News archive

Pandu Habibie, stationed in Surabaya, Indonesia, recently held his ISP seminar via Zoom. As part of the KI–UNAIR Twinning Programme, his research focuses on better management of preeclampsia—one of the leading causes of maternal deaths in Indonesia.

Cecilia Ringborg, a postdoctoral researcher in the Surgical Care Science group, has been awarded the Cancer Association PALEMA’s project grant for young cancer researchers. She received SEK 25,000 and a diploma on September 26, when PALEMA, together with Karolinska Institutet and the National Register for Esophageal and Gastric Cancer (NREV), organised the full-day conference "Vägen framåt" (The path ahead).

A digital system for parking permits and payment is to be introduced on both KI campuses on 1 January 2026. Parking spaces are to be provided by Akademiska Hus, whose contract with Smart Parkering will commence on that date.

Richard Rosenquist Brandell has been named Pharmaceutical Profile of the Year 2025 for his dedicated work in building a national infrastructure for precision medicine. The award is presented by Läkemedelsmarknaden in collaboration with Dagens Medicin and Dagens Industri.

All PhD students at the Department of Medicine, Huddinge are invited to take part in a new well-being pilot programme in the spring of 2026. The programme focuses on a combination of well-being, sustainable self-leadership, and relational leadership in the PhD role.

Caroline Gahrton at the Center for Infectious Medicine (CIM), Clinical Infectious Diseases (CID), at the Department of Medicine, Huddinge (MedH), defends her thesis titled "Hepatitis C in people who inject drugs - prevalence, incidence, mortality, and treatment uptake", on 12 December 2025. Main supervisor is Soo Aleman (MedH).

New ordering method for products previously covered by the agreement with PeproTech EC Ltd regarding Laboratory chemicals, reagents and kits and biological products (2-505/2023)

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.

According to a new study, lower doses of approved immunotherapy for malignant melanoma can give better results against tumours, while reducing side effects. This is reported by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

A new study from Karolinska Institutet, published in Nature Communications, reveals an unexpected role for immature glial cells known as oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) in shaping the developing human brain.

A new international study published in The Lancet Oncology shows that artificial intelligence (AI) can be more accurate than experienced radiologists in detecting pancreatic cancer on computed tomography (CT) scans. The study is a collaboration between Radboud University Medical Center in the Netherlands, Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, and the University of Bergen in Norway.

Congratulations to Linnea Hedin from the Department of Medicine, Huddinge who has been awarded a starting grant from the Swedish Research Council (VR).

Linnea is awarded SEK 6 000 000 for four years for the project "A digital lifestyle intervention in primary healthcare to prevent cardiovascular disease: Evaluating effectiveness, health economic aspects, and implementation in clinical practice".

Karin Dembrower was honored with this year's AI@KI Award for her outstanding contributions to the field of artificial intelligence in healthcare – not only through pioneering research, but also by successfully translating these innovations into clinical practice.

The Cell, the National Museum of Science and Technology's branch in Hagastaden, invites KI staff to the last events of the year. Discover the connection between biology, geometry and creativity in a workshop with KI student Samayeen Rahman on 9 December, or listen to Teresa Wennberg, a pioneer in digital art, on 11 December.

The My Media and Media Gallery features in Canvas, which use Kaltura to store video and audio in your Canvas courses, will be discontinued. Starting 8 December, it will no longer be possible to upload new videos to My Media and Media Gallery. You will still be able to view your videos via My Media and Media Gallery in your Canvas course. To continue working with educational videos and audio files in Canvas, please use Canvas Studio going forward.

Congratulations to Sidinh Luc at the Department of Laboratory Medicine, who was appointed as Associate Professor in experimental hematology at the Docent Committee meeting on November 11, 2025.

Members of the International Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (IADR) have elected George Belibasakis, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden to serve as Vice-president.

A Karolinska Institutet (KI) delegation led by KI Vice President Martin Bergö visited Hong Kong and mainland China in November to deepen academic partnerships and connection with KI alumni and to participate in a joint KI-SDU symposium.

The Karolinska Institutet (KI) and Shandong University (SDU) held their Joint Symposium in Jinan, China, on November 17–18, 2025, on the theme of cross-disciplinary medical research.

Professor Sten Linnarsson, Karolinska Institutet, has been awarded a distinguished professor grant by the Swedish Research Council totalling just over SEK 30 million for the period 2026–2033.

Older adults with reduced kidney function show higher levels of Alzheimer’s-related biomarkers in the blood, but are not more likely to develop dementia, according to a new study from Karolinska Institutet.

The Karolinska Institutet (KI) and the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) hosted their annual joint symposium in Stockholm on October 21–22, 2025, bringing together leading experts to strengthen high-level research collaboration.

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.

One of the promising young researchers receiving Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation’s basic research grant this year is Camilla Engblom at the Department of Medicine, Solna. She will use the funding to study a piece of the puzzle that could help develop more precise and personalized treatments for cancer and inflammatory bowel disease.

A new study shows that children born preterm who are later diagnosed with autism often present with more extensive support needs and a higher number of co-occurring conditions than autistic children born at full term. Surprisingly, however, the researchers found no differences in genetic variants across the genome, nor in specific genes already linked to autism, between the groups – a result that contradicted their initial hypothesis.

The World Health Summit Academic Alliance connects 28 top institutions worldwide to advance evidence-based global health. Join the conversation and subscribe to the newsletter.

The Swedish Parliament has now decided on the new high-cost protection special dental care reimbursement – also known as ten-tooth care. It will come into effect on 1 January 2026.

1,000 written exams – that is how many were coordinated by the Examination service in KI's shared examination halls in 2025.

Artificial Intelligence that detects breast cancer, enables medical imaging in low-resource countries and that identifies the patients who require advanced treatment even at the point of diagnosis – these are just a few examples of AI research at Karolinska Institutet that is impacting an entire world. Parts of this work were presented during the conference AI@KI, Advances in Artificial Intelligence at Karolinska Institutet, on 2 December.

From 1 January, no storage of lithium-ion batteries or electric bicycles with batteries is permitted anywhere on KI's premises. This is due to the increased risk of fire.

A new edition of the book "Essential Guide to Blood Coagulation". The first edition was published in Swedish in 1997. Since 2010, the book has been published in English and has become a valued source of quick information about coagulation conditions, investigation and treatment.

Strategic research initiatives and KI's image and ranking were the focus of the Professional Services' digital staff meeting on 2 December. The staff at the University Library KIB also sent a greeting ahead of its' integration with Professional Serviceson 1 January.

This year, four young and promising researchers at KI have been selected to receive five-year basic research grants from the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation. This funding provides young researchers with the opportunity to contribute groundbreaking new knowledge by tackling long-term and difficult research questions.

Johanna Berg, PhD and an emergency physician in Malmö, recently defended her thesis on improving trauma care in India. From software development to global health research, her journey bridges clinical work and health systems. Learn what drives her passion and why her best advice is to make time for reflection.

In the United States, universities and independent research are under attack by the country’s president. “A similar trend is unfolding in several countries and could eventually affect Sweden too,” says Karolinska Institutet’s President.

What did we learn during the pandemic and how do we prepare for the next one? That was the theme when representatives from academia, healthcare, authorities, politics and media met during two intensive half-days at an event called Don't let the Lessons from the Pandemic go to Waste, to look back but above all to look ahead. Most agreed that we have learned a lot and now have greater crisis awareness, but also that there is still much to do if we want to tackle the next health crisis even better.

Four students in the master's program in public health sciences have been awarded a Minor Field study grant, which is a Sida-funded stipend for first-cycle and second-cycle students who want to conduct field studies in low- and middle-income countries to collect data or materials for their theses. Congratulations!

After a spinal cord injury, cells in the brain and spinal cord change to cope with stress and repair tissue. A new study from Karolinska Institutet, published in Nature Neuroscience, shows that this response is controlled by specific DNA sequences. This knowledge could help develop more targeted treatments.

How do everyday health issues affect new blood tests for Alzheimer’s disease? A study from Karolinska Institutet, in Alzheimer's & Dementia, suggests that factors like kidney function, cholesterol, and diabetes can influence some of these biomarkers—though the most promising marker remains reliable.

The popular NeurotechEU Internship Program at the University of Bonn is returning in the Summer of 2026 — and KI bachelor's and master's students can now apply!

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

Jinghua Wu from the Center for Infectious Medicine (CIM), at the Department of Medicine, Huddinge (MedH) defends her thesis titled "Functional studies of pathogen-specific T cell responses in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia", on 5 December, 2025. Main supervisor is Marcus Buggert (MedH).

Cecilia Radkiewicz was appointed docent in Cancer and Oncology on November 18, 2025.
She combines a postdoctoral position in Professor Jesper Lagergren’s research group for upper gastrointestinal surgery at Karolinska Institutet with clinical work as Associate Senior Physician in Oncology at Capio Sankt Göran’s Hospital.

Karolinska Institutet, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm University and Region Stockholm intend to establish a new centre for medical radiation science in Stockholm. By combining the universities' cutting-edge expertise in key research areas with healthcare sector expertise, it is a gathering of forces to develop the cancer treatment of the future.

Bahira Shahim, researcher and cardiologist at Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital, has been awarded the annual SEK six million Prince Daniel’s Grant for Promising Young Researchers by the Swedish Heart-Lung Foundation. Her work has the potential to change the way of treating a common heart valve disease, which can cause sudden cardiac death and heart failure.

Kun Arifi Abbas recently held his ISP seminar, outlining his upcoming doctoral research on improving emergency and critical care in East Java, Indonesia. Inspired by his daily work on the frontlines, Abbas aims to identify challenges, propose solutions, and enhance healthcare quality at both hospital and national levels.

On 25 November, the eleven master's students who were awarded KI scholarships for the global master's programmes were celebrated at a ceremony in Aula Medica. KI's president Annika Östman Wernerson gave a speech, and the programme managers also took part in the ceremony.

At the start of the autumn semester, the Global Child Health & SDGs group gathered for an inspiring retreat at Zinkensdamm Urban Garden conference center in Stockholm, with participants joining both in person and online. The day offered a unique opportunity to reflect on achievements, explore emerging challenges, and strengthen collaboration within the group.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and the RIKEN Center for Brain Science in Japan have identified two receptors in the brain that control the breakdown of amyloid beta, a substance that accumulates in Alzheimer’s disease. According to the researchers, the study could pave the way for future drugs that are both safer and cheaper than current antibody treatments.

High-intensity interval training boosts fitness and muscle endurance more effectively than traditional home exercise programmes in people recently diagnosed with inflammatory muscle disease. That is the conclusion of a new study from Karolinska Institutet, published in eBioMedicine.