News archive

As a member of staff at KI, you play a vital role in preventing theft, vandalism and incidents that compromise safety on campus. Please follow the guidelines when receiving visitors at KI.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have created the first detailed map showing how genetic activity is controlled in individual cells of the adult human brain and spinal cord. The study, published in Nature Neuroscience, show that oligodendroglia, the cells that form the brain’s insulating myelin, retain an “epigenetic memory” of developmental programs long after these genes are no longer active.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have developed a rapid and cost efficient sequencing method that can identify antibiotic resistance within the same working day. The technique, called s5PSeq, measures how bacterial ribosomes respond within minutes after exposure to an antibiotic, offering a molecular readout of growth instead of waiting for traditional cultures.

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.

Two Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Postdoctoral Fellowships and a Walter-Benjamin-Postdoctoral Fellowship (German Research foundation, DFG) have been granted to outstanding early-career scientists at the Division of Molecular Metabolism (MolMet) at the Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics. The fellowships are highly competitive and prestigious.

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.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have developed a technique that shows how proteins interact with RNA, the molecule that carries genetic instructions inside our cells. The study, published in Nucleic Acids Research, offers new insight into an important layer of gene regulation that can lead to better understanding of disease mechanisms.

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.

In a new study from Karolinska Institutet, published in Nature Neuroscience, researchers have identified the neurogenic progenitor that give rise to dopaminergic neurons, the primary neurons affected in Parkinson’s disease. These findings could help improve how dopaminergic neurons are produced for transplantation in Parkinson’s disease.

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.

Birgitta Henriques- Normark, at the Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology at Karolinska Institutet, has been awarded a medal, 12th size with the ribbon of the Order of the Seraphim, by HM the King.

Professor Birgitta Henriques-Normark, Gates Foundation awardee at the Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, met with Bill Gates when he visited Stockholm at the end of January.

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.

This spring, KI will begin replacing access cards (KI cards) and implementing a new system for managing access to premises – for a safer campus for both staff and students. The Professional Services (GVS) will be the first to replace cards, followed by the departments.

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.

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.

Professor Tore Midtvedt, Oslo, passed away on December 2nd at the age of 91. He is mourned by his wife Kari, his sons Karsten, Per and Öyvind with their families, as well as a large circle of grandchildren, great-grandchildren and extended family.

We are approaching the annual closing of the books for 2025 and would like to take the opportunity to remind you of some important facts. Take notice of the deadlines both regarding HR and Finance.

Veijo Salo, new research group leader at the Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics at Karolinska Institutet has received SSMF (Svenska Sällskapet för Medicinsk Forskning) starting grant 2025.

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.

A new study shows that visual and tactile impressions that are related to our own body are prioritised for reaching conscious awareness. This helps us understand how we develop the feeling that the body is our own – through the brain’s integration of what we see and what we feel.

Welcome to the Lucia celebration in Biomedicum on Monday, December 15th at 3:00 PM in the atrium.

Gonçalo Castelo-Branco and Sten Linnarsson from the Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics are on the Clarivate list of highly cited researchers in 2025.

As part of the Swedish government’s long-term strategy and action plan to counteract and reduce virus outbreaks and pandemics, the Swedish Research Council is undergoing a ten-year national research programme in Viruses and Pandemics. In the latest funding round, researchers at the Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, have been granted over 20 million SEK.

We congratulate the seven researchers at the Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, who have been awarded grants from the Swedish Cancer Society (Cancerfonden) for the period 2026-2028. Together, the MBB researchers are awarded grants of 25,6 million SEK.

In a new study published in the journal Nucleic Acids Research, a research team at Karolinska Institutet has performed a large-scale genetic screen to uncover the hidden roles of tiny proteins, so-called microproteins. Cell stress and protein misfolding are involved in many diseases, including cancer and neurodegenerative disorders, and the study could one day contribute to new therapeutic strategies.

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 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.

Minister for Upper Secondary School, Higher Education and Research Lotta Edholm visited KI on 12 November. While being escorted around the Biomedicum research building, speaking with researchers in multiple sclerosis and finding out more about precision medicine, she asked questions concerning animal experimentation and KI raised the issue of Ahmadreza Djalali, the KI researcher still incarcerated in Iran.

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 president Annika Östman Wernerson honoured professor emeritus Hugo Lagercrantz with this years KI Cultural Award at a ceremony on November 6th. With this award KI celebrates individuals at KI whose efforts have brought culture and science together in meaningful ways - both within our university and in our engagement with society

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 new study published in Nature Communications, researchers at Karolinska Institutet and Queen Mary University of London have investigated how the physical structure of fat tissue helps ovarian cancer cells invade the body, offering potential new treatment strategies.

A new study from Karolinska Institutet, published in Nature Communications, reveals that cyclin-dependent kinases (CDK) promote DNA replication licensing in human cells by relieving inhibitory signals from RB tumor suppressor proteins. The findings add a new layer to our understanding of how cancer drugs work and may lead to better targeted cancer therapies in the future.

New research from Karolinska Institutet, published in Cell Reports Medicine, reveals that mantle cell lymphoma is more diverse than previously thought, highlighting the need for personalized therapies.

Researchers at the Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology at Karolinska Institutet have co-authored a study published in Cell, which introduces a novel approach to antibiotic design using generative deep learning. The study, which is an international collaboration between Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Karolinska Institutet, leverages deep learning to generate structurally novel antibiotics and proteomics to identify the cognate targets on a cell-wide scale.

A new study from Karolinska Institutet, published in Cell Reports Medicine, shows that follicular lymphoma (FL), a common type of blood cancer, is not one single disease but consists of three genetically distinct subtypes. The findings may help doctors diagnose and treat patients more accurately in the future.

On July 7th at 12:19 PM, a fire alarm was triggered in the dining area C1012 due to smoke development in a microwave oven. The alarm required everyone in the atrium to evacuate to the assembly point (the area between Biomedicum and Aula Medica). The evacuation went smoothly, and no material damage or physical injuries occurred.

The Foundation for Strategic Research (SSF) has appointed Assistant Professor Bjørt Katrinardóttir Kragesteen at the Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics as one of this year's Research Leaders of the Future. A total of 213 applications were received, of which 16 were selected. The researchers will receive a grant of SEK 15 million each over five years and will participate in a comprehensive leadership training program.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have identified three types of nerve cells connected to the intestinal villi, suggesting that previously unknown neural networks regulate fluid balance in the gut. The findings, published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, could lead to a better understanding of diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Biomedicum was transformed into a colourful studio on May 26th when children rolled up their sleeves for a Science Clay Workshop that turned cell biology into art.

Amir Ata Saei, assistant professor at the Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology has been awarded the Novo Nordisk Foundation Excellence Emerging Investigator Grant within Endocrinology and Metabolism 2025.

Klas Kärre, Professor Emeritus of Molecular Immunology at the Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, has been elected as an international member of the US National Academy of Sciences.

A team of international researchers led by Karolinska Institutet has revealed in unprecedented detail how tetracycline antibiotics impair T cell function by binding mitochondrial ribosomes and inhibiting oxidative metabolism (OXPHOS). The study, reported in Nature Communications, raises mechanistic considerations for antibiotic therapy and the design of new molecules that can better discriminate between pathogen and host.

A new study in Life Science Alliance reveals a key genetic connection between cancer susceptibility and tissue regeneration. Researchers at Karolinska Institutet identified a super-enhancer region upstream of the MYC gene essential for tumor development and tissue repair.

Dr. Karolina Borankova, a member of Professor Nils-Göran Larsson's group at the Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics at Karolinska Institutet, has been awarded the prestigious Postdoctoral Fellowship from Cancerfonden. The project aims to investigate whether mitochondrial DNA mutations that affect mitochondrial function, impact lung cancer growth and tumor burden.

Biomedicum’s own health choir Biomusicum welcomes you to a spring concert on 7th April, in collaboration with the choir from the Public Health Agency of Sweden.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have identified a new mechanism that may improve the treatment of ischemic stroke. The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, shows that the growth factor PDGF-CC and its receptor PDGFRα play a crucial role in scar formation in the brain after an ischemic stroke.