Professor Allen Counter is dead

The brain researcher and neurophysiologist Professor Allen Counter has passed away after a time of illness. Counter was a professor at Harvard University and foreign adjunct professor at Karolinska Institutet, KI. He had strong ties to Sweden, and in 2004 he was appointed General Council of Sweden to Boston and New England.

“Allen was a true friend of KI and Sweden, and through his extensive international network or in research, health care, politics, industry and the arts, he contributed in a unique way to strengthen KI in the international arena. Allen will be deeply missed”, says Jan Hillert, Head of the Department of Clinical Neuroscience, where Counter was a foreign adjunct professor. ´

Counter was a clinical professor of neurology at Harvard University and worked as a neurophysiologist at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, USA. He also played d a key role as the Head of the Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations. Counter was very successful in attracting research funding from the private sector.

Counter had longstanding and strong ties to KI and Sweden. He joined KI as a visiting researcher in 1978 and remained connected to KI until his death. He earned his Ph D at KI’s Department of Physiology in 1992, and was appointed visiting professor in 2009. In 2015 he was appointed foreign adjunct professor.

Counter collaborated with many scientists at KI, especially Professor Erik Borg, Professor Tom Brismar, Professor Lou Brundin and Professor Tomas Olsson.

"Allen remained extremely loyal to KI and he was equally as loyal as a colleague and friend", says Professor Tomas Olsson.

Counter also collaborated with researchers at other universities in Sweden, especially Professor Göran Laurell at the Department of Surgical Sciences at Uppsala University.

Counter’s research evolved around the inner ear and brain development.

Allen Counter was 73 years old.