President of Karolinska Institutet made honorary doctor at Dublin

The president of Karolinska Institutet, professor Harriet Wallberg-Henriksson, has been made an honorary doctor of medicine at the University of Dublin in recognition of her outstanding contributions to medical science.

Professor Wallberg-Henriksson will receive her honorary degree at the University of Dublin (best known as Trinity College) at a special ceremony today, 3 November, hosted by former Irish president and current chancellor of Dublin University, Mary Robinson.

"I'm very honoured and delighted to receive this mark of honour," says professor Wallberg-Henriksson. "The University of Dublin is an old and distinguished university, and so of course it's particularly pleasing to be made an honorary doctor there."

The University of Dublin has almost 17,000 students and was founded in 1592, making it Ireland's oldest university. Harriet Wallberg-Henriksson holds a PhD in medicine and is a professor of physiology. She has been president of Karolinska Institutet since 2004.

She also holds several important posts, including as a member of Karolinska Institutet's Nobel Assembly, which awards the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, and of the EU's expert panel on competitive research environments. As president, she also sits on the government's Research Committee.