Russian research centre delegation visits KI

Thursday 14 June saw a visit to Karolinska Institutet by a Russian delegation from the Almazov National Medical Research Centre. The purpose of the visit was to discuss ongoing and strengthened collaboration.

The Almazov National Medical Research Centre is a medical institute in St. Petersburg, primarily specialising in cardiology, cardiovascular surgery, haematology and endocrinology. A number of researchers at the Russian research centre have defended their theses at Karolinska Institutet under the supervision of Göran Hansson, Per Eriksson, Ulf Hedin, Thomas Sejersen, Olle Söder, Boris Zhivotovsky and Anna Kostareva, among others. The latter is an associate at Karolinska Institutet’s Department of Women's and Children's Health and is at the same time head of the Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics at Almazov National Medical Research Centre in Russia.

International challenges require collaboration

The Russian research centre, which recently achieved the status of national centre, lists Karolinska Institutet as its foremost collaboration partner.

“The challenges currently facing healthcare systems and the medical environments in various countries are not national, but international. This demands joint efforts on the part of research institutes and universities in different countries to identify new solutions and innovative methods. Our almost 20 years of collaboration with Karolinska Institutet has so far proved successful and I believe that the current stage of our relationship is the most important for both parties,” says Professor Evgeny Shlyakhto, Director General of the Almazov National Medical Research Centre and President of the Russian Society of Cardiology.

Important collaboration for KI

The delegation was received in Aula Medica in the presence of Karolinska Institutet’s President Ole Petter Ottersen, together with researchers who in various ways participate in the Russian collaboration.

“Our collaboration with the Almazov Medical Centre is important to KI as it is Russia’s leading institute for cardiological research. Much of the research collaboration takes place with the Department of Women's and Children's Health here at KI, something that is well aligned with the goals of Agenda 2030, both with regard to good health and wellbeing, and gender equality,” says President Ole Petter Ottersen.