Samir EL Andaloussi receives SSMF's Jubilee Prize for his gene therapy research
KI researcher Samir EL Andaloussi has been awarded the Swedish Society for Medical Research’s (SSMF) Jubilee Prize of SEK five million for his groundbreaking research in gene therapies that could revolutionise the treatment of hard-to-treat diseases. The recipient will also receive an honorary medal presented by H.M. The Queen on 17 October.
Every third year, the Swedish Society for Medical Research (SSMF) awards the Jubilee Prize of SEK five million to an outstanding researcher. It has now been announced that Samir EL Andaloussi, professor at the Department of Laboratory Medicine, will receive the prestigious award in 2025. The awardee was pleasantly surprised when he received the news.
“I was standing in the hallway at home when I got the call about the award. I was completely shocked — my son, who was next to me, wondered what was going on when I answered the phone. It feels incredibly rewarding to receive this recognition and such a distinguished award,” says Samir EL Andaloussi.
The purpose of the Jubilee Prize is to highlight researchers who began their careers with support from SSMF and who have later achieved significant scientific success. This description fits Samir EL Andaloussi well. He began his research career with a postdoctoral fellowship from SSMF in 2010 and later received a major establishment grant from SSMF in 2013.
“The early support from SSMF was absolutely crucial for me and my research journey,” says Samir EL Andaloussi.
Agneta Holmäng, chair of SSMF, is proud to recognise Amir EL Andaloussi's successful career.
“Samir EL Andaloussi has published in prestigious scientific journals and has the ambition and ideas to go far in research and practically contribute to treatment methods that can benefit many people across various fields. It feels very gratifying that Samir EL Andaloussi is awarded our prestigious Jubilee Prize,” says Agneta Holmäng.
The prize will be awarded on 17 October at a ceremony in Stockholm, where H.M. The Queen will be present the Jubilee Medal.
This news article is based on a press release from the Swedish Society for Medical Research.
The award committee's motivation
"Professor Samir EL Andaloussi is awarded for his world-leading, innovative, and interdisciplinary research into groundbreaking methods for drug delivery. His top-tier work paves the way for the future of gene therapy in fields such as neurology, cancer, and other diseases where new treatments are urgently needed."
Samir EL Andaloussi's research in brief
Samir EL Andaloussi is Professor of biomolecular medicine and advanced therapies at Karolinska Institutet. In his research, he has developed new methods for delivering nucleic acid therapies that could revolutionize the ability to cure diseases affecting hard-to-reach tissues.
Samir EL Andaloussi's work brings hope for treating neurological diseases such as MS, autoimmune diseases like SLE and IBD, as well as cancers such as leukemia and malignant melanoma.
His research focuses on two major breakthroughs: Delivery methods for nucleic acid-based therapies that can target diseases at the genetic level and development of unique genetic modification strategies to use the body’s own natural transporters —known as exosomes — to deliver medicines to hard-to-reach areas of the body.
Source: KI