News archive

In this episode we take a closer look at open science, why it matters, and how it can help us meet some of the major challenges facing research today. With growing concerns about research funding, especially recent cuts in the US that may affect core scientific infrastructure, the need for openness, collaboration, and resilient research practices has never been greater.

On 2 June 2025, a group of 19 doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers from ARC came together for a one-day retreat at the Skepparholmen conference venue in Nacka. The retreat theme was visual communication in research.

Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in men globally. Diagnosing prostate cancer involves examining tissue samples under a microscope, a process that can be inconsistent and yield different results by different pathologists for the same sample, potentially affecting patient treatment. In some unclear cases, extra testing called immunohistochemistry (IHC) is used, but it adds cost, time, and lab work.

Hi Vilma Alanko, doctoral student at the Division of Clinical Geriatrics. On June 13 you will defend your thesis ”Translational studies on biological signatures, risk profiles, and prevention of dementia.” What is the main focus of the thesis?

Together with the International Vaccine Institute (IVI), KI organises a vaccinology course titled "Vaccines in a Changing World: Innovation and Access".

After cycling 90 kilometres through sunshine, hail and beech forests, Pernilla Alencar Siljehag arrived in Tomelilla with tired legs and a heart full of impressions. Together with the initiator Oskar Jonsson, she has cycled a leg of the tandem tour that takes researchers around southern Sweden to give lectures on ageing and health. She shares her reflections on the conversations along the way, the audience at the library, and why research journeys are sometimes at their best when on two wheels.

Karolinska Institutet (KI) and the University of Tokyo (UTokyo) have continued their tradition of academic collaboration by organizing a joint course for doctoral students once again this year. Held at the UTokyo Hongo Campus in Japan, the course titled "Bioinformatics Analysis and Visualization of Medical Genomics Data (H7F5633)", led by Dr. Carsten Daub, brought together 11 students from KI and 16 from UTokyo.

Within the national quality assurance system, universities are responsible for initiating and organising external reviews of their educational programmes. KI has decided that all education must undergo an external review every eight years, and this year it is the doctoral education’s turn. KI has only one doctoral education, in medical science, so all departments are affected.

The tandem tour is a popular science initiative where researchers cycle through southern Sweden, giving lectures on ageing and health at libraries and community centres. The aim is to reach a broader audience, foster dialogue, and spark interest in the role of research in society. The tour, organised in collaboration with the graduate school SWEAH, runs from 4–27 May 2025 and is made possible thanks to support from the Sten K Johnson Foundation.

Hi Anna Rennie, doctoral student at the Division of Clinical Geriatrics. On June 9 you will defend your thesis ”Does white matter matter? Neuroimaging in dementia with Lewy bodies and related conditions.” What is the main focus of the thesis?

The Department of Physiology and Pharmacology celebrated 75 years since its royal inauguration on the Solna campus during 2024. But FyFa's history goes further back than that - and looks forward to many years of community and outstanding research and teaching. On 23 April, the department celebrates with a full day of lectures and a Dragons’ Den.

Hi there Clare Tazzeo! You will defend your thesis entitled "Investigating the interplay between frailty and healthcare utilization in older adults" on 26 May 2025. Could you tell us a little more?

Dental professionals find it difficult to identify patients with severe dental anxiety. At the same time, patients are reluctant to talk about their fears and hope that the staff will understand anyway. This dilemma is described in a new thesis presented at the Department of Odontology at Karolinska Institutet.

On March 1st, Kristina Aspvall took over as the new Director of Research school for clinicians in psychiatry.

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.

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.

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?

Hi Elin Uzunel, doctoral student at the Division of Family Medicine and Primary Care, NVS. On March 14, you will defend your thesis ”Fragility fractures, self-rated health and treatment with a spinal orthosis in older women in primary health care”. What is the main focus of the thesis?

A new thesis from Karolinska Institutet aims to advance our understanding of the bidirectional relationship between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and chronic kidney diseases (CKD) through large-scale epidemiological studies utilizing real-world data.

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

We have room for three more participants on the doctoral course “3073 Philosophy of Science and the Concept of Health” (1.5 credits).

The geroscience hypothesis focuses on extending the healthy lifespan by targeting aging mechanisms. Recent advances in biomarkers for biological aging give rise to tools for measuring aging and assessing treatments. Alzheimer’s disease, a major health issue, may benefit from common drugs and early interventions.

Hi Elinor Nemlander, doctoral student at the Division of Family Medicine and Primary Care. On January 31 you will defend your thesis ”Early cancer detection through symptoms and signs”. What is the main focus of the thesis?

Histopathological evaluation of tumour specimens has long been essential in diagnosing breast cancer and guiding clinical decision-making. However, one of the key challenges in routine diagnostics include the inter-observer and inter-lab variabilities present in the assessment of prognostic markers that could lead to under- and over-treatment of patients.

Last month, Karolinska Institutet launched the first-ever Sustainable Health and the 2030 Agenda PhD course, organized by the Department of Global Public Health (GPH) and the Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Health (CESH). Offered within the framework of the Doctoral Programme in Health Care Science (PUF-V), the course received incredible feedback and enthusiasm from participants. It is now planned to be offered again in Autumn 2025.

Hi Charlotta van Eggermont Arwidson, doctoral student at the division of nursing. On January 23 you will defend your thesis ”New Beginnings, New Challenges: Health & Housing of Asylum Seekers and Refugees in their Early Post-Migration Period in Sweden.” What is the main focus of the thesis?

The library's open events (including the workshop series for researchers and doctoral students) have become more and more presentation or webinar orientated, shorter or longer sessions, with or without Q&A. Under the heading KIB Talks, we have gathered our wide range of workshops, presentations, Q&As, etc. in our various areas of expertise.

For the first time, the course 'Sustainable Health and Agenda 2030' is being offered here at KI. It is part of the Doctoral Programme in Health Care Science (PUF-V).

One in ten adults in society suffer from chronic kidney disease (CKD), a disease characterized by progressive loss of kidney function. Altered kidney function can impact on the risk/benefit of many medications. People with advanced chronic kidney disease have to be careful about the medications they take because their kidneys don't work as well as they should. Some medications are not safe for them to take at all while others require dose adjustments or strict monitoring for safety.

On a gray November day, a happy bunch of GPH PhD students visited the Hagströmer Library, KI’s world-class collection of historic medical literature chronicling the emergence of medicine and health sciences in Europe as they exist today.

At GPH, we currently have 115 doctoral students. Recently, three of our PhD students - Carl Otto Schell, Kritika Dixit, and Bakare Ayobami Adebayo, successfully completed their doctoral studies. In this section, they share their experiences as doctoral students at GPH, discuss their research, the challenges they faced, and their plans for future.

A new thesis from Karolinska Institutet shows the significant societal economic burdens posed by two chronic inflammatory gastrointestinal diseases; eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) and microscopic colitis (MC). Both diseases cause long-term inflammation in the digestive system and can lead to additional health problems.

A new thesis from Karolinska Institutet shows the effectiveness of flexible parametric survival models in modelling multiple time-scales, providing a robust tool for complex time-to-event data analysis. The models were tested in the context of myeloproliferative neoplasms, a group of chronic hematologic malignancies in which the bone marrow makes too many red blood cells, white blood cells, or platelets.

Åsa Olsson, PhD student at NVS, is awarded the The Swedish Society of Nursing Doctoral Scholarship 2024. Her PhD project contributes significant knowledge about conversations regarding end-of-life care for the elderly.

As global populations age and the prevalence of obesity and metabolic disorders rises, understanding the complex relationships between body mass index (BMI), metabolic health, and aging becomes increasingly critical.

Supervisors Michael Ratz and Kristiina Tammimies share how their students’ participation in NeurotechEU brought back tangible benefits and some exciting new possibilities.

Recent advancements in high-throughput sequencing technologies have enabled researchers to harness valuable omics data, paving the way for precision medicine. This approach aims to enhance diagnosis and treatment by tailoring therapies to individual patients, moving away from traditional, subjective methods. However, analyzing omics data for effective treatment personalization remains challenging due to disease variability and data complexity.

Hi there Abigail Dove! You have recently defended your thesis entitled "Cardiometabolic disease and dementia risk: identifying compensatory factors". Could you tell us a little more?

Hi Andreas Rydell doctoral student at the Division of Family Medicine and Primary Care. On November 7 you will defend your thesis "Impaired lung function and the development of cardiovascular disease". What is the main focus of the thesis?

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in Sweden, with about 10,000 new cases diagnosed annually. Despite advancements in diagnostics and treatments, managing prostate cancer remains challenging due to its often silent progression and the complexities surrounding early detection.

The Course and Programme Committee (KPK) is now accepting applications for funding for activities aimed at pedagogical development of doctoral courses.

There are five places left on our doctoral course and you still have the chance to apply!

Join us on 24 September 2024, at the World Trade Centre in Stockholm for the Doctoral Student and Supervisor Day, a day dedicated to co-creation, co-design, and participatory research. Engage with leading experts like Dr. Joanne Woodford and Dr. Elin Inge, delve into innovative homecare projects with Docent Ida Goliath and Dr. Sarah Wallcook, and discuss the crucial role of feedback with Dr. Lena Engqvist Boman.

Our understanding of autism has changed significantly in the past years. Previously viewed as a rare childhood disorder with a focus on deficits and pathology, autism is now recognized as a common, lifelong and heterogenous condition characterized by a broad spectrum of strengths and challenges. With increasing numbers of autistic adults and in particular females, a better understanding of autism in young adulthood for autistic females and males is warranted.

Empowering connections from neurons to society - A 2-day Neuroscience Conference held the 17 and 18 of October

Hi Jasper Holleman, doctoral student at the Division of Clinical Geriatrics. On June 18 you will defend your thesis "Novel biomarkers associated with stress : from normal aging to Alzheimer's disease ". What is the main focus of the thesis?

Hi Johanna Mayer, doctoral student at the Division of Neurogeriatrics. On June 17 you will defend your thesis "The role of autophagy in Aβ and tau metabolism in Alzheimer’s disease ". What is the main focus of the thesis?

Hi there Jonatan Gustavsson! You have recently defended your thesis entitled "Determinants of age-related brain iron accumulation and links to neurocognitive functions". Could you tell us a little more?

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.

Hi Malin Aspö, doctoral student at the Division of Clinical Geriatrics. On May 3 you will defend your thesis "Life changing moments - transitions and critical points in young-onset dementia". What is the main focus of the thesis?