News archive

Taking place from 24 August to 4 September 2026, this 4 ECTS Blended Intensive Programme combines online and on-site learning, focusing on exploring cutting-edge developments at the intersection of neuroscience, robotics, and digital health. This course is jointly organized by Boğaziçi University, Université de Lille, Radboud University, Universidad Miguel Hernández and Reykjavik University.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet, have uncovered a previously unknown mechanism that helps pain sensing nerve cells stay healthy and respond to injury. The findings, published in Nature Communications, may improve understanding of chronic pain and nerve damage and maintenance of myelin integrity.

The upcoming Symposium “Naturalistic Neuroscience: From perception to action and back” will take place from May 28-29, 2026, at the University of Bonn. Experts from diverse fields will come together at this international symposium to discuss the current state and future directions for naturalistic neuroscience research.

The application deadline for the Summer School in Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback has been extended. Taking place from 21 May to 17 June 2026, this 4 ECTS Blended Intensive Programme combines online and on-site learning, focusing on applied psychophysiology, heart rate variability (HRV), self-regulation, and biofeedback. This course is organized by Reykjavik University, in collaboration with Karolinska Institutet and Radboud University.

“Journées CORTICO 2026”, the symposium in the fields of Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI), Neurotechnology and Cognitive Neuroscience, will take place on May 18-20, 2026, at the University of Lille, France.

A new research initiative at Karolinska Institutet aims to understand how chronic pain arises and how it might be switched off at its source. The project, “A Game-Changing Therapy for Lasting Pain Relief”, has now received support from the Promobilia Foundation.

Radboud University organizes a one-week immersive course to explore how neurotechnologies shape everyday life through key clinical applications. Through lectures, hands-on demonstrations, and user interactions, participants examine the technical, clinical, and ethical dimensions of neurotechnology, supported by expertise from Radboud University and NeurotechEU partners.

The healing of the spinal cord depends on carefully timed interactions between injured nerve cells and their surrounding environment, according to a new study published in Science Advances by researchers at Karolinska Institutet.

New funding from Region Stockholm in collaboration with Karolinska Institutet will support advanced research into cluster headache at the university. By combining genetic studies with sleep and circadian rhythm research, the project seeks to improve care for a patient group with a high disease burden and risk of misdiagnosis.

NeurotechEU invites educators from its partner universities to co-develop innovative, cross-institutional activities with a strong focus on challenge-based learning. Successful applicants can receive funding of up to €10,000 to support the effective implementation of innovative teaching concepts.

The Strategic Research Area Neuroscience – StratNeuro - announces a call for applications to support postdoctoral researchers at Karolinska Institutet.

Nobel Forum welcomes Professor Nobutaka Hattori for a Research Lecture on 19 March.

A new term of office for the StratNeuro Executive Board began in January 2026.

Taking place from 21 May to 17 June 2026, this Summer School combines online and on-site learning to introduce the field of Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback (4 ECTS Blended Intensive Programme). This course is organized by Reykjavik University, in collaboration with Karolinska Institutet and Radboud University.

A Swedish study, recently published in the scientific journal Neurology, has found that individuals who have experienced a traumatic brain injury are more likely to face periods of work disability that can last for up to five years following the injury.

The Conference "Women of NeurotechEU: Empower, Lead, Innovate" is an international event organized by the “Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Cluj-Napoca, under the umbrella of the NeurotechEU European University Alliance, in connection with International Women’s Day.

“Journées CORTICO 2026”, the symposium in the fields of Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI), Neurotechnology and Cognitive Neuroscience, will take place on May 18-20, 2026, at the University of Lille, France.

Among the 102 recipients at Karolinska Institutet who received research grants in medicine and health from the Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet), five researchers from the Department of Neuroscience were included.

KI researcher Saida Hadjab has been awarded funding from the Novo Nordisk Foundation for her project “A Game-Changing Therapeutic Target for Lasting Pain Relief”, which addresses a major unmet medical need in chronic pain and headache disorders. Designed to fast-track the commercialisation of cutting-edge research in sustainability and health, the grant aims to support bold innovations that have real-world impact.

For more than a century, maps of the brain have been based on how brain tissue looks under the microscope. These anatomical maps divide the brain into regions according to structural variations in the tissue. But do these divisions really reflect how the brain works? A new study on mice from Karolinska Institutet, published in Nature Neuroscience, suggests that this is often not the case.

KI researcher Federico Iovino has been awarded the Pioneer Innovator Grant from the Novo Nordisk Foundation. Designed to fast-track the commercialisation of cutting-edge research in sustainability and health, the grant aims to support bold innovations that have real-world impact.

Bachelor, Master, and PhD students at Karolinska Institutet (KI) are invited to apply now for the Autumn School of Clinical Neurotechnology taking place 23-26 February in Iuliu Hațieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca (Romania).

The NeurotechEU Internship Program at Boğaziçi University offers undergraduate and master’s students from the NeurotechEU alliance a unique opportunity to gain hands-on research experience in cutting-edge neuroscience and neurotechnology laboratories.

A new study from Karolinska Institutet, published in Nature Communications, reveals how rhythmic brain waves known as alpha oscillations help us distinguish between our own body and the external world. The findings offer new insights into how the brain integrates sensory signals to create a coherent sense of bodily self.

Children who spend a significant amount of time on social media tend to experience a gradual decline in their ability to concentrate. This is according to a comprehensive study from Karolinska Institutet, published in Pediatrics Open Science, where researchers followed more than 8,000 children from around age 10 through age 14.

The popular NeurotechEU Internship Program at the University of Bonn is returning in the Summer of 2026 — and KI bachelor's and master's students can now apply!

The Torsten Söderberg Foundation recognises outstanding achievements in medicine through its annual grants. Two researchers from the Department of Neuroscience at Karolinska Institutet have been awarded grants in medicine to support their innovative research into brain health and infectious diseases.

Researchers, clinicians, students, and patient representatives gathered at Karolinska Institutet for the 2025 KI Pain Network Conference, a full-day event dedicated to the latest advances in pain research and care.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet, Columbia University and the University of San Francisco, have uncovered a previously unknown mechanism by which dopamine, a key brain chemical vital for movement and motivation, can affect brain activity indirectly, by boosting serotonin. The study was recently published in Sciences Advances.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have identified a brain circuit that can drive repetitive and compulsive behaviours in mice, even when natural rewards such as food or social contact are available. The study has been published in the journal Science Advances and may contribute to increased knowledge about obsessive-compulsive disorder and addiction.

KI Master’s, PhD, and early-career researchers are invited to apply for the Winter School on Brain Architecture for NeuroAI and Neurotechnology: A Systems Neuroscience Perspective, taking place at the Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche.

The BonnBrain Conference 2026 will take place in Bonn, Germany, from March 23–25, 2026, bringing together leading neuroscientists from across Europe and beyond to discuss the latest advances in brain research.

Professor Ola Hermanson, who served as a distinguished member of the neuroscience community at Karolinska Institutet, passed away on 2 October 2025 at the age of 60. His career was marked by scientific excellence, visionary leadership, and a deep commitment to the advancement of neuroscience both in Sweden and internationally.

In a significant step for European collaboration in neuroscience and technological innovation, the Medical University of Innsbruck (MUI) has officially joined The European University of Brain and Technology – NeurotechEU.

Marie Carlén has been named the new Head of the Department of Neuroscience. The formal decision, signed on 3 November 2025 by Dean of Solna Campus, Sten Linnarsson, in consultation with the President of Karolinska Institutet, confirms that she will succeed Gilberto Fisone in this role as of 1 January 2026. Her tenure as Head of Department is set for an initial period of five years.

A group of 14-year-olds from the International English School in Solna were the first class to try out the new educational programme at The Cell – a collaboration between the National Museum of Science and Technology and Karolinska Institutet that gathers research, art and life science into one multidimensional experience.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet and Yale University have created a multidimensional, molecular map of how the mouse brain develops after birth and how it reacts to inflammation. The study, which is published in Nature, shows that some of the molecular programmes that govern brain development can be reactivated in the brain during inflammation.

Researchers from Karolinska Institutet and Albert Einstein College of Medicine have shown that glioblastoma, the most aggressive form of brain cancer, not only affects the brain but also erodes the skull and alters the immune system in the bone marrow. The findings are published in Nature Neuroscience.

A previously unknown group of nerve cells in the brain has been shown to play a crucial role in aggressive behaviour among mothers. The study, led by researchers at Karolinska Institutet, SciLifeLab, and Stockholm University and published in Nature Communications, demonstrates that these "silent" nerve cells can be activated to influence how a mother defends her offspring.

On Friday, September 26, StratNeuro and StratRegen proudly took part in ForskarFredag in Stockholm, held at AlbaNova and Vetenskapens Hus

People who sleep poorly are more likely than others to have brains that appear older than they actually are. This is according to a comprehensive brain imaging study from Karolinska Institutet, published in the journal eBioMedicine. Increased inflammation in the body may partly explain the association.

Bachelor, Master, and PhD students at KI are invited to apply now for the Autumn School of Clinical Neurotechnology taking place in Iuliu Hațieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca (UMF Cluj)

Researchers have conducted the most extensive study to date on adults who have never had sexual intercourse. The findings, published in PNAS, suggest that lifelong sexlessness is associated with a multifaceted interplay of psychological, social, and genetic factors.

Everything we perceive is the result of neuronal activity in our brains. Daniel Lundqvist uses advanced brain imaging techniques to study the mind. His goal: to help improve the diagnosis and treatment of neurological disorders. Meet one of the new professors of Karolinska Institutet who will participate in this year's installation ceremony at Aula Medica on 9 October. 

Musical people find it easier to focus their attention on the right sounds in noisy environments. This is shown in a new study from Karolinska Institutet published in the journal Science Advances. The results suggest that music training can be used to sharpen attention and cognition.

The NeurotechEU is gearing up for its annual hackathon!

Ronny Wickström researches autoimmune and inflammatory diseases in the child brain. At present his focus is on prolonged cases of status epilepticus, a life-threatening condition that does not respond to epilepsy medicine. Meet one of the new professors of Karolinska Institutet who will participate in this year's installation ceremony at Aula Medica on 9 October.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have found that individuals with cluster headache have symptoms of insomnia and poor sleep quality in an active headache period, and sleep is not restored during headache-free periods. The results were recently published in Headache: the Journal of Head and Face Pain.

This intensive blended learning course equips PhD researchers with the entrepreneurial mindset, skills, and tools needed to transform scientific discoveries into viable innovations.

A study in the journal Science presents compelling new evidence that neurons in the brain’s memory centre, the hippocampus, continue to form well into late adulthood. The research from Karolinska Institutet provides answers to a fundamental and long-debated question about the human brain’s adaptability.