Project grants from Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation to six KI researchers
Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation is awarding SEK 900 million to 30 research projects that, following evaluations by international experts, have been judged innovative and at the forefront of international research. Six out of ten funded research projects in medicine are headed by researchers at Karolinska Institutet
Grants are awarded for basic research in medicine, the natural sciences, and engineering to projects considered capable of leading to future scientific breakthroughs.
“This is fundamental, independent, curiosity-driven research that will provide new knowledge but generally does not lead to immediate applications. Instead, it creates a foundation for further research that may ultimately result in new treatments, methods, or products,” says Siv Andersson, deputy executive director of Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation.
The research in medicin spans a broad range of fields; some examples of what the projects aim to achieve include a better understanding of the mechanisms behind insulin resistance, studies aimed at restoring lost hearing, various aspects of cancer research, and how the nervous system controls the body’s movements.
“It is especially gratifying to see that 43 percent of the awarded projects are led by women. For many years, the Foundation has encouraged universities to achieve a more balanced gender distribution when nominating project applications. This now appears to be having an effect, as the outcome following international evaluations has been around 40 percent in recent years,” says Peter Wallenberg Jr, chair of Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation.
From 2011, when Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation introduced the project grant program, through 2026, 334 projects have been awarded a total of SEK 9.2 billion.
Project grants in medicine awarded to KI
Project: Regenerative blueprints for hearing restoration
Principal investigator: Associate Professor Emma Andersson, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology
Grant awarded: SEK 30,000,000 over five years
In this project, researchers will study animals with a remarkable ability to regenerate damaged tissue. By identifying the genetic programmes that enable new sensory hair cells to form in the inner ear, the team hopes to lay the groundwork for future treatments that can restore lost hearing.
Project: Killing cAncer With URacil (KAWUR)
Principal investigator: Professor Thomas Helleday, Department of Oncology-Pathology
Grant awarded: SEK 25,000,000 over five years
This project will investigate how the incorporation and repair of uracil in DNA affect cancer development and sensitivity to treatment. The research could help identify which patients are most likely to benefit from specific cancer therapies and contribute to the development of new treatments
Project: Endogenous γdTCR ligands: the hidden regulators of γdT cell fate and function
Principal investigator: Associate Professor Taras Kreslavskiy, Department of Medicine, Solna
Grant awarded: SEK 35,000,000 over five years
By investigating how gamma delta T cells recognise the body’s own molecules, the researchers aim to shed light on a largely unexplored part of the immune system. The findings could create new opportunities for cancer immunotherapy.
Project: Splicing codes controlling brain circuit connectivity in health and disease
Principal investigator: Professor Rickard Sandberg, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology
Grant awarded: SEK 37,000,000 over five years
This project will investigate the molecular “splicing codes” that help determine how nerve cells form connections with one another. The findings may provide new insights into how brain circuits are organised and how these processes are altered in neuropsychiatric conditions.
Project: Neural pathways for motor control: Structure, synapses, and behavior
Principal investigator: Professor Gilad Silberberg, Department of Neuroscience
Grant awarded: SEK 29,000,000 over five years
In this project, researchers will map the neural pathways that translate intentions in the brain into coordinated movements. By comparing mice and zebrafish, the team aims to uncover fundamental principles governing motor control across vertebrate species.
Project: Molecular architecture of tissue-specific insulin resistance in humans
Principal investigator: Professor Juleen Zierath, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology and the Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery
Grant awarded: SEK 36,000,000 over five years
The researchers will investigate how insulin resistance differs between the liver, skeletal muscle and adipose tissue. They aim to create an integrated molecular map that could support more precise and personalised treatment of type 2 diabetes.
The news article is based on a press release from Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation.