News archive

On April 15-16, the Department of Laboratory Medicine (Labmed) hosted "The Advancements in Stem Cells, Organoids, AI, and Regenerative Medicine", a highly attended conference which brought together a multidisciplinary community of researchers, clinicians, and industry experts from across the world.

A new study from Karolinska Institutet in collaboration with BUP Stockholm has conducted a pilot evaluation of a family-based cognitive behavioral therapy for adolescents with suicidal behavior. The study, published in the scientific journal BMJ Mental Health, shows that the treatment Safe Alternatives for Teens and Youths (SAFETY) may be a promising option for reducing suicide attempts.

Researchers from Aging Research Center (ARC), Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society at Karolinska Institutet, in collaboration with National Family Care Competence Center (Nka), sent out a survey to 31,000 older adults to learn more about those that take care of a loved one, in or outside their homes. Turns out 2,157 people older than 65 years provide such care on a regular basis.

The 2025 Svedberg Prize is awarded to Michael Landreh, Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology at Karolinska Institutet, "for the development and innovative use of mass spectrometric tools that reveal hidden protein interactions."

A new project, supported by the Swedish Childhood Cancer Fund, aims to test hundreds of drugs simultaneously using advanced 3D cell models, despite limited sample material. The goal is to identify more treatment options for children with cancer, building on existing resources from GMS Childhood Cancer and the Swedish Childhood Tumor Biobank.

The Cozzarelli Prize recognises publications that reflect scientific excellence and originality. The 2024 prize for the best biomedical article in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) has been awarded to MedH researcher Jakob Theorell.

In chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), certain recurrent genetic alterations are known to influence disease progression and survival. One important abnormality is the loss of part of chromosome 11, del(11q), which is associated with a more aggressive disease course. However, it has remained unclear whether mutations in the ATM gene, which is also located in this region, have a similar impact.

Peter Alterling, change leader at FyFa and main project leader of the FyFa Dialogue, answers three questions about the results and next steps after the spring dialogue sessions.

Since its inception, Clinicum has supported over 300 researchers with methodological advice. During the spring, an evaluation was conducted on how researchers perceive the support offered by Clinicum, and the results show great benefit and satisfaction.

Opinions and facts sometimes clash on the question of the causes of autism - genetics or environment? Kristiina Tammimies, associate professor of medical genetics at Karolinska Institutet, has the answer: "Autism is mainly due to the genes we are born with, but environmental factors play a role," she says.

Pauliina Damdimopoulou has been appointed professor at the Department of Women’s and Children’s Health (KBH), Karolinska Institutet.

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.

Karolinska Institutet is launching a two-week doctoral course designed to provide a comprehensive overview of the entire process involved in developing and producing cell and gene therapy products. From early-stage research to manufacturing, the program covers key aspects including process development, quality assurance, regulatory frameworks, and logistics.

The Consortium Global IBD Visualization of Epidemiology Studies in the 21st Century (GIVES-21) now publish data on the global prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in Nature. Researchers from Karolinska Institutet have contributed to the study. While the number of people with incident IBD is relatively constant in Sweden, the prevalence is increasing and 1 per cent of the Swedish population is now estimated to have IBD.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have identified biomarkers in the blood associated with symptoms of long COVID, particularly severe respiratory disorders. The discovery can pave the way for future diagnosis and treatment. The results are published in the scientific journal Nature Immunology.

UCL and Stockholm Trio have a joint call to support collaborations activities.

On May 1 and May 2 the KI Housing office will be closed for the celebration of Walpurgis Eve and May Day. In Sweden, Walpurgis is celebrated with a big fire to welcome the spring.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have developed a technique that enables efficient delivery of therapeutic proteins and RNA to cells. The method, presented in Nature Communications, shows promising results in animal studies to deliver gene editors and protein therapeutics.

A higher tax on cigarettes in low and middle-income countries can help to reduce child mortality, especially amongst the poorest children, a new study led by researchers at Karolinska Institutet and published in The Lancet Public Health suggests.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet and Uppsala University have developed a powerful new technique to better understand how tiny molecules in our cells, called microRNAs, control which genes are turned on or off — a discovery that could improve how we study diseases from cancer to neurodevelopmental disorders.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have identified a new mechanism where circular RNA plays a crucial role in wound healing, which could lead to new therapies to improve wound healing and reduce scarring. The study was published in Advanced Science.

Robin Juthberg, PhD student at the Orthopaedic research group, the Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, will defend his thesis "Advancing neuromuscular electrical stimulation optimizing comfort and hemodynamic efficiency" on May 16th 2025. Main Supervisor is Paul Ackermann.

A newly published study involving researchers from Karolinska Institutet indicates that prostate cancer can be diagnosed at an early stage through a simple urine sample. With the aid of AI and extensive analyses of gene activity in tumours, they have identified new biomarkers of high diagnostic precision.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have uncovered a unique ability of a special subtype of natural killer cells in the immune system, called adaptive NK cells, to remember ovarian tumours and effectively attack them. The discovery, published in Cancer Immunology Research, could pave the way for new, more powerful immunotherapies for difficult-to-treat cancers.

KI's 148 safety representatives play a crucial role in ensuring a safe and secure work and study environment. The International Health and Safety Day is a great opportunity to pay extra attention to this important group.

A study from the Institute of environmental Medicine (IMM) at Karolinska Institutet shows that the chemical di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), which is found in many plastic products, has clear negative effects on hormones and fertility endpoints relevant to female fertility.

They are among the first in Sweden to be vaccinated against the chikungunya virus - a vaccine that is the result of a discovery from their own laboratory.

Welcome to Suganthi Jaganathan´s defense of the thesis ”Applying novel methods to study long-term exposure to air pollution and temperature and annual mortality in India” on May 6th.

On April 10–11, 2025, representatives from all medical faculties at Swedish universities gathered at Karolinska Institutet (KI) for the spring NIMUS meeting – a forum for national collaboration on international mobility in medical education. NIMUS stands for the Network for the Internationalisation of Medical Education in Sweden.

The ongoing political situation in the US also raises many questions about KI's storage in Microsoft's cloud services, which are available to both staff and students. Here, the IT Office collects and answers frequently asked questions.

Congratulations to Mikael Rydén, the first Swede to be awarded the Camillo Golgi Prize.

Patrik Ljunggren joins the Department of Neuroscience on 28 April 2025 and will be working alongside HR manager Felicia Petersson. We seized the opportunity to ask him a few questions, in view of his first days at work.

Professor Jonas F Ludvigsson at the Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, and Örebro University Hospital has been awarded the Solstickepriset 2025.

KI Professor Anna Mia Ekström joins the KIB podcast in a conversation about the Face of AIDS Film Archive, the unique film archive documenting the global HIV epidemic 1986-2021. We talk about the importance of the current political landscape in the fight against HIV and AIDS, the results achieved in terms of treatment and the very real risk that these results will be reversed. We talk about the role of documentation and activism: ‘We don't see that today [...] and we know that silence kills.'

The final day to register for the Swedish Suicide Research Conference is rapidly approaching. To secure your spot, please complete your registration by April 28.

The application period for this autumn’s national programmes and courses expired on 15 April. The number of applications to KI’s study programmes increased by 10 per cent compared to last year, with the Speech and Language Pathology Programme seeing the sharpest rise.

A law to quickly limit the spread of infection in the event of a pandemic and research efforts to strengthen Sweden's pandemic preparedness and close knowledge gaps in the event of new outbreaks. This was included in the interim report from the Inquiry on Strengthening Future Infection Control, which KI Professor Jan Albert submitted to the government yesterday.

The report 'Antalet demenssjuka och kostnader för demenssjukdomar i Sverige 2023', commissioned by the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs last autumn, was recently presented to Anna Tenje, Minister for Older People and Social Security. KI researchers Anders Wimo and Amaia Calderón-Larrañaga have been primarily responsible for the report, which shows a forecast with a great increase for the number of people with dementia by 2050 and for the heavy financial responsibility of municipalities.

Ahead of this year's program start of IMM's global master's program in toxicology, the number of applicants has increased significantly.

Anna-Stina Malmborg, former docent of clinical microbiology at Karolinska Institutet and consultant and director of clinical bacteriology at Karolinska University Hospital for 17 years, has passed away at the age of 95. She and her husband Gunnar Höglund (1931–2019) set up the foundation that finances the Karolinska Institutet Prize for Research in Medical Education (KIPRIME).

Earlier this month, the Swedish Research Council published a report on the quality and impact of medical research in Sweden. The fact that Karolinska Institutet emerges in a very positive light fills me with pride – our research is of a very high scientific standard and has given rise to groundbreaking discoveries of major societal importance.

Ola Larsson has been appointed as Head of the Department of Oncology-Pathology (OnkPat), starting July 1, 2025. The appointment is for five years, and the decision was signed by Dean Carl Johan Sundberg on April 10, 2025. Ola Larsson, who previously served as vice Head at OnkPat, will take over the role from Lars Holmgren.

The Swedish Childhood Cancer Fund (Barncancerfonden) has decided to grant funding for paediatric oncology research over the next one to six years. Diagnoses in focus include brain tumours and leukaemia, the most common childhood cancer diagnoses. Together, 29 researchers will share SEK 64 million. Seven of these researchers work at KI.

To strengthen internal communication and enhance our digital community, FyFa is launching a new Microsoft Teams group: All at FyFa on 24 April. This platform is designed to bring everyone at FyFa together in one central, easy-to-navigate space for communication and interaction. Questions? Contact the group’s moderators Julia Spector or Sabina de Villiers.

A new round of digital training on information security is now being sent out to you as an employee at KI. Short lessons on password management, phishing, disinformation and how to report incidents.

KI as part of the NeurotechEU alliance is pleased to inform that there are 3 course fee waivers available for the RU Summer School on Entrepreneurship in Neuroscience and Neurotechnology (Online).

During the weekend of May 3-4, some of the floors of the public areas in ANA Futura will be cleaned.

Despite the widespread use of pain rating scales in neonatal care worldwide, a new Cochrane review shows that current tools for assessing pain in newborns are based on very low quality evidence. According to the review, none of the pain rating scales in use today are methodologically reliable enough to measure pain.

Daniel Helldén, researcher at the Department of Global Public Health at Karolinska Institutet, is on the Forbes' 30 under 30 Europe 2025 list in the Science & Healthcare category.

From April 15.00 April 17, to April 21, the KI Housing office will be closed for the celebration of the Easter holidays.