News archive

While mentally stimulating activities and life experiences can improve cognition in memory clinic patients, stress undermines this beneficial relationship. This is according to a new study from Karolinska Institutet published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet and the University of Innsbruck have developed a simpler and more effective screening method for cervical cancer than the method used today. A comprehensive study published in Nature Medicine shows that the test detects significantly more cancers and precancerous stages.

Some 40,000 Swedes live with severe asthma, a disease that causes considerable suffering. Thanks to grants from the Swedish Heart-Lung Foundation, KI researcher Jenny Mjösberg has discovered a specific cell that is thought to play a major part in non-allergic asthma. Further examination of these cells can help to optimise the use of drugs and reduce suffering for people with severe asthma. She has now been awarded the Heart-Lung Foundation’s grand research grant to continue her research.

Welcome to Ida Karlsson's defense of the thesis ”A problem-solving intervention for employees on sickness absence due to common mental disorders: effects, ethics and process” on June 14.

A study conducted by researcher Juan Du's research group at the Karolinska Institutet sheds light on the capabilities of our gut microbes and their metabolites. The findings reveal potent inhibitory effects on the growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and suggest interactions and signaling between gut microbes and pathogens.

Researchers from the Clinical Genetics Group at the Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, have set up a collaboration with the Centre for Research and Technology in Greece to make publicly available resources in biology and cancer more accessible to the research community. The teams are developing a first-of-its-kind cancer knowledge graph, as part of the SciLake Project involving partners across Europe.

Together with researchers from University of Oxford, researchers at Karolinska Institutet have demonstrated that a subclass of stem cells that are dedicated to the production of platelets replenish platelets through a distinct and shorter pathway than other stem cells. This is presented in a study published in the journal Nature Immunology.

David Marlevi, Associate Senior Lecturer in Medical Science at the Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, is one of nine young prominent researchers elected to the Young Academy of Sweden.

Researchers from Karolinska Institutet have in collaboration with the University of Eastern Finland and Lund University a new publication in Genome Biology, demonstrated that targeting cell cycle and cell fate regulatory programs blocks non-genetic cancer evolution in acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

How can we help decision-makers during health crises, by developing rapid and useful decision bases, built on research and proven experience? With this question in mind, the Centre for Health Crises gathered a group of curious participants in Aula Medica on Thursday 29 May for a full-day workshop on creating rapid response briefs for decision-making in health crises.

This year marks 50 years since the dentistry programme moved from Holländargatan to Huddinge. The move to Huddinge meant a closer location to other medical education and research facilities, especially at Karolinska Institutet.

In a recent ceremony held at Karolinska University Hospital, Professor Angelica Lindén Hirschberg, a distinguished gynecologist and researcher, was awarded the prestigious prize for exemplary research contributions to patient welfare.

Jonas Bergh, Klas Kärre, Lars Rydén and Karin Schenck-Gustafsson are awarded the Grand Silver Medal 2024. The medal has been presented since 2010 to individuals who have made tremendous efforts to support the activities of KI and is recognized during the installation ceremony at Aula Medica on October 3.

The Swedish Chemicals Agency (KemI) has launched a new network for the safe handling of nanomaterials. The network is based on the national platform for safe handling of nanomaterials which was hosted by IMM.

Riitta Möller is awarded the prize for her great commitment to students and pedagogical development.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have developed a new method for detecting malignant melanoma. A new type of patch equipped with microneedles can identify the biomarker tyrosinase directly in the skin, according to a study published in Advanced Materials.

Welcome to Anna-Maria Lampousi´s defense of the thesis ”Diet, genetic susceptibility, latent autoimmune diabetes in adults, type 1 and type 2 diabetes” on June 4th.

Having a profession that one enjoys on multiple levels is crucial for most people. Regardless of the reason for retraining, many of KI’s students switch to a new line of work through their education here. This is the case for Anna Edsjö, who is in her third term of the occupational therapy program.

The brain's flexibility and ability to cope with loss of neurons or other lesions in the brain is called cognitive reserve. In a fifteen-year follow-up study, researchers at the division of Aging Research Center (ARC), Karolinska Institutet, suggest that lifelong cognitive reserve helps maintain late-life cognitive health by delaying cognitive transition in the preclinical stages of dementia. The results of their findings were recently published in Alzheimers & Dementia.

Welcome to Paulina Werners defense of the thesis ”Exploring allergic and irritant contact dermatitis : biomarkers, mechanisms, and allergen uptake".

The harmful combination of abdominal obesity and reduced muscle strength, also known as sarcopenic obesity, is already present in primary school children. This is shown by a new study among eight-year-olds, conducted at Karolinska Institutet.

Society's preparedness to deal with crises and disasters needs to be constantly developed and adapted to changes in the world around us. As preparedness depends on up-to-date medical expertise, the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare has established a number of knowledge and research centres for crisis preparedness around the country, located at universities, authorities or equivalent with links to clinical activities.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have identified an interesting potential future therapeutic target in primary headache disorders. They have found increased amounts of a gene associated with cluster headache, MERTK, and its ligand Gal-3, in tissue from cluster headache patients. The study was recently published in The Journal of Headache and Pain.

Lizzy has done a great job in the ISP seminar. She is now officially a PhD student in the group. Well done Lizzy! We are looking forward to working with you. We hope you will embrace the challenges and enjoy the adventure in the next 4 years. Good luck!

Welcome to Jeffrey Casely-Hayfords' defense of the thesis ”Should i stay, or should i go: teachers’ motivation to stay at their workplace” on June 10.

As the first research unit in the Nordic region, the Center for Infectious Medicine at the Department of Medicine, Huddinge (MedH), has acquired the MACSima™, a technology that enables high-plex immunofluorescent imaging and spatial biology. The new technique acquires microscopy data for a multitude of parameters without harming the sample and will empower cutting-edge research.

Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital are launching another tripartite collaboration, this time with Elekta. The aim is to join forces in the field of cancer with a focus on radiation therapy and precision medicine.

To maintain balance, several factors must align. The inner ears and eyes need to send accurate signals to the brain. Good motor skills and sense of touch, especially in the feet, along with a healthy brain, are necessary. It is not surprising that balance disorders can occur, but how should they be treated?

In recent weeks, the Swedish Government has issued several new assignments in health crisis preparedness, to be carried out by the National Board of Health and Welfare, including an assignment to establish a national reinforcement resource (nationell försörjningsresurs) for disaster medicine.

The study "Androgens Modulate the Immune Profile in a Mouse Model of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome" sheds light on immune dysfunction as a possible aspect of PCOS pathology, which could constitute a novel target for therapies.

Astrid Paul Nordin from the Heart and Lung Diseases Unit at the Department of Medicine, Huddinge (MedH) is defending her thesis titled "Catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation - methods for improving outcome", on 31 May, 2024. Main supervisor is Nikola Drca (MedH).

In a study published in Nature Communications, scientists have made significant strides in understanding the complex interplay between the immune system and cancer metabolism in breast cancer treatment. The research offers new insights into how the immune state and cancer metabolism evolve during neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC).

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.

Professor Eleni Aklillu‘s appointment as a member of the World Health Organization's Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (WHO-TDR) Scientific Working Group (SWG) extends until 2026. This extension covers the period from 2024 to 2026, reinforcing Professor Aklillu's ongoing contributions to this crucial international body.

Together with UNICEF, Karolinska Institutet hosted the Bold Ideas for Brighter Futures conference on May 15-16. Klas Bergling, father of Tim Bergling, known as Avicii, was one of the speakers who spoke about his experiences of mental illness in young people.

Zebrafish have a remarkable ability to heal their spinal cord after injury. Now, researchers at Karolinska Institutet have uncovered an important mechanism behind this phenomenon – a finding that could have implications for the treatment of spinal cord injury in humans.

The Strategic Neuroscience Research Network (StratNeuro) at Karolinska Institutet celebrated the International Brain Awareness Week with an open symposium on Monday 11 March 2024.

As Israel continues its military campaign in Gaza, students in Sweden and around the world have been staging protests on their university campuses, calling for all ties with Israeli universities to be severed. KI itself has seen smaller, peaceful demonstrations in which individual students have protested against Israel’s actions.

We are delighted to have Xiangru (Ben) Zheng as a visiting scholar in our lab. Ben is a liver surgeon at Chongqing Medical University. He will participate in multiple ongoing projects and bring his clinical expertise to our group. We hope for a great collaboration ahead Ben!

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is associated with a slightly increased risk of heart failure up to 20 years after diagnosis, according to a comprehensive registry study from Karolinska Institutet published in the European Heart Journal.

A reinterment ceremony for Christina Larsdotter, the famous Sami woman whose remains were rediscovered in KI’s anatomical collection in 2022, was held in Malå on Saturday, 25 May. KI’s request to repatriate Larsdotter’s remains to Malå’s Sami Association and Malå Sami village was granted by the government last September.

Welcome to Emilie Helte's defense of the thesis "Exposures through drinking water and risk of chronic disease" on May 24.

Sophie Walton Bernstedt from the Gastroenterology and Rheumatology Unit at the Department of Medicine, Huddinge (MedH), is defending her thesis "Risk factors for colorectal cancer and the impact on life in Lynch syndrome", on 24 May, 2024. Main supervisor is Ann-Sofie Backman (MedH).

Jacob Hollenberg, Mattias Ringh and Leif Svensson, at the Department of Clinical Research and Education, Södersjukhuset at Karolinska Institutet, are awarded for using innovative technology to develop an outstanding app and method, which increases the chance of survival for people who have suffered a cardiac arrest .

Camilla Björkegren has been appointed Head of the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology (CMB), starting June 1, 2024.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have succeeded in delivering targeted cancer treatment via small membrane bubbles that our cells use to communicate. A new study published in Nature Biomedical Engineering shows that the treatment reduces tumour growth and improves survival in mice.

Madeleine Lehander from the Hematology Unit/HERM, at the Department of Medicine, Huddinge (MedH), is defending her thesis "Exploring T Cell Mediated Immunotherapy against Therapy Resistant Leukemic Stem Cells", on 24 May 2024. Main supervisor is Petter Woll (MedH).

Caroline Ran is one of three researchers awarded Pfizer's and the Swedish Headache Society's newly established research grant in migraine studies. Her research focuses on the correlation between migraine and mental health. The grant will be presented at the SHS annual meeting in Halmstad on 15 May 15 2024.

A study conducted in collaboration with the National Center for Suicide Research and Prevention (NASP) has examined an association between screen time spent on social media, anxiety, and self-esteem among elementary school girls in Stockholm County.

Karolinska Institutet has signed a memorandum of understanding with the pharmaceutical company Chiesi, which has an office and laboratory facility in KI Science Park. The parties have agreed to strengthen efforts that can accelerate research and development in areas such as respiratory diseases, rare diseases, and neonatology.