Institutet explores precisely this by offering teachers and tutors a unique opportunity to explore the intersection of art and medical education. Through this close collaboration between Karolinska Institutet and the National Museum, participants will develop new perspectives on learning, reflection and professional practice within healthcare education.

Docent Marcus Buggert at the Department of Medicine, Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, is awarded the Eric K. Fernström prize for particularly promising and successful researchers, for his remarkable research on the function of T cells in the human immune system and their importance for new therapies.

A new doctoral thesis from Karolinska Institutet shows that RNA can influence how cells repair damage to their DNA. The findings contribute to a better understanding of processes that are important in diseases such as cancer and may be relevant for future treatment development.

Laurène Adam from the Center for Reproduction, Metabolism and Molecular medicine (CeRM) at the Department of Medicine, Huddinge (MedH), defends her thesis titled "Molecular insights into Bri2 BRICHOS and copper modulation of α-synuclein in Parkinson’s disease", on 12 June 2026. Main supervisor is Axel Abelein.

Pär Björklund from the Cardio Metabolic Unit (CMU), Center for Reproduction, Metabolism and Molecular medicine (CeRM) at the Department of Medicine, Huddinge (MedH), defends his thesis titled "Atherosclerosis and peripheral neuropathy in type 2 diabetes: interstitial lipoprotein distribution and sphingolipid metabolism", on 11 June 2026. Main supervisor is Sara Straniero.

Each year, more than 6,000 Swedes are diagnosed with melanoma. Melanoma is a form of skin cancer that, if detected late, can be fatal. Not all melanomas behave in the same way. A new doctoral thesis from Karolinska Institutet investigates why some patients have poorer outcomes than others and whether certain markers in tumor tissue can help us predict who is at risk.

By combining multiple types of analysis, researchers can better understand why treatments work differently in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). This is shown in a new doctoral thesis from Karolinska Institutet.

Melanoma is the most aggressive form of skin cancer and can be difficult to treat in advanced stages. In a new doctoral thesis from Karolinska Institutet, Ellen Heurlin shows that radiotherapy combined with modern drug treatments provides clear clinical benefit in advanced melanoma. The results demonstrate good local tumor control, especially with stereotactic techniques, and few serious side effects. The most promising results were observed when radiotherapy was combined with immunotherapy.

A new professional education course at Karolinska Institutet is planned to start in autumn 2026. The focus of the course is Training for Awareness Resilience and Action (TARA) – an integrative method that provides professionals with new perspectives and practical tools for working teenagers and young adults with depression.

The Swedish government appoints Clas Rehnberg, professor in health economics at the Department of LIME, KI, as a special investigator with the task of analysing how the state can contribute to more efficient procurement of specialised healthcare in the private sector.

David Marlevi's research on new imaging technology for blood pressure measurement has been recognized by the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences and included in the IVA 2026 list for research projects with particularly high impact. The list highlights research that makes a major difference in society.

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.