News archive

Mauricio Gonçalves da Costa Sousa, our new assistant professor in Basic Oral Sciences, answers a few questions. Read the interview here.

On 24 September, all students who started either term 1 of a programme or a master's programme at KI in autumn 2026 will receive the new student experience survey by email. By taking part, you will help KI better understand how new students experience their first weeks of study.

Biomedicum’s evacuation drill provided valuable insights into procedures, alarm systems and technical improvements that strengthen ongoing fire safety work in the building.

After an Achilles tendon rupture, there is a high risk of both blood clots and slow recovery. On October 9, Annukka Saarensilta will defend her thesis, "Molecular mechanisms of venous thrombosis and healing disturbances after Achilles tendon rupture," in which she studies whether there may be shared biomarkers and potential ways to improve risk assessment and treatment.

People with substance use disorder are at a significantly higher risk of both attempted suicide and death by suicide. This is shown by a study from the Karolinska Institutet published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry. The study also shows that the risk of suicidal behaviour is elevated among relatives of people with substance use disorder, particularly among close relatives.

We are happy to introduce new colleagues at the Department of Laboratory Medicine. Welcome everyone!

When the analysis plan for an advanced research project needed to be written, Amanda Högdén, a doctoral student at the Department of Clinical Research and Education at Karolinska Institutet at Södersjukhuset, turned to Clinicum. The support she received became an important success factor, both for the choice of methods and for carrying out the project.

Severe mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and anorexia nervosa, are long-term conditions that can have a major impact on people's daily lives. Despite decades of research, there are no reliable biological markers that can be used to diagnose these conditions, and treatment options do not work equally well for everyone. This is partly because researchers still do not fully understand the biological mechanisms behind them.

Two tumours can look identical under a microscope, yet still develop completely differently. Christofer Juhlin wants to understand why – in order to provide patients with more accurate care. Meet one of the new professors of Karolinska Institutet who will participate in this year's installation ceremony at Aula Medica on 8 October.

Professor Ganesh Acharya of Karolinska Institutet has been honoured by the Baltic Fertility Society during the 8th von Baer Seminar, held on 11 September 2026 at Alatskivi Castle in Estonia. The recognition highlights his contributions to research, education and clinical development in fetal and maternal medicine.

At a packed panel debate at The Cell in Hagastaden, the matter of research funding and infrastructure evolved into a discussion on the use of AI, who has power over our health data and which human skills ought not to be ceded to machines. The conversation brought together perspectives from science, social science and science journalism.

The mitochondria are central to everything from metabolism to immunity and ageing. Joanna Rorbach wants to understand what happens when they fail. Meet one of the new professors of Karolinska Institutet who will participate in this year's installation ceremony at Aula Medica on 8 October.

The HINTS examination can help physicians distinguish between stroke and vestibular neuritis in patients with acute persistent dizziness. However, the test is often used in situations for which it was not intended, which may lead to both missed stroke diagnoses and unnecessary investigations. This is shown in a review article from Karolinska Institutet published in the journal JAMA Neurology.

Infections that, in rare cases, can be transmitted from the pregnant woman to the foetus are linked to an increased risk of autism and intellectual disability in the child. This is shown by a study from the Karolinska Institute published in JAMA Pediatrics.

Congratulations Magdalini Lourda at the Department of Laboratory Medicine, who was appointed as Docent in Immunology in the Medical Area at the Docent Committee meeting on August 31, 2026.

As a young man, he went through a life-changing period. Today, developmental biologist Jens Hjerling Leffler is trying to understand what happens in the brain as we grow into adulthood.

Participating in a reference group is an important opportunity to influence tender documents and ensure that new contracts meet the organisation’s actual needs. The unit for purchase and procurement are now looking for staff members who wish to contribute to the work on an upcoming procurement process. We are looking for someone who is a frequent purchaser and who has a good knowledge of the products currently covered by KI’s framework agreement for laboratory consumables.

A new Review published in The New England Journal of Medicine provides an updated overview of oesophageal cancer, highlighting recent advances in understanding its causes, prevention, and treatment, written by Shaohua Xie and Jesper Lagergren at Karolinska Institutet and Elizabeth Smyth at the University of Oxford.

Fubas will be closed for updates on Thursday 24 September, 7.00–12.00.

Recurring unwanted thoughts can be the source of great suffering. Erik Andersson hopes to make effective psychological treatments more widely available. Meet one of the new professors of Karolinska Institutet who will participate in this year's installation ceremony at Aula Medica on 8 October.

Karolinska Institutet is investing in a new centre for immuno-oncology. The aim is to create an internationally leading research environment where knowledge of the immune system can be translated into new treatments for both solid tumours and blood cancers. The centre, based at the Department of Microbiology, Tumour and Cell Biology, will be headed by Professor Karl-Johan Malmberg.

On 9 September, around 20 teachers and school staff gathered at The Cell in Stockholm for an evening focused on life science, education and how research can become more accessible and useful in the classroom.

Professor Mark Hanson at the University of Southampton has received this year’s Hugo Lagercrantz Award. The prize was presented at a ceremony at Karolinska University Hospital in Solna on 16 September, recognising his research on health and development throughout life – with a focus on global health and equity.

With 12 months of funded research time, Oscar Lapidus will have the opportunity to broaden his trauma research and take the next step towards becoming a more independent researcher. He is one of nine doctoral students to receive funding in the spring call for applications to the research internship, known as forskar-AT.

Konstantina Kilteni, researcher at Karolinska Institutet, has received a 2026 European Research Council (ERC) Public Engagement with Research Award. The award recognises her work in engaging the public with research on touch and ticklishness, and how everyday sensory experiences can provide insights into how the brain works.

Marie Evans studies how the risk of kidney disease can be detected earlier and how well different treatments work. Meet one of the new professors of Karolinska Institutet who will participate in this year's installation ceremony at Aula Medica on 8 October.

A simple method involving local anaesthesia in the uterus can reduce pain during IUD insertion, according to a new study from the Karolinska Institutet, published in the journal JAMA. The method also increased the proportion of women who found the procedure tolerable. The results may encourage more women to choose an IUD as a method for contraception.

Johan Hardvik Åkerström, Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery research group, will defend his thesis "Prevention of esophageal adenocarcinoma" on October 9, in which he has investigated the opportunities of preventing esophageal adenocarcinoma by treating two of the disease's key risk factors: gastroesophageal reflux and obesity.

On 14 September 2026, the department’s postdoctoral researchers, senior researchers and lecturers gathered at Münchenbryggeriet for the annual Faculty Day. Through lectures, research presentations and discussions, participants explored current medical research and future opportunities in collaboration, education and innovation. The day opened with a welcome from the Head of Department, emphasising the importance of Faculty Day as a forum for knowledge exchange and collaboration.

What role should KI play in the world, and what priorities and choices does this entail? This is the starting point following the decision by the President of Karolinska Institutet to begin work on a new university-wide strategy to replace the current Strategy 2030. The project will be led by Senior Adviser Maja Fjaestad, and the aim is for a new strategy to be agreed and adopted by the Board of Karolinska Institutet by 31 December 2027 at the latest.

Prof. Bengt Fadeel from IMM presented a plenary lecture at the 60th Congress of the European Societies of Toxicology (EUROTOX 2026) in Vienna, Austria (September 13-16, 2026).

Richard Bränström researches why minority and other marginalised groups are often affected by mental ill-health, and how it can be prevented. Meet one of the new professors of Karolinska Institutet who will participate in this year's installation ceremony at Aula Medica on 8 October.

One in three medical records contained at least one documentation shortcoming when health centres in Region Stockholm investigated patients with non-specific symptoms that could be signs of cancer. These are the findings of a new study from Karolinska Institutet published in BMJ Quality & Safety.

Patients who have had high-risk polyps removed from their bowel can probably wait five years, rather than three, until their next colonoscopy without increasing their risk of colon and rectal cancer. This is shown by two new studies published in the *New England Journal of Medicine*, in which researchers from the Karolinska Institutet have participated. The findings could reduce the number of examinations and thus the burden on both patients and the healthcare system.

Four research groups at KI have been awarded the Knut and Alice Wallenberg AI Consultancy Grant, giving them access to AI expertise to integrate AI into their research projects quickly and effectively. This entirely new form of funding is intended to accelerate the research process and enable new breakthroughs. A total of eleven grants are awarded to research groups at six different universities in Sweden.

A new collaboration between researchers at Karolinska Institutet and the food ingredients industry will investigate how a novel nutritional protein can be developed to support patients experiencing acute catabolic conditions. The project combines clinical studies with advanced laboratory models based on human cells.

From 1 October, a contract support service will be available at the Department of Medicine, Huddinge (MedH), which all researchers at the department can turn to for assistance.

Karolinska Institutet (KI) has strengthened its position in a number of key subject areas in the 2026 Global Ranking of Academic Subjects (GRAS) published by Shanghai Ranking. For example, KI now ranks first in the EU in the field of public health.

On September 15, colleagues from the Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics (MBB) gathered at Svarta Räven to celebrate the department’s three recipients of the ERC Starting Grant 2026: Florian Rosenberger, Amanda Andersson Rolf, and Bjørt Kragesteen.

Cancer incidence rates have increased for 12 out of 18 cancer sites in young adults below 50 years during the last 20 years. This is shown in a new study published in the Lancet Regional Health – Europe in which researchers including scientists from Karolinska Institutet analysed cancer registry data from over 2.2 million cancer cases in the Nordic countries. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the increasing cancer burden in the young.

By uncovering how skin stem cells form and repair tissue, Maria Kasper wants to contribute to new therapies targeting wounds, skin disorders and cancer. Meet one of the new professors of Karolinska Institutet who will participate in this year's installation ceremony at Aula Medica on 8 October.

In a new thesis from Karolinska Institutet, Letizia Orsini developed advanced statistical methods to support clinical decisions about breast cancer treatment and to inform policy-makers in the design and evaluation of breast cancer screening strategies.

All NVS study programmes have now started a new term, and many new students have arrived to begin their studies. Two of the programmes offered are also introducing new curricula.

Drugs that target DNA repair and metabolism may help either boost anti-tumour immunity or suppress harmful inflammation, depending on the disease. In her doctoral thesis at Karolinska Institutet, Jianyu Shen investigated how these cellular processes influence immune responses in cancer and autoimmune disease.

People with post-COVID-19 condition reported higher levels of fatigue and showed slower reaction times than healthy individuals. A new study from Karolinska Institutet, published in NeuroImage: Reports, also found lower blood flow in several parts of the brain, which may be linked to the cognitive difficulties experienced by many people after COVID-19.

Jan-Åke Gustafsson, professor of medical nutrition and former member of the Nobel Assembly, passed away on 4 September 2026, at 83 years of age.

Johan Björkegren investigates the causes of cardiovascular disease in complex gene-regulatory networks, rather than in individual risk factors.  Meet one of the new professors of Karolinska Institutet who will participate in this year's installation ceremony at Aula Medica on 8 October.

The 2026 Nanna Svartz Scholarship has been awarded to Johan Askling at Karolinska Institutet. He has been awarded the scholarship for his patient-centred research, which contributes to safer and more personalised care for people with rheumatic diseases.