News archive

To maintain balance, several factors must align. The inner ears and eyes need to send accurate signals to the brain. Good motor skills and sense of touch, especially in the feet, along with a healthy brain, are necessary. It is not surprising that balance disorders can occur, but how should they be treated?

In recent weeks, the Swedish Government has issued several new assignments in health crisis preparedness, to be carried out by the National Board of Health and Welfare, including an assignment to establish a national reinforcement resource (nationell försörjningsresurs) for disaster medicine.

The study "Androgens Modulate the Immune Profile in a Mouse Model of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome" sheds light on immune dysfunction as a possible aspect of PCOS pathology, which could constitute a novel target for therapies.

Astrid Paul Nordin from the Heart and Lung Diseases Unit at the Department of Medicine, Huddinge (MedH) is defending her thesis titled "Catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation - methods for improving outcome", on 31 May, 2024. Main supervisor is Nikola Drca (MedH).

In a study published in Nature Communications, scientists have made significant strides in understanding the complex interplay between the immune system and cancer metabolism in breast cancer treatment. The research offers new insights into how the immune state and cancer metabolism evolve during neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC).

Per Nilsson, docent and deputy head of division of Neurogeriatrics, has been appointed as KI's new Academic coordinator for Japan.

Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women worldwide, and the third most common cause of death of cancer in women. In 2022, the incidence was estimated to 660 000 new cases and 350 000 deaths. In Sweden, around 450-550 new cases are diagnosed each year, and the incidence has been fairly stable since the 1980s.

Professor Eleni Aklillu‘s appointment as a member of the World Health Organization's Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (WHO-TDR) Scientific Working Group (SWG) extends until 2026. This extension covers the period from 2024 to 2026, reinforcing Professor Aklillu's ongoing contributions to this crucial international body.

Together with UNICEF, Karolinska Institutet hosted the Bold Ideas for Brighter Futures conference on May 15-16. Klas Bergling, father of Tim Bergling, known as Avicii, was one of the speakers who spoke about his experiences of mental illness in young people.

Our colleague and friend, professor emeritus Anders Rane has passed away at 80 years of age.

In KI's webshop you can buy a selection of profile products, including pens, mugs, glass products from Orrefors, silk scarves, pins, roll-ups, name tags etc. More products are in the works and the webshop is updated continuously.

From April 1, 2024, (eLife and Copernicus) and June 1 (JMIR) researchers at KI can publish articles open access without having to pay a publication fee in all journals from the publishers JMIR, eLife and Copernicus. The agreements are financed by the Swedish Research Council, Forte, Formas and Vinnova.

Th meeting is open for all interested in and working with dementia in clinical practice. This conference will focus on the upcoming new disease modifying treatments in Alzheimer’s disease, prevention of dementia and the new blood-based biomarkers.

Tips from KI Grants Office regarding current calls

To foster fresh collaborations and interactions across the NeurotechEU network, the KI NeurotechEU group is introducing funding opportunities for short-term visits by KI faculty and researchers.

Zebrafish have a remarkable ability to heal their spinal cord after injury. Now, researchers at Karolinska Institutet have uncovered an important mechanism behind this phenomenon – a finding that could have implications for the treatment of spinal cord injury in humans.

The Strategic Neuroscience Research Network (StratNeuro) at Karolinska Institutet celebrated the International Brain Awareness Week with an open symposium on Monday 11 March 2024.

New postdoc at the Division of Physiotherapy, NVS.

As Israel continues its military campaign in Gaza, students in Sweden and around the world have been staging protests on their university campuses, calling for all ties with Israeli universities to be severed. KI itself has seen smaller, peaceful demonstrations in which individual students have protested against Israel’s actions.

We are delighted to have Xiangru (Ben) Zheng as a visiting scholar in our lab. Ben is a liver surgeon at Chongqing Medical University. He will participate in multiple ongoing projects and bring his clinical expertise to our group. We hope for a great collaboration ahead Ben!

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is associated with a slightly increased risk of heart failure up to 20 years after diagnosis, according to a comprehensive registry study from Karolinska Institutet published in the European Heart Journal.

A reinterment ceremony for Christina Larsdotter, the famous Sami woman whose remains were rediscovered in KI’s anatomical collection in 2022, was held in Malå on Saturday, 25 May. KI’s request to repatriate Larsdotter’s remains to Malå’s Sami Association and Malå Sami village was granted by the government last September.

Welcome to Emilie Helte's defense of the thesis "Exposures through drinking water and risk of chronic disease" on May 24.

Sophie Walton Bernstedt from the Gastroenterology and Rheumatology Unit at the Department of Medicine, Huddinge (MedH), is defending her thesis "Risk factors for colorectal cancer and the impact on life in Lynch syndrome", on 24 May, 2024. Main supervisor is Ann-Sofie Backman (MedH).

Jacob Hollenberg, Mattias Ringh and Leif Svensson, at the Department of Clinical Research and Education, Södersjukhuset at Karolinska Institutet, are awarded for using innovative technology to develop an outstanding app and method, which increases the chance of survival for people who have suffered a cardiac arrest .

The University Alliance Stockholm Trio, comprising Karolinska Institutet, KTH, and Stockholm University, is proud to announce the opening of a new call for interdisciplinary collaborations in education and research. To compete for funding, applications must include all three universities, address Agenda 2030, and involve research or education. Interested? Apply before September 30th!

Camilla Björkegren has been appointed Head of the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology (CMB), starting June 1, 2024.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have succeeded in delivering targeted cancer treatment via small membrane bubbles that our cells use to communicate. A new study published in Nature Biomedical Engineering shows that the treatment reduces tumour growth and improves survival in mice.

Positions as visiting scientists are yearly offered at NIOM in Oslo, Norway. It is now time to apply for the positions available for visits during 2025, within research in the field of biological, chemical, physical, and clinical questions related to biomaterials and oral health. Deadline for application: June 20, 2024

Madeleine Lehander from the Hematology Unit/HERM, at the Department of Medicine, Huddinge (MedH), is defending her thesis "Exploring T Cell Mediated Immunotherapy against Therapy Resistant Leukemic Stem Cells", on 24 May 2024. Main supervisor is Petter Woll (MedH).

Caroline Ran is one of three researchers awarded Pfizer's and the Swedish Headache Society's newly established research grant in migraine studies. Her research focuses on the correlation between migraine and mental health. The grant will be presented at the SHS annual meeting in Halmstad on 15 May 15 2024.

From the autumn semester of 2025, KI offers a new international master’s programme in global health. The programme comprises 120 credits and has 30 study places. Application for course responsibility is now open.

We are approaching summer, and we kindly ask you to read the information below carefully. Take notice of the deadlines both regarding HR and Finance.

A study conducted in collaboration with the National Center for Suicide Research and Prevention (NASP) has examined an association between screen time spent on social media, anxiety, and self-esteem among elementary school girls in Stockholm County.

Tips from KI Grants Office about current calls.

Karolinska Institutet has signed a memorandum of understanding with the pharmaceutical company Chiesi, which has an office and laboratory facility in KI Science Park. The parties have agreed to strengthen efforts that can accelerate research and development in areas such as respiratory diseases, rare diseases, and neonatology.

In line with the FAIR principles and the national guidelines for an open science system, KI has made a formal decision that KI actively shall contribute to open access to research data.

During the spring, the university management visited the departments to learn more about the various activities and to strengthen the internal dialogue. On 8 May 2024, they were welcomed by our management team.

The storage volumes for Swedish universities' user licences with Microsoft have changed - now these new volumes will apply at KI.

On Thursday May 16, KI Housing will start using a Case Management System.

Welcome to the two-day symposium ”Astrocytes in Brain Function and Disease” at Nobel Forum, Campus Solna on June 10-11, 2024. Interesting speakers from all over the world participate. See full program below. Register no later than May 20!

As the buds have burst and the traditional Swedish spring songs have been sung, we are approaching graduation. On Thursday and Friday, May 30 and 31, the graduation ceremonies for all KI’s study programmes will be held. Get inspiration from four of the graduating students’ memories and plans.

In 2023, the Strategic Research Area in Health Care Science (SFO-V) launched an initiative aimed at future researchers in health care science through an open call for funding for postdoctoral positions. The aim of the initiative, SFO-V Fellows, is to promote high-quality health care science research and to ensure the regrowth of researchers in the field.

Three researchers at the Department of Medicine, Huddinge (MedH) have been awarded grants from the Dr Åke Olsson Foundation for research in haematology. The foundation supports haematology researchers at Karolinska Institutet, who are at an important but early stage of their research.

Jan Sjövall passed away on 2 May 2024, at the age of 95. Jan was professor emeritus at Karolinska Institutet having moved to Stockholm from Lund in 1958 as part of Sune Bergström’s group. Besides his family, Jan had two great loves - bile acid analysis and golf, being good enough at golf to regularly represent Sweden in age group competitions. With respect to bile acid analysis he was “simply the best”.

The hall at the Swedish Society of Medicine in Stockholm was buzzing with people and conversations when the Association, along with the Centre for Health Crises at KI, organised a seminar on attacks on healthcare in conflicts and war on Thursday 2 May 2024. Those who could not make it to the capital participated online. Presentations and panel discussions with experts and health professionals working in war zones highlighted the important issue from various perspectives.

During the Educational Congress 2-3 October 2024 we will delve into the profound theme of "Exploring the Human Dimensions of Education." Call for abstract is now open.

This is a summary of the digital information meeting that prof Maria Eriksdotter, head of the project steering group, together with the departmental head of MedH and the Director of Doctoral studies at MedH held on 7 May addressing all staff at BioNut and MedH.

It’s time once again to vote for faculty representatives for the Karolinska Institutet Board, the university’s supreme decision-making body. All staff, students and affiliates of KI are invited to nominate candidates between 14 and 28 May. Here, sitting faculty representatives give some tips on what to expect and hope to inspire their successors.

The first-ever GPH PhD conference took place on 11 April 2024 under the theme “Mastering research methods and creating opportunities for the future”. Approximately 40 PhD students and 40 researchers from GPH participated in the event, making it a vibrant platform for academic exchange and networking. The conference featured parallel workshops focusing on specific aspects of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods research.