News archive

This week, the third edition of the book “To start a research career within medicine and health” ("Att börja forska inom medicin och hälsa") is released. Author is Jonas F Ludvigsson, pediatrician and professor at the Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics and the book is aimed at doctoral students and prospective researchers in medicine and health.

Inga Rødahl from the Center for Infectious Medicine (CIM) at the Departmet of Medicine, Huddinge (MedH) is defending her thesis titled "Features of innate lymphoid cells in human fetal tissues and adult respiratory infection", on 4 April, 2025. Main supervisor is Jakob Michaëlsson (MedH).

Researchers at Swedish institutions, including Karolinska Institutet, have identified gene variants that increase the risk of atherosclerosis. The goal is for these new findings to enable earlier detection of atherosclerosis and improved treatment of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack and stroke. The study has been published in the journal Nature Communications.

A recent study by KI-researchers Nadia Davoody and Sravya Katta reveals significant gaps related to healthcare professionals' awareness of gender diversity, proper communication strategies, the specific needs of transgender, nonbinary, and intersex (TNBI) individuals, and the societal and structural challenges they face.

In a new study, researchers from Karolinska Institutet have shown that so-called interval cancers, which are detected between two screening sessions, account for a significant proportion of breast cancer cases and that certain risk factors may increase the likelihood of developing this type of cancer. The study was published in the journal JAMA Oncology.

Karolinska Institutet (KI) and Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin (Charité) have entered into a bilateral agreement. The Internationalisation Board at KI has allocated limited competitive funds for KI faculty and staff for grant applications to strengthen collaborative interactions within research and education.

A team of researchers at Karolinska Institutet has developed a novel tool for genetic research. The study, published in Nucleic Acids Research, introduces BLU-VIPR, a method that allows researchers to control the gene-editing tool CRISPR using light. This innovation could significantly enhance our understanding of gene functions in complex organisms.

Early diagnosis of COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, increases the quality of life of the patient and the efficacy of available treatments. Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have now shown that material from nasal lavage provides a basis for assessing COPD. The study, which has been published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, could lead to a simple diagnostic method for early assessment of COPD.

Certain widely used drug combinations may either slow down or worsen the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, but their effects differ between sexes. A new study from Karolinska Institutet, published in the leading journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia, highlights these important findings.

PhD student André Thunberg is researching how healthcare workers in rural Malawi identify and manage critically ill children. On March 26, he successfully completed his half-time review, and we had the opportunity to discuss his PhD journey so far.

On March 25, KI's Professional Services (PS) gathered for a digital staff meeting. The agenda included news within PS, security issues, the Microsoft 365 license, the government's research bill for the next four years and KI's prioritised focus areas.

Viktor H. Ahlqvist, postdoc at the Institute of Environmental Medicine (IMM), receives 3,000,000 SEK in a Postdoctoral Grant from the Swedish Society for Medical Research (SSMF) for the project “Advancing cardiovascular drug safety in pregnancy through cutting-edge computational statistics, causal inference, and drug-target genomics (DRUG-SAFE).

In a study published in Nature, researchers at Karolinska Institutet and SciLifeLab, among others, have identified a new mechanism for how cells deal with stress. This could have implications for treating certain hereditary, neurodegenerative diseases, but may also be relevant for future cancer treatment.

Helene Lindfors, PhD student at the Endocrine Surgery research group, the Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, will defend her thesis "Tumor burden, thyroglobulin and Ki-67 as prognostic indicators in papillary thyroid cancer" on April 2025.
Main supervisor is Ivan Shabo.

The tennis courts in Solna are now open for you as staff och student at KI.

The Swedish Society for Virology has awarded the Pandemifonden Fenyö Prize for 2024 to Daniel Sheward, Assistant Professor at the Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet.

On 3 April 16:30, KI's Viva Engage will be moved from servers in the US to the EU. Access to Viva Engage will not be possible during this move.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have discovered a new mechanism behind blood vessel damage in type 2 diabetes. The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, shows that small vesicles from red blood cells can transfer harmful signal molecules to the blood vessels and impair their function.

The Infrastructure Board has adopted its strategy for the development of KI's research infrastructure. The aim of the strategy is to ensure that KI's researchers have access to the most advanced and relevant research infrastructure, which is crucial for conducting research of the highest quality.

SPV is experiencing technical issues. We apologize for this. We are canceling today's and tomorrow's webinars and will get back to you with new dates.

The debate on nature versus nurture has never ceased, particularly in discussions about neurodevelopmental conditions (NDCs) such as autism and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). These lifelong conditions emerge in childhood, and while they mostly have genetic nature, environmental factors may play a role.

A new study from Karolinska Institutet, published in BMJ Global Health, shows that one in eight patients admitted to hospitals are critically ill, and most of these patients are cared for outside intensive care units. The researchers behind the study believe that simple but underutilised care could save many lives at a low cost.

A number of new classes are now available at KI's Health Hub, both in Solna and Flemingsberg. The classes are open to both staff and students.

The room in Biomedicum at Karolinska Institutet campus in Solna was packed on 20 March, when researchers and members of staff from government agencies and county councils gathered to share their experiences of register-based research and data release during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many had encountered similar problems, especially with long lead times and the difficulty of obtaining real-time data, but there were also several successes to highlight and learn from.

A comprehensive study from Karolinska Institutet shows that people with fatty liver disease have almost twice the mortality rate of the general population. They have an increased risk of dying from both liver diseases and common diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease, according to the study published in The Journal of Hepatology.

In a study on ovarian cancer cells, researchers from Karolinska Institutet demonstrate how the tumor environment influences how cancer cells respond to drugs by using AI. The study has been published in the journal Communications Biology.

Paul Petrus and his research group will move from MedH to FyFa in May. He is looking forward to the transfer and to engaging more closely with other research groups at the department.

This year, the Swedish Rheumatism Association (Reumatikerförbundet) is awarding almost SEK 14 million to research into rheumatic diseases. What unites many research projects is a clear focus on personalised diagnostics and treatment. Of the total of 87 research projects in this year's allocation, 32 are conducted at KI.

Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine offers PhD graduates the possibility to conduct postdoctoral research at SJTUSM.

Shandong University, China, offer PhDs and postdocs at KI the possibility to participate in an exchange program.

Andri Papakonstantinou has been awarded the Pfizer and Swedish Society of Oncology’s (SOF) research scholarship in oncology for postdoctoral researchers in 2025. The scholarship was presented at SOF's annual meeting in Sundsvall on March 20th.

We are proud to share that Lindsay Davies at the Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology is running as a candidate for Regional VP Elect for Europe of the International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy (ISCT) this year.

Shandong University offers the possibility to apply for an internship in Basic medical Science during July 7-20, 2025

Professor Rolf Kiessling at Karolinska Institutet has been selected as the recipient of the 2025 CIMT Lifetime Achievement Award for his groundbreaking discovery of natural killer (NK) cells, which has significantly advanced our understanding of the immune response to viruses and cancer cells.

Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) find it harder to get pregnant, have more frequent miscarriages and have a higher risk of developing endometrial cancer. Now, in a new study published in Nature Medicine, Swedish researchers have shown that the uterine lining of these women differs in terms of both the composition of individual cells and gene expression. The results open the door to new drug treatments.

In an evaluation presented on 19 March, the Swedish Higher Education Authority (UKÄ) states that certain areas of biomedical analyst programmes throughout the country need to be improved in order for students to receive the best possible education. At the same time, there are strengths in the programmes that can inspire further development, according to the results from UKÄ.

Karolinska University Hospital has recently adopted a new RDE (research, development and education) strategy. The strategy is now firmly anchored with Karolinska Institutet. For us, collaboration with Region Stockholm is a priority – strong regional collaboration and partnerships with the private sector are essential if Sweden is to reinforce its international position in medical research and development.

Congratulations to Elena Raffetti and Sibylle Herzig van Wees at GPH who have been awarded funding by the Committee for Research for Assistant Professor positions. In a short interview, they share what this opportunity means to them and how they balance their teaching responsibilities with their research.

On Saturday, March 15th, StratNeuro hosted the annual En Resa Genom Härnan event as part of Brain Awareness Week 2025.

The biotech company Magnephy is developing new methods to analyze tissue biopsies using optical 3D microscopy and sample clearing. This technique enables whole-tissue diagnostics and in-situ drug testing.

In this episode of the KIB podcast we dig deeper into the academic perspective on AI: How do students use and reflect upon the use of AI in their studies – and how should they?
• How can I use AI to support me in my learning process?
• What’s happening to our brains? (Or to the intended learning outcome?)
• Is it cheating if I ask “my friend Bob” the AI to write my essay?

Professor Aklillu recently led a two-week training program on clinical trial fundamentals at the University of Rwanda. The initiative gathered senior researchers and specialists to strengthen clinical research in the region, marking a key step in advancing ethical and effective trials across Africa.

Rebecka Hultgren has been appointed as Head of the Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, MMK. The decision was signed by Dean Carl Johan Sundberg on March 7, 2025. Rebecka Hultgren will take over the assignment as head from Anders Franco-Cereceda on June 1, 2025.

There is a large discrepancy between the number of human ethics applications submitted to the Swedish Ethical Review Authority by KI researchers, and the number of applications registered at KI. Applications and decisions by the Swedish Ethical Review Authority for human research at KI need to be registered at KI (diarieföring), according to the KI guidelines for recordkeeping. We therefore need to see to that this is done and create a process for this at FyFa.

Meet Lingjia Yin (Keira), a PhD student at GPH who will defend her thesis on Pediatric Tuina in May this spring. Her research journey has taken her from China to Sweden and back again. Dive into her story and discover the exciting work she is doing to improve children's health with massage, and learn why her best advice to new PhD students is "don't get stuck in the jungle forever"

The research bill for 2025-2028 announces, among other things, calls that require coordination of applicant universities. KI’s President Annika Östman Wernerson has decided to set up a steering group with the task of simplifying and overseeing these processes and other upcoming initiatives in the government's research policy.

The first five years of life are crucial for long-term health. Mental ill health is one of the biggest public health challenges of our time and parenting support is an effective way to promote the health of the youngest children. Lene Lindberg leads the new research program Early Equity, which also aims for equal child health care regardless of circumstances. Learn more about the project in an interview with Lene.

Wednesday, 2 April, it is time for KI’s Sustainability Day. This year, the theme is planetary boundaries and the connection to health. Employees and students are invited to a day in Biomedicum with inspirational lectures, good examples from KI’s operations and several award ceremonies. Carl Johan Sundberg, professor and dean of KI Nord, highlights the connection between planetary boundaries and health, and Maria Wolrath Söderberg from Södertörn University delves into climate rhetoric.

In autumn of 2022, Jennie Gustavsson was diagnosed with rectal cancer. In March 2024, she learnt that the disease was incurable.