News archive

Extracellular vesicles are small cell bubbles that play a crucial role in how our cells communicate. A recent study published in Science Advances has unlocked some fascinating insights into these tiny messengers and their potential in healthcare.

The government has appointed Jan Albert, professor of infectious disease control at Karolinska Institutet and senior consultant at Karolinska University Hospital, to lead a government inquiry looking into strengthening the country’s preparedness for future pandemics. The directive concerns a national strategy for how pandemics are to be managed and a possible revision of the Communicable Diseases Act. The investigation should be delivered in February 2025.

A study by five NVS researchers published in The Journal of American Medical Directors Association, shows that fear of falling can increase the risk of injurious falls in older adults, especially for those with no apparent physiological risk of falling.

STINT, the Swedish Foundation for International Cooperation in Research and Higher Education, annually publishes an index measuring the internationalisation of Swedish higher education institutions. It has now given the maximum of five stars to Karolinska Institutet.

Two researchers at Karolinska Institutet have been awarded ERC Starting Grants, totalling 3 million euro over five years. Kasper Karlsson and Juan Pablo Lopez will each receive EUR 1.5 million for projects that aim to fight cancer in children and understand how psychedelic compounds can be used to treat psychiatric disorders.

KI Housing has four Residence Assistants working in our accommodation area KI Residence Solna. Their mission is to be a helping hand for tenants staying in the area and to create a community where the tenants get to know their neighbors.

We are excited to share an interview with one of our standout students who recently completed the course on Applied Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Healthcare (15hp).

KI’s only Erasmus Mundus Master programme, the Master programme Public Health in Disasters, will continue, following a renewed agreement between the three collaborating partners; KI, Universidad de Oviedo and the University of Nicosia. Course leaders look forward to continuing to provide students with the latest tools to work with public health in disasters and advance research in the field. And the new format of the programme allows for all students to come to KI.

On August 31, 80 new master's students from 23 different countries were welcomed to the Department of Global Public Health at Karolinska Institutet. During a welcome day, they got to know their new department, received tips on the use of AI tools, answered a quiz from Gapminder, and got to know fellow new students. In addition, they were treated to a lecture by former state epidemiologist Anders Tegnell on the topic "Is the pandemic over?"

Red blood cells exposed to oxygen deficiency protect against myocardial infarction, according to a new KI study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigations. The study also shows that the protective effect is enhanced by a nitrate-rich vegetable diet.

People without a secure job contract can reduce their risk of premature death by 20 percent if they gain permanent employment, a study from Karolinska Institutet published in The Journal of Epidemiology and Community reports. According to the researchers, the results indicate that job security in the Swedish labor market needs to improve.

Patients with cluster headache suffer from various sleep problems, such as insomnia, which also occur in periods when the patient is symptom-free and should be considered during treatment. This is shown by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in a study recently published in The Journal of Headache and Pain.

According to UNICEF, approximately one in five young people suffer from mental health issues, which in turn often leads to risk-taking with alcohol, tobacco and drugs. In the long run, it can cause lifelong health impairments in adulthood. In a three-year project coordinated by Karolinska Institutet, a method used to improve young people’s wellbeing in India, Kenya, the U.S. and Colombia is being evaluated to see if it can work in other parts of the world.

Cholesterol-lowering statins might protect patients with ulcerative colitis from developing and dying from colorectal cancer. Statin treatment was also associated with a lower risk of death regardless of cause in patients with ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease. This is according to a study by researchers at Karolinska Institutet published in eClinicalMedicine.

Vitamin C and other antioxidants stimulate the formation of new blood vessels in lung cancer tumours, a new study from Karolinska Institutet published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation shows. The discovery corroborates the idea that dietary supplements containing antioxidants can accelerate tumour growth and metastasis.

StratNeuro awards a total of 15 MSEK to support Collaborative Neuroscience Projects.

Researchers from Karolinska Institutet found a high number of the so called natural killer cell, an important anti-lymphoma cell, in samples from patients with cutaneous lymphoma. However, the cells were immature and less active. A future therapy could be to restore their function locally. The study was published in Frontiers in Immunology.

Professor Lars Olson is awarded the Arvid Carlsson Foundation’s major prize for outstanding research 2023. In addition, Professor Sophie Erhardt and Adjunct Professor Johan Lundberg are both awarded grants from the foundation.

Lifestyles, the pandemic and dental care were some of the topics under discussion when Minister for Social Affairs and Public Health Jakob Forssmed visited Karolinska Institutet on 28 August, the same day as the autumn term kicked off.

When the Minister for Minister for Social Affairs and Public Health Jakob Forssmed visited KI on Monday 28 August, he met, among others, the director of the Centre for Health Crises, Johan von Schreeb. During the meeting the Centre highlighted the need for national collaboration on the role of universities in crises, as well as a national ability (surge capacity), focused on people trained in handling health crises, to be ready when the crisis hit.

To reduce the risk of complications, it is important to measure antibodies in individuals who develop diabetes in adulthood, while also considering the levels of these antibodies.

A new study led by researchers at Karolinska Institutet has examined how T cells of the immune system are affected by weightlessness. The results, which are published in the journal Science Advances, could explain why astronauts’ T cells become less active and less effective at fighting infection.

A new study published in Cell Metabolism by the research group of Professor Nils-Göran Larsson, at the Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, shows that so-called supercomplexes have no major role in cellular energy production and that altered levels therefore are unlikely to affect physiology and disease.

RNA has a central role in the cell's protein production. New research shows that RNA can be changed through various chemical modifications, the function of which is unknown to most. The study was carried out by researchers within Department of Cell and Molecular Biology and Department of Biosciences and Nutrition and published in the scientific journal Science Advances.

Hi Anders Rydström, PhD student at the Division of Clinical Geriatrics. On September 8 you will defend your thesis ”Mental stimulation and multimodal trials to prevent cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease”, what is the main focus of the thesis?

Karolinska Institutet has a long-standing collaboration with the global biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca. In a recently published feature article in Drug Discovery Today, academic and industry representatives describe three success factors that help to leverage the strength of these types of partnerships: mutual collaboration, mutually beneficial science, and a mutual governance model with senior management involvement (3MCs).

A study by researchers from Karolinska Institutet and physicians from Karolinska Hospital shows that a capsule of connective tissue around liver metastases from colorectal cancer improves patient survival and represents a healing response by the liver, not a phenomenon caused by the tumor itself.

For the eleventh time, the international week was organized by the international occupational therapy team and their partners. The event started with Uganda in 2012, through the Linnaeus-Palme program.

Earlier this summer UIDP in collaboration with Karolinska Institutet held a two-day event where strategic thinkers and leading practitioners met to discuss approaches for increasing innovation and building strong partnerships between universities, industry, and government. One of the invited speakers was Tobias Alfvén, who discussed how different sectors can contribute to the Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

A new Swedish study shows that whole genome sequencing can detect clinically relevant genomic abnormalities in acute lymphoblastic leukemia, ALL, and has great potential to be implemented in the diagnostic setting. The study was carried out by researchers within the Clinical Genetics group at the Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, the Genomic Medicine Sweden for haematology and published in the scientific journal Frontiers in Oncology.

The deficiency of functional insulin-producing cells is a common feature of type 1 and late-stage type 2 diabetes. Previous studies have suggested that mammals have very limited capacity for regeneration of insulin-producing cells, but researchers at Karolinska Institutet have found how zebrafish can form new cells and thereby provide clues to possible future possibilities in diabetes. The study is published in the scientific journal Science Advances.

It is quite common that individuals who have one psychiatric condition, also qualify for other psychiatric conditions. This observation questions the conventional belief that different diagnoses are independent, and instead implies the possibility of a set of factors that increases risks for several types of mental health problems.

Susanne Nylén at the Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology at KI, is leading a project that has been awarded a four-year grant from the Dutch foundation Dioraphte for research on the pathogenesis of post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) and leprosy. The total amount awarded is 850 000 euros.

The Prize (USD 5.000) is meant to reward pre-graduate scientific contributions within the doctoral education. The candidate should not have reached the age of 32 years at the time he/she is nominated to the prize. The prize will be awarded at the Installation Ceremony of Karolinska Institutet

Researchers from Karolinska Institutet have discovered a new molecular mechanism by which cancer cells safeguard themselves from oncogene-induced replication stress and propose a strategy to deactivate this protective mechanism. The study is published in the scientific journal Molecular Cell.

Post-doctoral fellow Amos Tuval at the Department of Oncology-Pathology has been selected by the American Society of Hematology (ASH) to receive the 2023 ASH Global Research Award. Amos is one of 12 talented early-career investigators selected for this honor.

New research from Karolinska Institutet published in JAMA Psychiatry shows how suicide attempts among people with depression is associated with higher mortality and impaired functionality.

Global terrorism is complex and unpredictable; the role and competence of tactical intervention units is therefore important. The national Swedish Counterterrorism Tactical Intervention Unit (CTIU), among others, strive to adapt and maintain security for society. This doctoral thesis examines tactical intervention units, focusing on the work-related characteristics of CTIU officers, applicants, and SWAT officers. It includes four studies exploring personality traits & physical/cognitive abilitie

Hi there Yuanjing Li, PhD student at the Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division of Aging Research Center (ARC)! You are about to defend your thesis entitled “Cardiovascular health and brain aging: a population-based MRI study". Could you tell us a little bit more about it?

Karolinska Institutet (KI) is ranked 37 in the 2023 Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), also known as the Shanghai ranking. This means that KI retains its position as one of the world's 50 highest-ranked universities. The ranking has varied between positions 37 and 45 over the past five years (2022: position 41).

Since the summer of 2022, KI has been granted approximately SEK 280 million for a total of 33 different projects. The funds come from several research programs within the EU, of which Horizon Europe, EU's framework program for research and innovation, is the largest.

In the first study to date, researchers at Karolinska Institutet and rheumatologists at Karolinska Sjukhuset have deeply characterized T cells in the muscle tissue of patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies. They show that the same T cells persist in the muscle over time despite immunosuppressive treatment. This study is now published in the EMBO Molecular Medicine Journal.

The podcast Riskzonen, featuring well-known KI staff members Mattis Öberg and Emma Frans, is back with a new season! The four episodes were released in May and June, and after a brief break over summer, more episodes will now be released each Monday, starting on 28 August. Each episode features the topic health crisis, in one way or another, ranging from relief efforts in war to antibiotic resistance. The new season is made in collaboration with the Centre for Health Crises.

The Government has appointed a new research committee - a group of experts - to act as advisors prior to their upcoming Research and Innovation Policy Bill. KI researcher Anna Wedell is one of the fifteen elected members.

Karolinska Institutet's students, staff and alumni participated under the Academic Pride flag on Saturday, August 5, when the Pride parade marched through Stockholm.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric diagnosis that affects about 5-10% of the population. PTSD occurs as a result of experiencing – or witnessing – severe, life-threatening and traumatic events, such as abuse, war, accidents and mistreatment.

This is a short report from the project team working on the implementation of KI RIMS. The posts are aimed at those who are interested in the work of adapting the product Elements from Symplectic to KI's requirements and conditions and want to follow the development process.

Low concentrations of air pollutants are associated with poorer health, and previous research has found a link between air pollution and dementia risk. Researchers at Karolinska Institutet, among others, have now investigated this connection. The study, published in the journal Neurology, contributes to a better understanding of the biological mechanisms that might explain why air pollution seems to increase the risk of developing dementia.

Cardiovascular disease is one of the most common causes of death in Sweden and in the world. Researchers at Karolinska Institutet, among others, have now found that artificial intelligence seems to play a role in identifying the risk of cardiovascular disease. The study, published in Cardiovascular Research, may in the future lead to more accurate diagnostic methods.

Children of parents with mental illness are at increased risk of being born too early, especially if it is stress-related, and both the mother’s and the father’s mental health seem to be of importance. This is according to a register-based study from Karolinska Institutet published in PLOS Medicine.