News archive

A new treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS) has demonstrated good safety and tolerability in a phase 1b study published in the journal PNAS. The treatment is based on the patients’ own red blood cells, which are used to train the immune system to tolerate substances that are mistakenly attacked in the disease. The study was conducted at University Hospital Zurich in collaboration with researchers at Karolinska Institutet.

Tofersen, marketed under the name Qalsody, is a new treatment for ALS that has now been approved for patients with SOD1-ALS, the second most common cause of ALS, at Karolinska University Hospital. The decision is a long-awaited breakthrough in the field of ALS.

Organised by "Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, in collaboration with Karolinska Institutet and Boğaziçi Üniversitesi, this Autumn School offers scientific and technical training in microsurgical techniques.

Inflammation, altered gene regulation, and exposure to substances in tobacco smoke may all contribute to the development of cluster headache. This is demonstrated by two new studies from Karolinska Institutet, which improve our understanding of the biological mechanisms behind this painful condition.

Discover how wearable neurotechnology is transforming neuroscience, healthcare, and human-computer interaction. In this hands-on international hackathon, you will collaborate with participants from different disciplines, explore cutting-edge brain monitoring technologies, and develop innovative solutions to real-world challenges using EEG and fNIRS.

Ten collaborative projects bringing together partners across the NeurotechEU alliance have been selected for funding through the NeurotechEU Collaboration Funding Call. Karolinska Institutet is involved in four of them.

The universities of Bonn, Reykjavík and Radboud are pleased to invite applications for the Joint NeurotechEU Business Winter School - From Research to use case: Translating neurotechnology into real-world impact.

The Miguel Hernández University of Elche (UMH) is pleased to announce the 3rd edition of the School on preclinical magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy. It will take place from October 21-23, 2026, at the UMH campus in Sant Joan d’Alacant (Spain).

The NeurotechEU Winter School on Smart Sleep, organised by the Medical University of Innsbruck, will take place from 15th to 18th February 2027 at the MUI campus in Innsbruck, Austria.

StratNeuro has established a Student Council to strengthen the connection between StratNeuro and the neuroscience PhD students at KI. This initiative was presented at the PhD Student Day at the StratNeuro Retreat 2026.

The StratNeuro community gathered once again at Djurönäset on June 3rd-5th for three days of scientific presentations, discussions, workshops, and networking.

The Docent Committee decided on June 9, 2026, to appoint Jeroen Goos as docent in radiology and medical imaging.

The Docent Committee decided on 19 May 2026 to appoint Josefine Waldthaler as docent in neurology.

Women are more likely than men to report poor sleep, even though objective measurements show that their sleep is better in several respects, according to new research from Karolinska Institutet.

The KI NeurotechEU steering group is pleased to announce the availability of limited competitive funds for KI faculty, staff, and/or students to conduct collaborative work within the field of Neurotechnology.

The University of Bonn is offering 10 scholarships to NeurotechEU students for an Intensive German Language Course in September 2026.

A new study identified new protein targets and drug candidates, including opportunities to repurpose existing drugs. Six key proteins were highlighted as potentially providing new insights and supporting future treatment development for progressive multiple sclerosis (MS).

On 11–12 May 2026, Karolinska Institutet hosted the NeurotechEU Neuroinnovation Summit, bringing together researchers, clinicians, educators, and entrepreneurs from across the European University of Brain and Technology alliance to explore how neurotechnologies can move from laboratory discovery to real-world impact.

By seeking to understand those who commit intimate partner homicide, Shilan Caman hopes to find ways to prevent future killings. Her research shows that one factor unites them: the need for control.

The Docent Committee decided on the 28th of April 2026, to appoint Katharina Fink as docent in neurology.

On 19 May 2026, the Docent Committee decided to appoint Pernilla Stridh as docent in medical genetics.

Our capacity for innovation, rather than being the work of random variation, is based on an intrinsic understanding of how the world works, report researchers in a new study from Karolinska Institutet and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, published in PNAS.

The Docent Committee decided on the 19th of May 2026 to admit Lara Kular as docent in medical epigenetics and epigenomics.

Torbjörn Tomson, professor at the Department of Clinical Neuroscience, has been awarded the European Epileptology Award. The award is presented by the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE), and Tomson is receiving it in recognition of his work to advance knowledge of anti-epileptic drugs and epilepsy during pregnancy, amongst other achievements.

In less than two years, Professor Robert Harris at Karolinska Institutet has reached more than 16 million people through his engagement on the social media platform LinkedIn. He has now been admitted to Le Centile, an exclusive international network for leading digital creators.

How do we make decisions – and why do we sometimes fail?

The University of Bonn and Radboud University are pleased to invite applications for the Joint Autumn School on Decision-Making, organised within the NeurotechEU alliance.

On Saturday, March 21st, StratNeuro hosted the annual “En Resa Genom Hjärnan 2026” as part of Brain Awareness Week 2026. It offered a day filled with activities for all ages, from hands-on experiments and interactive demonstrations to engaging talks with leading researchers.

On 18 March 2026, StratNeuro partnered with The Cell to host students from Järva Gymnasium for an engaging afternoon focused on neuroscience. The programme provided a unique opportunity to explore current research and engage with scientists and students, offering insight into academic pathways and life in science. The event was part of Brain Awareness Week (16-22 March 2026).

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.

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.

Gaming disorder is on its way to becoming a recognised diagnosis in Swedish healthcare. This is welcomed by researcher and psychologist Philip Lindner, who is increasingly concerned about the growing role of money in modern games.

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.

GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs, commonly used to treat diabetes and obesity, are associated with a reduced need for hospital care and sickness absence due to mental ill-health in people with depression or anxiety. This is according to a large, register-based study published in The Lancet Psychiatry by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, the University of Eastern Finland, and Griffith University in Australia.

“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.

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.

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.

It is with deep sorrow that we announce the sudden passing of Professor Nils Wahlgren, stroke researcher and founder of the SITS International Stroke Thrombolysis Registry .

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.

Scented television, questions about farts and the smell of newborn babies. Johan Lundström's days include everything from treating smell loss to researching how our sense of smell actually works.

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.

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.

Adolescents who report pain at the age of 18 are at higher risk of later self-harm. This is shown by a new study from Karolinska Institutet, published in Psychiatry Research. The findings suggest that pain may form part of the chain of events leading to self-harming behaviour.

Prolonged exposure to air pollution can be linked to an elevated risk for serious neurodegenerative diseases like ALS and seems to speed up the pathological process, report researchers from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. The study is published in the journal JAMA Neurology.

A new study shows that internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy (ICBT) can effectively reduce asthma-related anxiety in adults with asthma. Participants who received ICBT reported less anxiety related to their asthma, better asthma control, higher quality of life, and fewer avoidance behaviours compared to those who received standard care. Lung function was not affected by the treatment, indicating that it is safe and can be used as a complement to medical asthma treatment.

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.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have discovered that the nervous system's own immune cells help protect the spinal cord from age-related damage. The results, which may contribute to new knowledge about how certain neurological diseases arise, are published in the journal Nature Neuroscience.