News archive

On 2 February, Per Anders Nilsson Strandberg took up his post as Head of Unit for the Faculty Unit for Education. He comes most recently from Mälardalen University.

Karolinska Institutet (KI) and the University of Toronto (U of T) have announced the second cohort of Mats Sundin Fellows in Human Developmental Health for postdoctoral researchers. The two-year exchange programme offers promising young researchers the opportunity to grow and test their wings in other research environments. Behind the initiative is ice hockey legend Mats Sundin, whose engagement lays the groundwork for the next generation of leading researchers.

Kristiina Tammimies, Senior Lecturer and Associate Professor of Medical Genetics at Karolinska Institutet, has been appointed Vice Chair of the steering group for the Strategic Research Area in Neuroscience (StratNeuro). The decision was made by the Committee for Research in connection with the new term of office that commenced in January 2026.

A large-scale multi-omics study from Karolinska Institutet, published in Genome Medicine, provides new insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying unstable atherosclerosis, one of the most important causes of ischemic stroke and myocardial infarction.

The Swedish Higher Education Authority (UKÄ) will be auditing KI’s quality-assurance processes in education and research over the coming two years. The audit will be based on a self-assessment, which will now commence.

To take an exam, you must be able to verify your identity. E‑ID cards, service ID cards and national ID cards (from countries within the EU, EEA or Schengen) are now also accepted as valid forms of identification.

NeurotechEU, the European University alliance that KI is part of, is launching a new self-paced online training on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) to help students, educators and support staff in intentionally designing more inclusive higher education learning environments.

The licence cost for Microsoft 365 Copilot, which gives you access to all AI features developed for M365, has now been reduced. The new price is SEK 175 per user and month.

When the AI service Sundi is now being launched in Sweden, users will receive individualised support to achieve their personal health goals. The advice is based on the latest research that is updated and reviewed by doctors and researchers. Sundi is a non-profit initiative from Bosch Health Campus (BHC) in Stuttgart and Charité – Universitätsmedizin in Berlin in collaboration with researchers from Karolinska Institutet who review the research content.

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.

KI is currently developing a future cultural initiative. We are gathering ideas to create activities that feel relevant, accessible, and meaningful for those who study or work at KI.

Lina Davies is an Associate Professor and Senior Consultant, specialized in internal medicine and infectious diseases at the Department of Medicine, Solna, Karolinska Institutet.

The first staff meeting for Professional Services (GVS), which now includes the KIB University Library, took place in Aula Medica. The agenda included current issues at KI, a status report from the GVS management team and an in-depth look at the Karolinska ATMP Centre with its director, Knut Steffensen.

You can now watch the recordings from the hearings on 4 February, where the candidates for the positions of dean for higher education, doctoral education and research presented their ideas for leading KI forward. If you are eligible to vote, use your opportunity to influence and vote by 11 February.

From January 1, 2026, there is a new arrangement for the safety courses in liquid nitrogen for Biomedicum, ANA Futura and Neo.

Anna Nilsson, Professor of Paediatric Oncology at Karolinska Institutet (KI) and Senior Consultant at Astrid Lindgren Children’s Hospital, has been appointed Vice Director of the Board of Cancer Research KI (CRKI). The organisation brings together cancer research from more than 400 research groups across the university and works to ensure that new knowledge benefits patients.

The Lennart Nilsson foundation was established in 1998 in order to bestow an award in recognition of the world-renowned Swedish photographer Lennart Nilsson and his extraordinary body of work. Its main aim is to promote education, training and research within the medical, biological and engineering sciences through the use of images.

Breast cancer tumours can contain different cell types and structures, which may influence how the disease develops and responds to treatment. In a new thesis from Karolinska Institutet, Qiao Yang at the department of oncology pathology uses computer based methods and multi omics data to map this variation in large, untreated breast tumours. The findings may help support more comprehensive diagnostic strategies and inform future treatment decisions.

How hereditary Alzheimer’s disease develops in its early stages depends on which genetic mutation a person carries. This is shown in a new study from Karolinska Institutet, published in the journal Translational Psychiatry.

We are happy to introduce new colleagues at the Department of Laboratory Medicine. Welcome everyone!

We are happy to introduce new colleagues at the Department of Laboratory Medicine. Welcome everyone!

People with ulcerative proctitis, a milder and more limited form of ulcerative colitis, are not at higher risk of developing rectal cancer than the general population. This is shown in a new Swedish registry study from Karolinska Institutet, published in Gastroenterology. The findings may contribute to more individualized follow-up of patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

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.

The prize is intended for newly graduated PhDs, or alternatively doctoral candidates in the final year of their doctoral studies. To be eligible for nomination, candidates must not have reached the age of 32 at the time of nomination.

On 14–15 February, KI’s system for plagiarism checking of theses, iThenticate, will (as previously announced) receive a new interface with partly new features.

People born outside the Nordic region use less mental healthcare than those born in Sweden, despite similar levels of poor health. This is shown in a new doctoral thesis by Joseph Junior Muwonge at Karolinska Institutet.

At Dentmed and Unitand we continue to reduce our negative environmental impact. During the environmental audit, our environmental training for all employees was recognised as a positive observation. Help continue to make a difference by taking the environmental course today.

A new study published in Brain shows that damage to small blood vessels in the hereditary disease CADASIL may disrupt important brain functions in the hippocampus, a region involved in memory. The findings help explain why many people with CADASIL develop cognitive problems and dementia.

The information below is intended for those who require a Green Light for their KID application.

As of 2025, the Hagströmer Medical History Library is officially an integrated part of Karolinska Institutet University Library (KIB), with exciting plans to move to Campus Solna.
Listen to Anna Lantz, Thomas Perlmann and Sven Hagströmer in the latest episode of the KIB podcast!

After completing their first semester at Oviedo University in Spain, the new cohort Erasmus Mundus students have now arrived at KI. Representing diverse professional backgrounds and 17 countries, the students bring hands-on experience from humanitarian crises and global health challenges, setting the stage for a dynamic and collaborative semester of learning.

Carina King, an infectious diseases epidemiologist, has dedicated over a decade to improving the diagnosis and treatment of paediatric pneumonia in sub-Saharan Africa. Recently, she received a prestigious Consolidation Grant from the Swedish Research Council for a project that aims to refine referral guidelines for children with moderate hypoxaemia – a critical gap in current clinical practice.

Filip Andersson began his studies in statistics and economic demography. After being hired as a data manager in a research project, he became inspired to pursue a research career himself and went on to start his PhD studies at the Department of Global Public Health.

Reykjavik University, member of the European University Alliance NeurotechEU that KI also is part of, is organising a staff week 19 - 22 October 2026.

The prize is awarded annually to individual teachers, teacher teams or administrative personnel who have undertaken significant educational initiatives related to pedagogical development or renewal work within Karolinska Institutet’s programmes at first cycle, second cycle or postgraduate levels. Submit nominations by 10 March at the latest.

Committed and well-being employees are essential for KI to remain a leading medical university. An important tool for this is the Performance Appraisal process, a structured dialogue between manager and employee that contributes to both individual and organisational development.

15 December 2025 was the first day at work for Annica, our new HR partner. Read the interview with her here.

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.

You can now nominate a teacher or a teaching team for the Prize for Internationalisation in Teaching and Learning 2026, established by the medical faculties in Sweden.

From 16 February, you can use the communications agency Ord&Bild for graphic design if the Communications Department is unable to assist. The supplier works in accordance with KI's graphic profile. A new printing agreement will also be available soon.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly becoming part of everyday health care, supporting diagnosis, documentation, triage, treatment planning, and resource allocation. Much of the public discussion has focused on accuracy, privacy, and fairness. In a new paper in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, KI researcher Farhad Abtahi highlights a less-discussed patient-safety issue: data poisoning, where manipulated training data can steer an AI system toward unsafe behaviour.

Two out of three adolescents with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) start adulthood without the disease, according to a long-term study published in Gastroenterology by researchers at the University of Gothenburg and Karolinska Institutet. The researchers also note that several factors in adolescence which increase the risk of adult IBS can be influenced.

This year’s theme is laboratory safety and the important work being done to promote a strong safety culture and preventive work environment practices within our laboratories.

Recent press releases from two new partners of NextGenNK highlight important advances in natural killer (NK) cell-based immunotherapies, spanning both clinical development and translational research.

Cancer is complex and hard to treat, with many forms that change over time. This makes treatment complicated: a drug may help one patient but not another. Developing new cancer drugs is also slow and costly, often taking years and failing before reaching patients. This thesis explores how advanced laboratory models and artificial intelligence could make the process faster.

“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.

Karolinska Institutet (KI) recently hosted a high‑level delegation from the University of Rwanda (UR) and the Embassy of Sweden in Rwanda in connection with the Annual Project Management Meeting of the TEI MAV+ project, held from 15 to 18 December 2025. The visit underscored the continued strengthening of collaboration between Rwanda and Sweden within the framework of the Team Europe Initiative on Manufacturing and Access to Vaccines, Medicines, and Health Technologies in Africa (TEI MAV+).

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.

Research on rare diagnoses and the development of precision medicine depend on patients being able to share their health data in a secure and ethical manner.The research study, published in Scientific Reports, in which a digital platform was developed to collect electronic informed consent shows that many participants want to contribute to research and appreciate the digital solution, but also that the technology needs further development.

The Vietnam–Sweden Health Partnership Forum, co-organized by the Embassy of Vietnam in Stockholm and Karolinska Institutet, brought together leaders in government, research, and healthcare to mark more than 50 years of bilateral collaboration. The event also outlined an ambitious new phase of research-driven cooperation centered on innovation, capacity building, and maternal and newborn health.