News archive

A new e-mail list is now available for everyone working in Biomedicum: Forum Biomedicum. Here you can share and receive information about equipment, cultural events at KI, get advices etc.

Docent Georgios Sotiriou is awarded the ERC Proof of Concept grant from the European Research Council (ERC). The aim of the project is to investigate whether a light-activated nanocomposite film can be an effective treatment for severe, infected wounds such as diabetic foot ulcers. But also to prepare the step from innovation to medical device. This is the second time Georgios Sotiriou has been awarded the prestigious grant, and the third time he has received funding from the ERC.

What happens in the body when it gets very hot and how can health problems due to heat be prevented? These are examples of questions answered here by Petter Ljungman, cardiologist and researcher at the Institute for Environmental Medicine and expert coordinator at KI's Center for Health Crises.

A new study shows that women lose more years of life after a heart attack than men. A 50-year-old woman with a large heart attack loses an average of 11 years, while an 80-year-old man with a small heart attack loses an average of 5 months of life. The study was led by researchers at Karolinska Institutet and Danderyd Hospital and the results have been published in the journal Circulation.

Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour offers a 5-day course in MR Methods used in Cognitive Neuroimaging.

Researchers at the Center for Infectious Medicine at the Department of Medicine, Huddinge have developed a new strategy that can make cell therapy against cancer work longer in patients. The results are published in the journal Cell Stem Cell.

Nobel laureate and former president of Karolinska Institutet, Bengt Samuelsson, passed away at the age of 90. Bengt Samuelsson was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1982, along with Sune Bergström (1916–2004) and John R. Vane (1927–2004), for their discoveries related to prostaglandins – hormone-like substances that regulate several important processes in the body. Bengt Samuelsson also served as president of Karolinska Institutet from 1983 to 1995.

Research published in the Lancet Global Health describes the crucial role that pulse oximeters have in risk-stratification in both hospital and primary care or outpatient settings. Carina King, Associate Professor at the Department of Global Public Health has had a leading role in the newly published viewpoint.

We welcome Ryan Lyu to our lab for a visiting study. Ryan is a second year Master student at Nanjing University. He will stay with us for 3 months. During this time, he will mainly participate in the project to explore how epigenetic modulators control liver cholesterol metabolism linked with atherosclerosis. We hope Ryan will have a fruitful study trip and enjoy his stay in Sweden. Welcome Ryan!

Researchers at the Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics at Karolinska Institutet characterize a novel GTPase involved in ribosome production in mitochondria. The study, published in Nature Communication, provides new insights into the process that enables mitochondria to produce energy.

The National Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention (NASP) at Karolinska Institutet and Region Stockholm has compiled a summary of activities carried out during the 2023 operational year.

New findings from an international collaborative project highlight the pivotal role of TRP14 in health and disease.

The current agreement with Avonova occupational health care is extended until 30th of September. Information about the new agreement will be available at the end of September.

In the event that a new agreement is made with another health care company, ongoing cases at Avonova will be able to be closed at Avonova and do not need to be transferred to the new health care company.

At the beginning of July, Johan Fridell started as Financial controller at the Department of Medicine, Huddinge (MedH).

On June 25, 2024, the National Board of Health and Welfare released the latest suicide statistics for 2023. These figures are compiled and analyzed annually by the National Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention (NASP) at Karolinska Institutet and Region Stockholm, covering national to local levels. The latest data is an increment in the overall Swedish suicide rate, from the historic low-point in year 2020, yet the overall downward trend since 2000 persists.

Air pollution could be responsible for 7 out of 100 deaths in India, and mortality is high even at levels well below national limit values. This is according to a new study published in The Lancet Planetary Health by researchers at Karolinska Institutet and others. The researchers point to the need for comprehensive measures and stricter air pollution guidelines in India.

The health risks of welding particles and the consequences of sick leave in mental illness are topics for two of the six research projects that have now been granted a total of SEK 18 million by Afa Insurance. Three of the six projects are run by researchers at KI.

A recently published study has compared a new surgical method with the current standard treatment for primary management of cervical cancer.

Professor Bob Harris, academic vice-president of doctoral education, has been awarded the Federation of European Biochemical Societies (FEBS) Education Award. This is the first time that the prize has been awarded.

Soon there will be some nice vacation weeks for many of us. But the fraudsters do not take time off. Unfortunately, summer is the peak season for online fraud and fraudulent e-mails. Fake invoices and fraud attempts via text messages and phone calls are common.

On 26 June, the President decided to repeal previous regulations and establish new guidelines for employment after reaching the LAS age (69 years, the age for the right to remain in employment).

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have developed nanorobots that kill cancer cells in mice. The robot’s weapon is hidden in a nanostructure and is exposed only in the tumour microenvironment, sparing healthy cells. The study is published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology.

The activities of the Department of Biosciences and Nutrition has been wound up and merged with the Department of Medicine, Huddinge. This means that the Department of Medicine, Huddinge is growing and that the activity at the department broadens.

Following a presidential decision that comes into effect on 1 July, the roles and mandates of KI’s deans are to be amended. The change is an outcome of the development of KI’s strategic focus areas.

From July 1 to August 9, KI Housing will have limited staff on duty. The response time may therefore be longer.

Csaba Adori, neurobiologist at the Department of Molecular Biosciences, Stockholm University, and affiliated to the Department of Neuroscience at Karolinska Institutet, receives the award for his outstanding work in 3D imaging of the body’s tissues.

The “Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Cluj-Napoca in collaboration with NeurotechEU invites KI students and PhDs to a Erasmus+ BIP Mobility opportunity “Summer School of Brain Mapping and Stimulation Techniques” in September 2024 in Cluj-Napoca, Romania.

On May 23rd the KI Alumni Office hosted this year's alumni day, offering a focused program at The Cell, located in the newly opened building Forskaren in Stockholm, with a concluding evening mingle at the Nobel Prize Museum.

”Our strengths lie in our diverse professions, high pedagogical competence, and strong commitment to educational matters”, says Maria Hagströmer about the NVS Education Committee, which she leads as the Departmental Director of Education (GUA) at NVS.

The Study Programmes in Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Nursing and Specialist Nursing as well as the Complimentary Programme for Nurses with a degree from outside the EU/EES celebrated their graduating classes the last week of the spring 2024 semester.

On 15 July, a new solution for our KI-Guest wireless guest network will come into effect. Instead of entering a password, guests on campus will connect through a login portal.

A new study shows weak associations between psychiatric symptoms and selected inflammatory biomarkers in patients with chronic pain. The study found that sickness behavior contributed more to explaining psychiatric comorbidity.

A new study from Karolinska Institutet shows that 45 genes may play a crucial role in the prognosis of patients with adrenal cancer. The findings, published in the journal ESMO Open, give hope for a better diagnostic tool than is currently available.

Steven N Kabwama, a PhD student in the research group GlobalChild Health and the SDGs attended the Global Health Security Conference that was held between 18th – 21st June 2024, Sydney Australia. He presented a poster on maintaining essential health services in Uganda that is part of hes doctoral research.

In 2021, Makerere University in Uganda and Karolinska Institutet established the Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Health based on their strong partnership. The Centre aims to develop capacity and mobilise actions to drive the agenda for sustainable health. We asked the current and former Chairs of the steering committee about the Centre's significance and its impact.

Björn Högberg has been assigned the role of Head of Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics (MBB), starting on July 1, 2024.

Björn Högberg har fått uppdraget som prefekt vid institutionen för medicinsk biokemi och biofysik (MBB), med start den 1 juli 2024.

During the summer, the opening hours for Aula Medica are changed.

From July 1 to August 9 Aula Medica is open 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

Fanna Ndow Norrby had never smoked or used snus when she was 30, but then she started using nicotine pouches. Here she talks about her journey in and out of addiction.

Principal Satu Harnesk has noticed an increase in snus use among students. But when she tries to talk about the health aspect, it is difficult to get through.

Anna-Karin Trångteg works as a tobacco cessation counsellor at a youth clinic. Here she explains how the young people she meets view different types of nicotine addiction.

The use of new nicotine products such as white snus and e-cigarettes has increased significantly among young people in Sweden. Marketed as tobacco-free, these products often contain high levels of nicotine and are flavoured in ways that attracts new target groups. But what do we really know about the risks?

Karin Garming-Legert researches mucosal changes in the mouth. She explains that those who use white snus nicotine pouches sometimes exhibit a different type of oral alteration not previously seen.

Tanja Tomson and her colleagues have developed a support tool for healthcare professionals whose patients want to quit nicotine.

Considering the urgent need to address emerging health crises, the Rwanda Food and Drug Authority (FDA) has intensified efforts to strengthen regulatory activities, particularly in the area of clinical trial monitoring. The Rwanda FDA has collaborated with regional and international partners on important partnerships aimed at building capacity for clinical research and promoting ethical conduct.

The students have left for summer, and the study year 2023/2024 is now in its final phase, with exam corrections and summing up activities. A sincere thank you to everyone who has contributed to MBB’s teaching activities during this period.

Seven new research projects, four of which are led by researchers at Karolinska Institutet, will investigate how sick leave due to mental illness can be reduced among workers and white-collar workers in the private sector. It is part of the new R&D programme "The road to mental health in working life: Preventive, rehabilitative and strengthening efforts", which is funded by Afa Insurance and Alecta.

Older people with type 2 diabetes who are treated with GLP-1 agonists have a decreased risk of developing dementia, according to a new study from Karolinska Institutet published in the journal eClinicalMedicine.

CIMED's review of the applications for the 2025-2027 project grants and clinical research months has now been completed and a decision on distribution of funds has been made by CIMED’s Board of Directors.

Nine researchers from around the world have published a summary of the most recent progress in diagnosing and treating cluster headache, as well as understanding the development of the disease. The review article was recently published in Lancet Neurology.