News archive

The Swedish government has appointed an advisory group in the field of life science. The group includes experts from academia, industry and healthcare. KI's President Annika Östman Wernerson is one of the members of the group, whose purpose, among other things, is to contribute to the implementation of the national strategy for life science.

Tips from KI Grants Office about current calls

The storage for printer papers and toners has moved on the 7th floor.

Professor Paul Dickman at the Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Karolinska Institutet is awarded the prize Statistical Promotor of the year from the Swedish Statistical Society (Svenska statistikfrämjandet).

The internal team investigating the freezer malfunction in Neo is entering the final phase of compiling its incident report. The report has taken time in order for it to be as complete as possible, as all aspects of the malfunction, from organisational causes to the technical failure, need to be included. The report must be ready by 27 March as IVO (amongst others) has issued a request to receive it. [Following the publication of this text, the finalisation of the report has been postponed.]

Using advanced methodology, scientists in Sweden were able to reveal at the cellular level how lesions in multiple sclerosis develop. The new results are presented in the journal Cell by researchers from Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University.

Individual patients with autoimmune diseases can receive tailored medication by computationally treating their so-called digital twins with thousands of medications. This is according to an international study published in Genome Medicine by researchers from Karolinska Institutet.

On April 1, 2024, KI will switch to digital degrees. This means that all degree certificate issued after April 1 will be digital and will no longer be printed on paper and sent by mail.

In a recently published review in the journal Biomarker Research, Joanna Zawacka, Docent at the department of Oncology-Pathology discusses our current understanding of p53 biology in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

Researchers from Karolinska Institutet, AstraZeneca, Würzburg University, Science for Life Laboratories and Uppsala University have found that oxidative stress in heart failure varies depending on sex, with female mouse hearts having stronger natural defenses against oxidative damage. The study could enable new approaches for precision medicine and may explain why previous attempts to use antioxidants for treating heart failure have not been so successful.

A mobile app that uses artificial intelligence, AI, to analyse images of suspected skin lesions can diagnose melanoma with very high precision. This is shown in a study led from Linköping University where the app has been tested in primary care. The results have been published in the British Journal of Dermatology.

Interesting Swedish data, where the definition of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) differs from that used internationally, brings additional insights to on ongoing discussion in the scientific community. The study was presented at the 2023 European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) meeting and is now published in Lancet Regional Health- Europe.

The air quality in Swedish cities has improved continuously over the last twenty years, according to a research collaboration in which the Institute for Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet participates. Several thousand deaths may have been prevented every year, thanks to better air quality. However, many people are still exposed to air pollution that exceeds the World Health Organization’s recommendations.

Olof Akre, Professor at Karolinska Institutet and Head of Operations at the Department of Thematic Studies – Cancer, will be the new Director of Research, Education and Development (R&D) at Karolinska University Hospital. He succeeds Annika Tibell, who is retiring.

Sweden and the USA have previously enjoyed strong collaboration in the field of cancer care and research, and now it is further strengthened through a bilateral agreement. The purpose is to promote exchange between the two countries in both cancer research and the implementation of this research within cancer care, including both prevention and improved quality of life.

The EU Horizon Changemaker project, led by Kristi Sidney Annerstedt, on sustainable adolescent nutrition in Kenya, Tanzania and Burkina Faso, successfully completed the first Consortium meeting.

“All researchers who have the opportunity should take the chance to teach. The contact with the students gives a lot, this is where you meet the future”, says Annika Östman Wernerson.
The kidney and kidney diseases are on the agenda for future nurses and radigraphers on a Thursday morning in February. In front of the podium in 4U, Flemingsberg, stands KI:s President Annika Östman Wernerson.

The university management is spending the spring term visiting KI’s departments to learn more about their various activities and to strengthen internal dialogue. It is now the middle of March, and half of the departments have been visited.

Anna Kågesten is among the eight candidates that has been awarded funding within Karolinska Institutet's recruitment program for Assistant Professors.

A comprehensive registry study from Karolinska Institutet shows that children of women who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) right before or during pregnancy are almost twice as likely to be diagnosed with ADHD later in life. The study is published in the journal European Psychiatry.

On Thursday, 14 March, the fourth policy lab was arranged since the start in October 2023. The participants were invited to follow the journey of a Swedish Government Official Report and discuss when and how researchers can provide input in the most useful way. It was an educational session where everyone had the opportunity to share experiences, ask questions and benefit from expertise in the field, from both inside and outside KI.

International Summer School of Research Internship on Basic Medical Sciences at Shandong University during the summer of 2024.

Global Research Immersion Program for Young Scientists (GripS) at Fudan university during the summer of 2024.

Nina Viberg and Tobias Alfvén have received funding from the Swedish Institute for a one year project to support Ukrainian PhD students and young researchers. The aim of the project is to build capacity for PhD student and young researcher so that they can effectively contribute to health systems strengthening especially for children and adolescents in deoccupied territories in Ukraine.

Swedish Higher Education Authority (UKÄ) is satisfied with KI’s action report, following the thematic evaluation of the nursing programs, and considers the measures implemented by KI to be reasonable and appropriate.

The alarm will sound throughout the building at ANA 8.

In February 2024, the Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Health and GPH colleagues had the pleasure to accompany Vice President Martin Bergö to Makerere University in Uganda, a long-term partner of Karolinska Institutet. During the visit the vice president was introduced to the Karolinska Institutet – Makerere collaboration and got the possibility to meet colleagues and see different projects.

The project "A Healthy School Start" is a family support program developed by the research group Community Nutrition and Physical Activity at the Department of Global Public Health, to offer an adapted approach for student health and teachers to provide support to families with children on healthy lifestyles. The program has been positively received by politicians in Region Stockholm, who have now allocated funds in the budget for further dissemination.

On Wednesday, March 6, the university management, President Annika Östman Wernerson, Vice President Martin Bergö and University Director Veronika Sundström visited the Department of Global Public Health, to gain a better insight into the department's activities. Key issues discussed included global awareness, the department's strengths and how dialogue can strengthen cooperation. In addition to the university management, the department's management team and Dean Carl Johan Sundberg participated.

Are you planning an event for autumn 2024 being aimed at the public? Schedule it between 4 to 14 October and be a part of Nobel Calling Stockholm! Nobel Calling Stockholm offers inspiring events and educational meetings in the spirit of knowledge.

The 2023 AI Swede of the Year feels no need to be at the center of research. Yet that is exactly where he is. The orthopaedic surgeon and researcher Max Gordon was an early adopter of artificial intelligence. Now everyone else wants to know how to do it.

Improved glycemic control protects the oocytes, but not uterine environment in diabetes, according to researchers from Karolinska Institutet. Their findings based on studies of Swedish registry data, animal models and human samples, are now published in EMBO Reports as the cover story.

Shanghai Jiao Tong University offers an opportunity to apply for a Summer Research Internship for the summer of 2024. Deadline for application May 30.

After the egg has been fertilized by a sperm, the surrounding egg coat tightens, mechanically preventing the entry of additional sperm and the ensuing death of the embryo. This is according to a new study led by researchers at Karolinska Institutet and published in the journal Cell. The work also explains how mutations in egg coat proteins can cause female infertility and may eventually lead to new contraceptive methods.

The Strategic Research Area Neuroscience, StratNeuro, awards a total of 6,400,000 SEK to support new technologies and methods to study the nervous system.

The Strategic Research Area Neuroscience, StratNeuro, announces up to ten grants to support postdoctoral researchers at Karolinska Institutet.

Last week, the University Management visited CNS as part of their tour to meet all of KI’s Departments.

Tips from KI Grants Office regarding current calls

The Swedish Kidney Foundation (Njurfonden) distributes more than SEK 7 million to research into kidney diseases. This is the largest sum since the fund was established and is awarded to 40 researchers, 19 of whom are active at Karolinska Institutet. The grants go to research related to chronic kidney disease, dialysis and transplantation.

On March 1, Ingrid Delin started as coordinator in the FM laboratory safety team, Biomedicum.

A new study from Karolinska Institutet, published in Brain, reveals a connection between the protein DEK and early neuronal changes in Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers found that lower DEK levels in vulnerable neurons lead to altered neuronal activity and Tau protein accumulation, offering insights into early-stage Alzheimer’s pathology and potential therapeutic targets.

Konstantinos Meletis at Karolinska Institutet has been awarded a prize from the Arvid Carlsson Foundation for his outstanding work in neuropsychiatric diseases.

In recent years, the treatment landscape for solid tumors has undergone a notable change. With new cancer treatments, the future looks brighter for many young cancer patients, making fertility issues and future family planning an important aspect. Six specialists in oncology and onco-fertility at the Department of Oncology-Pathology join forces to compile knowledge and recommendations on this important issue.

Height and weight charts have been used for decades to monitor child development. A paper in The Lancet now presents a new application that enables healthcare professionals to keep a regular check on the development of one of the body’s most vital organs – the lungs. Lung Function Tracker is the product of an international collaboration involving researchers at KI, the University of Barcelona, Spain, the Imperial College London, the UK, and the University of Melbourne, Australia.

Researchers from Karolinska Institutet have shown a link between use of medication for ADHD and a reduced risk of premature death. The risk of death due to unnatural causes, such as accidents and overdoses, can be reduced by a quarter, according to the new study published in JAMA.

KI researcher Laura Baranello has been awarded the prestigious ERC Consolidator Grant for her researches into the interaction between the cancer-driving protein MYC and topoisomerase enzymes. Her aim is to identify drugs for more targeted cancer therapy with fewer side-effects. Laura Baranello’s MYCinTOPshape project has been awarded approximately EUR 2 million to be spread over five years.

If you find cleaning boring, you might think of it as a form of exercise. But is that true? Anna-Karin Welmer, senior lecturer in physiotherapy, gives us the answer.

In the healthcare setting, keeping things clean can be vital to prevent the spread of dangerous bacteria. But in a household, what’s best for your health – to live pretty dirty or to be a clean freak? Read our interviews with the researchers who have a pure interest in cleaning.

Researchers at the Department of Medicine, Huddinge (MedH), Magnus Tobiasson and Eva Hellström-Lindberg have together with the Nordic MDS group developed a method that makes it possible to detect early relapse of the blood cancer myelodysplastic syndrome after stem cell transplantation. The method makes it possible to initiate early treatment and thus hopefully prevent relapse. The study has been published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Pradeepa Pushparaj wrote her thesis at the Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology. She is awarded Sven Gard´s scholarship for the best theses in virology during 2023.