From Cell to Society
2018
KI’S NEW PROFESSORS ON THEIR RESEARCH MEET THE PRIZEWINNERS
Cover image: “Get my motor running” by Carmelo Bellardita / Ole Kiehn lab Structure of motor-related neurons in the spine.
The images on the cover, pages 3, 6, 16 and 20 are examples of KI researchers’ contributions to the art exhibition The Invisible Body – Art in Science (Den osynliga kroppen – konst i vetenskapen). The exhibition is a contribution to the public’s understanding of science and aims to show different visualizations as a way to tell stories about ongoing research. It was initiated by the Ragnar Söderberg Foundation and produced in close collaboration with Sven-Harry’s art museum in Stockholm. The Invisible Body was shown in the winter of 2017/2018. KI researcher Saida Hadjab was one of its scientific coordinators.
From Cell to Society
2018
Contents FOREWORD Ole Petter Ottersen President
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PROFESSORS Maria Ankarcrona Professor of Experimental Neurogeriatrics
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Eling de Bruin Professor of Physiotherapy
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Maria Eriksson Professor of Molecular Genetics specialising in ageing
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Christian Giske Professor of Clinical Bacteriology
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Lars Lund Professor of Cardiology
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Lena Palmberg Professor of Toxicology
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Gilad Silberberg Professor of Neurophysiology
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Elisabet Stener-Victorin Professor of Reproductive Physiology
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ADJUNCT PROFESSORS Anna Nordenström
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Georgios Rassidakis
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VISITING PROFESSORS Marie Klingberg Allvin
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Mathias Uhlén
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PRIZES AND AWARDS The Grand Silver Medal
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The Dimitris N. Chorafas Prize
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The Eric K. Fernström Prize
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The Med. Dr. Axel Hirsch Prize
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The Håkan Mogren Prize
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Karolinska Institutet’s Pedagogical Prize
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Lennart Nilsson Award
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The Karolinska Institutet Prize for Research in Medical Education
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“A brand new world” by Margherita Zamboni / Jonas Frisén lab Choroid plexus, the tissue in the brain that produces the cerebrospinal fluid. From research about stem cells in adults.
Photo: Martin Stenmark.
PRIZES AND AWARDS
Foreword I am very pleased to once again have the honour of congratulating new professors at Karolinska Institutet. You should be very proud, not only for reaching the highest academic position at this university, but most importantly, for your dedication to improving the health and well-being of mankind. With your great knowledge and innovative minds, I am convinced that Karolinska Institutet will be an even stronger partner in the international arena, offering the highest quality of research and education. Karolinska Institutet is one of the world’s foremost medical universities. It is Sweden’s largest centre of medical academic research with the country’s widest range of medical courses and programmes. We have enormous global challenges ahead of us in terms of demographic changes, resource distribution, energy and climate. You play an important part in addressing these and other challenges in medicine. In order to meet these challenges, I would like to stress the importance of infrastructure and collaboration. Strong collaboration requires functional physical spaces. During 2018, 60 percent of Karolinska Institutet’s personnel and approximately 80 percent of the experimental research labs moved into new buildings – Alfred Nobels Allé 8 (ANA 8) and Neo in Flemingsberg, as well as Bioclinicum, Biomedicum and Comparative Medicine Biomedicum in Solna. In addition to being a world-class research environment for the recruitment of excellent scientists, it also provides a venue for interaction between basic and clinical science and with the Karolinska University Hospital. Neo will give you the best possible conditions for collaborating and conducting research. With your unique experiences and perspectives, I have great hopes that Neo will become a hub for basic and clinical research as well as education. In this twenty-third issue of From Cell to Society we present all of our new professors, adjunct professors and visiting professors as well as esteemed individuals who have been awarded prizes for their services. One of them is the Grand Silver Medal, our special jubilee medal for outstanding contributions to Karolinska Institutet. Finally, I would like to extend my warmest thanks to you for all that you do in the name of health, knowledge and service to society. By working together and breaking down silos, we have the opportunity and obligation to play a unique role in improving people’s health. Welcome to the evening’s festivities – I wish you all the best in your new assignments.
Stockholm, October 2018
Ole Petter Ottersen President Karolinska Institutet
FROM CELL TO SOCIETY 2018
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“No man is an island� by Katarzyna Malenczyk / Tibor Harkany lab Pancreas with dyed insulin, glucagon and a calcium-binding protein called secretagogin. From research studying the interplay between brain and pancreas.
PROFESSORS
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The role of mitochondria in Alzheimer’s disease Mitochondria supply cells with energy, and this function is known to deteriorate in the case of Alzheimer’s disease. Maria Ankarcrona’s research aims to explain why this happens and what the consequences are. The goal is to contribute to new medications to slow the progress of the disease.
Maria Ankarcrona Professor of Experimental Neurogeriatrics at the Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society Maria Ankarcrona was born in Linköping in 1965. She studied biology and chemistry at Stockholm University and graduated in 1991. In 1996, she completed a PhD in toxicology at Karolinska Institutet with a dissertation on the mechanisms behind programmed cell death, including nerve cells. That same year, she conducted postdoctoral research with Paul Greengard at the Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, Rockefeller University, New York, USA. Ankarcrona became an associate professor in 2004. Since 1998, she has been working at the Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society where she is currently head of the Division of Neurogeriatrics. Maria Ankarcrona was appointed Professor of Experimental Neurogeriatrics at Karolinska Institutet on 24 May 2018.
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What are you researching? “I research cellular mechanisms in Alzheimer’s disease. More specifically, we study the role of mitochondria in this disease. The fact that their function in nerve cells is impaired in Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases is something we have known for a while. This causes reduced energy production in cells, which we believe is important in regard to the progression of the disease. We want to understand why the mitochondria appear not to function properly and how it can be improved. Most of our research is done in cultured nerve cells, but we also do some studies on donated human tissue.” What do you hope to achieve? “Our long-term goal is to find new ways to treat Alzheimer’s. If we can postpone the progression of the disease, many people would have a better life into old age. Any treatment used would probably need to fight the disease on several fronts; our contribution in that case would be a substance that enhances mitochondrial function and allows the nerve cells to function longer. In addition to this specific goal,
we want to increase knowledge about the role of mitochondria in the cell at a deeper level. They are not only the power plants of the cell, but are also involved in a variety of functions, from calcium balance to programmed cell death, and they interact closely with other parts of the cell, not least the endoplasmic reticulum (ER).” What are your most important discoveries so far? “We have shown how the betaamyloid peptide, which forms the plaques typically seen in Alzheimer’s, enters the mitochondrion. This occurs through a specific pore in its membrane. We were also the first to show how mitochondria and the ER interact in nerve cells and how this differs between healthy cells and Alzheimer’s-affected cells. Recently, we also presented a new function of the TOM70 protein in the interaction between mitochondria and the ER. TOM70 is involved in the transfer of calcium from the ER to mitochondria. This was a previously unknown function and a very exciting discovery.”
FROM CELL TO SOCIETY 2018
PROFESSOR S
Computer games help the elderly stay fit We thrive when body and mind are healthy – but many older people have limited opportunities to get out and exercise. Eling de Bruin is a physiotherapist conducting research into how exercise with computer games can lead to a healthier old age.
Eling de Bruin Professor of Physiotherapy at the Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society Eling de Bruin was born in Friesland, Northern Netherlands, 1963. He graduated in Physical Therapy in 1986 and earned his PhD in 1999 at VU University, Amsterdam, for work performed at ETH, Zürich, Switzerland. In 1999–2000 he taught Rehabilitation Studies at Health Polytechnic, Aarau, Switzerland. De Bruin returned to ETH in 2000 where he has continued his research, often in combination with part-time positions at other institutions of higher education, such as at the Sport Sciences Institute, Magglingen, Switzerland (2000–2004), the University Hospital Zürich (2004–2008) and Maastricht University, the Netherlands (2014–2018). Eling de Bruin was appointed Professor of Physiotherapy at Karolinska Institutet on 1 January 2018.
FROM CELL TO SOCIETY 2018
What are you researching? “Many of the physical and cognitive changes that take place as we age are affected by our behaviour and the extent to which we keep our body and mind healthy in various ways. My research involves developing reliable treatments in the form of computer games that include physical and cognitive training to counteract age-related illness. We are interested in both preventive treatments for healthy older people and treatments for patients diagnosed with age-related illnesses, such as dementia.” Why computer games? “There are a number of reasons for this. The elderly often have limited opportunities to exercise and train as they should because of ill health or a risk of harming themselves. But a game situation can be made safe so that, for example, the person playing doesn’t risk falling. The virtual environment is also flexible – it can easily be adapted so that each patient has the right kind of training and the right level of difficulty. Another reason is that playing computer games is fun – older people think so too. So it is not a hardship to train,
but a pleasure. Finally, computer games are a simple, cost-efficient solution that can easily be scaled up to reach a very large number of people. Computer games that can prevent or delay dementia and other age-related illness can be extremely important for both public health and the economy.” How much progress have you made? “My group at ETH Zürich has shown, among other things, that the brain in older test subjects responds positively to training games, and that training in a virtual environment really can improve, for example, walking in a physical environment. But we are only at the beginning – many questions remain unanswered, such as how the tasks in the game should be designed to achieve the best results, and what the underlying biological mechanisms look like.”
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Studying genetic mechanisms of ageing Maria Eriksson has discovered the gene that causes premature ageing in children. She is now researching the general genetic causes of ageing and has shown, amongst other things, that our stem cells gather more mutations during our lives than previously known.
Maria Eriksson Professor of Molecular Genetics, specialising in ageing at the Department of Biosciences and Nutrition Maria Eriksson was born in Luleå in 1972. She studied molecular biology at Umeå University, graduating in 1996 and received her doctorate in neurology at Karolinska Institutet in 2001. From 2001 to 2003, Eriksson was a postdoctoral researcher at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland, USA. She then returned to KI, where she began to build up her own research group. From 2005 to 2008, she was an assistant professor financed by the Swedish Research Council. Maria Eriksson became an associate professor in 2010, and since 2015 has been the deputy head of the Department of Biosciences and Nutrition. She also researches part time at NIH, where she has had a special volunteer appointment since 2012. Maria Eriksson was appointed Professor of Molecular Genetics, specialising in Ageing, at Karolinska Institutet on 22 December 2017.
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What are you researching? “I am studying genetic mechanisms for ageing. We recently showed that stem cells in the muscles of healthy elderly people contain an unexpected number of mutations. There may be thousands of changes in the DNA in a single cell. We can also see clear patterns in this mutation load, as it is known, where certain regions of the genome are more protected. We are now working on publishing similar results for kidney, fat and skin stem cells. Another line of research is studying by experiment how the disease progeria, premature ageing, expresses itself in cells in the skeleton, blood vessels, fat and skin. I have been researching progeria for a long time and discovered the genetic causes of the disease in 2003. We are now using progeria as a model to help us understand the mechanisms of ageing.”
interesting aspect is that there are very different mutations in adjacent cells, because they are not inherited but have been acquired at different times during life. We must study this much more to understand what this means.” Could this knowledge lead to healthier ageing? “Absolutely! If the large number of mutations is significant for health, it will be very interesting to investigate how this mutation load can be prevented or reduced. There could, for example, be a future treatment to stop the body’s own mechanisms for repairing damaged DNA from deteriorating as we become older. It is also possible that we may understand more about the different factors that contribute to health. We are preparing for a new study to try to find out if there is a connection between exercise and lower mutation load.”
What is the next step in your research? “We believe that the mutation load that we have demonstrated is of great significance for the function of cells – but so far this is only a hypothesis; we still need more evidence. One
FROM CELL TO SOCIETY 2018
PROFESSOR S
Assessing risk and treating resistant bacteria Many people carry resistant bacteria in their gut, but relatively few get sick. Christian Giske is conducting research into the reason for this – who is at risk of becoming ill and how can the refractory bacteria be attacked?
Christian Giske Professor of Clinical Bacteriology at the Department of Laboratory Medicine Christian Giske was born in 1975 in Ålesund, Norway. He did his medical training at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim, graduating in 2000. In 2002 he completed his military service as an officer and physician in the Norwegian navy. He has been working at the Karolinska University Laboratory at Karolinska University Hospital since 2002, where he is currently a senior consultant in clinical bacteriology. Giske became a specialist of clinical microbiology in 2007 and earned his PhD at Karolinska Institutet that same year with a dissertation on the antibiotic resistance of the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa. He became an associate professor in 2010. Christian Giske was appointed Professor of Clinical Bacteriology at Karolinska Institutet on 1 June 2018.
FROM CELL TO SOCIETY 2018
What are you researching? “We are doing research on antibiotic resistance, in particular resistant bacteria in the gut. Five percent of the population are carriers of such bacteria – most people do not have any symptoms, but in a small percentage of individuals they cause serious disease: sepsis. One main focus of our research is about mapping risk factors to explain why the bacteria sometimes cause disease, as well as understanding why some people get sick while others do not. We combine data from a variety of sources: patient data, register data, genetic analysis of individual bacteria, and the entire intestinal microbiota. Our hope is that this knowledge will be used clinically to identify patients early on who are at a high risk of severe infections with resistant bacteria.” And the second focus? “That is to develop new treatments, based on bacteriophages, against these resistant bacteria. Bacteriophages are viruses that attack bacteria. We are interested in both naturally occurring and synthetic bacteriophages. The advantage of the synthetic ones is that they can be
adapted to become very specific. Our objective is to eliminate the resistant bacterial strains in the gut, not all bacteria of a certain type. We also conduct research into other aspects of treating resistant bacteria. Among other things, we are participating in a European collaboration that aims to develop a faster method for testing combinations of antibiotics against refractory bacteria.” How far have you gotten? “Our research on bacteriophages is at an early stage – we are now preparing an experimental study in collaboration with research groups abroad. Our study into risk factors for sepsis has been underway for a longer period of time and has already yielded results. The risk level in individual cases is affected in part by the bacteria’s genetic characteristics and in part by factors in the patient. Among other things, urinary tract diseases, such as prostate changes, have been identified as significant risks.”
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Improving our understanding of diastolic heart failure Findings about the causal relationship between heart failure and problems in the heart’s relaxation phase are relatively new. Lars Lund is conducting research into the underlying mechanisms of diastolic heart failure and how it can be treated.
Lars Lund Professor of Cardiology at the Department of Medicine, Solna Lars Lund was born in 1968 in Stockholm. He initially studied economics at the College of Charleston, South Carolina, USA, and worked for the World Bank from 1992 until 1995. After studying medicine at Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, North Carolina, USA, he earned his medical degree in 2000 and his American medical license in 2001. He has been active at Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital since 2004. Lund became a specialist in internal medicine 2003 and in cardiology 2007. He defended his thesis in molecular biology in 2005 and became an Associate Professor of Cardiology in 2011. Lars Lund was appointed Professor of Cardiology at Karolinska Institutet on 1 May 2018.
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What are you researching? “I am doing research into heart failure. It is the leading cause of death and the most common reason for hospitalisation in the Western world, and also significantly reduces quality of life more than other chronic diseases. Heart failure means that the heart is incapable of pumping a sufficient amount of blood through the body. For the past hundred years, science has more or less assumed that all heart failure is systolic – in other words, that the root cause is that the heart has problems contracting. Not until the last fifteen year have we realized that it is just as common, and as serious, for heart failure to be caused by the opposite: that the heart muscle is in incapable of relaxing. It is this form of the disease, diastolic heart failure, that I am studying.” What do you wish to accomplish? “The objective is to understand the underlying mechanisms of the disease so that we can treat it. It has become increasingly clear that diastolic heart failure is in part its own disease. It has different causes than systolic heart failure and therefore requires different treatments.
In order to achieve a broad picture of the onset and course of the disease, we are, in collaboration with several groups, working along the entire spectrum from epidemiology to very thorough clinical characterisation and experimental cell studies.” How far have you gotten? “We are working along two parallel tracks. Our earlier studies indicate that current drugs against fibrosis, scar formation, might be effective against diastolic heart failure, and we have now started a large registerbased randomised controlled clinical study to generate definite answers about this. The other track is aiming at entirely new anti-inflammatory drugs. Of course, this is a lengthier journey, but we have made a lot of progress in our work by describing in detail the inflammatory changes that take place in the vessels and heart, and that we believe trigger the development of diastolic heart failure.”
FROM CELL TO SOCIETY 2018
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Tracing mechanisms behind chronic pulmonary diseases Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including chronic bronchitis, causes many deaths and much suffering worldwide. Lena Palmberg has developed lung tissue models to aid understanding of what happens in the body when these diseases strike. The goal is to contribute to the development of new treatments.
Lena Palmberg Professor of Toxicology at the Institute of Environmental Medicine Born in Stockholm in 1960, Lena Palmberg completed her medical degree (1988) and defended her doctoral thesis in cell and molecular biology (1991) at Karolinska Institutet. From 1991–2001, she conducted research at Sweden’s National Institute for Working Life. She became an associate professor at KI in 2000. Since 2002, Palmberg has worked at KI’s Institute of Environmental Medicine, where she is now the head of the Work Environment Toxicology Unit and a director of studies for doctoral education. She is also the chair of KI’s dissertation committee. Palmberg has participated in risk assessment and limit value determination as a member of the Swedish Work Environment Authority’s national criteria group. She now has an assignment from this authority’s Nordic Expert Group. Lena Palmberg was appointed Professor of Toxicology at Karolinska Institutet on 1 September 2018.
FROM CELL TO SOCIETY 2018
What are you researching? “Above all else, I’m researching the mechanisms behind chronic bronchitis and COPD. These are serious diseases that affect millions of people. There is still no cure, and COPD is on its way to becoming the world’s third most common cause of death. The long-term goal is to lay the foundation for effective, future treatments through better understanding of the mechanisms. Our research is also providing new knowledge on environmental factors that cause these diseases. Air pollution, biomass combustion, livestock farming and smoking are examples. E-cigarettes are now highly topical and there is a huge need to research their health risks.” How are you researching? “Over the past few years, we have developed advanced laboratory models. These use newly isolated, human lung cells to construct a complex pulmonary simulation. The models are very much like real tissue. They have functioning mucous production and even active cilia. We have now started to use our models for detailed studies of what happens when bronchi and pulmonary alveoli
are exposed to various gases and particles. The continuous development of models for various purposes has, over time, become a line of research in its own right. Not least, the models could play an important role in pharmaceuticals development and, for both quality and ethical reasons, replace many animal experiments. We are also working closely with respiratory physicians at several hospitals and analysing a lot of patient material.” What have the new models led to so far? “Our initial studies with the models have opened our eyes to the importance in bronchial inflammation of the interaction between the immune system’s macrophages and other cells. We are now taking things further and studying this in greater detail. The models have also generated great interest worldwide. This has opened the way for new, interesting collaborations. We and the European Space Agency (ESA) are now preparing a joint application for studying the toxicity of dust from the moon and Mars.”
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Studying the brain’s neural code Gilad Silberberg listens to individual nerve cells (neurons) in order to understand the fundamental principles of their complex communication. His research focuses above all on the basal ganglia and how they form the fundamental link between sensory perception and motor function.
Gilad Silberberg Professor of Neurophysiology at the Department of Neuroscience Gilad Silberberg was born in Beersheba, Israel, in 1968. After studying physics and neurobiology, he earned his PhD in Neurobiology at the Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel. From 2003 to 2004 he was a postdoctoral researcher at the Laboratory of Neural Microcircuitry at the Brain Mind Institute in Lausanne, Switzerland. Silberberg came to Karolinska Institutet in 2005, working for the first three years as a postdoc in Sten Grillner’s lab at the Nobel Institute for Neurophysiology. In 2008 Silberberg started his own lab at KI’s Department of Neuroscience and became an associate professor in 2011. He was awarded an ERC Starting Grant in 2011 and became a Wallenberg Academy Fellow in 2012. Gilad Silberberg was appointed Professor of Neurophysiology at Karolinska Institutet on 1 April 2018.
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What are you researching? “The basic functions of our brain are a result of electrical activity between eurons. In my group, we are studying the communication within those neural networks – in the healthy brain and in various forms of illness. There is a complex interaction in which different kinds of neurons work together according to certain rules, a bit like the instruments in a symphony orchestra. Above all, we are studying sensory perception and motor control in the basal ganglia. Which neurons talk to each other? What is the balance between excitatory and inhibitory neurons? What determines whether a neuron will be active or silent? We are trying to understand the principles of this interaction by listening individually to several neighbouring neurons simultaneously, and also stimulating them to see how they respond under different conditions.” What have you discovered? “Some of our findings relate to processes of sensory perception in basal ganglia. Among other things, we have shown that input from different senses, for example touch and sight, are integrated in striatum by the
same neurons. Another discovery is that the integration of sensory information from a person’s left and right sides is impaired in Parkinson’s disease. It is important for the brain to be able to detect inputs from the right and the left, which is why the electrical signals are different, but in Parkinson’s this differentiation is reduced because of the lack of dopamine. Other important findings relate to how the neural circuits in basal ganglia are organised.” Can the research result in clinical value? “Our research is above all basic research driven by scientific curiosity, but the possibility of clinical applications does exist. Parkinson’s and Huntington’s diseases are two examples of illnesses with a strong link to the mechanisms we are studying. For example, more knowledge about how sensory perception is affected by Parkinson’s disease could provide new opportunities for diagnosis of Parkinson’s at earlier stages than at present.”
FROM CELL TO SOCIETY 2018
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Expanding understanding of polycystic ovary syndrome Elisabet Stener-Victorin researches women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and was one of the first to notice the disease’s connection with mental illness. Her aim is to understand the causes behind the syndrome and to contribute to better treatment.
Elisabet StenerVictorin Professor of Reproductive Physiology at the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology Elisabet Stener-Victorin was born in Varberg in 1964. She studied physiotherapy at Lund University, graduating in 1985, and completed her doctorate at the University of Gothenburg in 2000. She was a postdoctoral researcher at the International University of Health and Welfare, Otawara, Japan, 2002–2003, and became associate professor in 2004. In 2015 she moved her research group from Gothenburg to Karolinska Institutet. From 2009–2016, Stener-Victorin was a visiting professor at Heilongjiang University, Harbin, China. Since 2018 she has been a visiting professor at Guangzhou Medical University, China. Elisabet Stener-Victorin was appointed Professor of Reproductive Physiology at Karolinska Institutet on 1 November 2017.
FROM CELL TO SOCIETY 2018
What are you researching? “I am researching polycystic ovary syndrome, the most common hormonal and metabolic disorder in women. We alternate between clinical trials and preclinical experiments in order to understand the underlying causes of the disease, with the aim of finding better treatments in the future. Common symptoms of PCOS include irregular periods, embarrassing hair growth, sometimes also thinning of the hair and difficulties in having children. Those affected also have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. We were one of the first groups to also notice mental illness among these women. Many suffer from anxiety or depression and even other psychiatric diagnoses such as schizophrenia.” How far has the research come? “We and other research groups have identified about 20 genetic variations with a strong connection to the disease, but they only explain a small part of the heredity. Other factors, including environmental factors during foetal life, need to be investigated. My group has shown
in a mouse model that behavioural changes caused by high levels of male hormones at the foetal stage are inherited for several generations. This indicates that effects during foetal life can lead to lasting epigenetic changes. There has also been some progress regarding treatment. We have shown that exercise and electroacupuncture improve insulin sensitivity, lower hormone levels and even reverse some epigenetic changes in women with PCOS.” What is your hope for the future? “The long-term aim is to understand the disease’s development and underlying mechanisms and lay the foundations for preventive and, in the best case, curative treatment. In the short term, the health care services need to become much better at diagnosing, informing and, with existing palliative treatments, taking care of these women. The number of diagnoses in Sweden is remarkably low, which indicates significant under-diagnosis.”
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“From motion to emotion” by Sofie Ährlund-Richter / Marie Carlén lab
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In yellow and green: neurons of brain structure globus pallidum externa signalling to prefrontal cortex. From research mapping prefrontal cortex and its connections. FROM CELL TO SOCIETY 2018
VISITING PROFESSOR S
ADJUNCT PROFESSORS AND VISITING PROFESSORS
FROM CELL TO SOCIETY 2018
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ADJUNCT PROFESSOR S
Anna Nordenström Adjunct Professor of Paediatric Endocrinology and Inherited Metabolic Diseases at the Department of Women’s and Children’s Health from 1 January 2018. Primary position Senior Consultant at Astrid Lindgren Children’s Hospital, Karolinska University Hospital. Research Anna Nordenström is a specialist in paediatric medicine, endocrinology and inborn errors of metabolism. Much of her research concerns congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), which results in a deficiency of cortisol and an excess of male sex hormones. Her interests range from diagnostics and treatment of CAH to the prenatal effects of the disease on the brain, as well as long-term medical and social consequences for the patients. She also conducts research within the related field of children born with unclear gender, and she is a member of the EU consortium dsd-LIFE, which aims to ensure better care for this patient group. Another aspect of Nordenström’s research concerns beta oxidation disorders – a group of inborn errors of metabolism caused by an impaired ability to use fat as an energy source. This condition leads to an energy shortage as well as other serious long-term symptoms. She has demonstrated that specific dietary treatment is important for these patients’ longterm health and development.
Georgios Rassidakis Adjunct Professor of Pathology at the Department of Oncology-Pathology from 1 March 2018. Primary position Senior Consultant at the clinic for pathology and cytology at Karolinska University Hospital. Research Georgios Rassidakis is investigating the biology of lymphoma – cancer of the white blood cells. His overall aim is to identify molecular mechanisms behind different types of lymphoma so that an effective treatment can be developed for each form. In his research, Rassidakis has focused on T-cell lymphoma, especially Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (ALCL), which is a group of lymphomas that often affects children and young adults. He has been involved in identifying the biological differences between two forms of ALCL, called ALK+ and ALK–, and investigating their oncogenic mechanisms. In recent years, Rassidakis’ research on lymphoma has also been directed at immunotherapy, and he heads Karolinska Institutet’s Immune Checkpoint Regulation and Immunotherapy Network (ICRIN). Georgios Rassidakis received his doctorate and training as a pathologist in Athens, Greece and has been an active researcher at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Texas, USA, where he is an adjunct professor of hematopathology. 18
FROM CELL TO SOCIETY 2018
VISITING PROFESSOR S
Marie Klingberg Allvin Visiting Professor of Global Sexual and Reproductive Health from 1 January 2018 to 31 December 2020.
Photo: Private.
Primary position Professor of Global Sexual and Reproductive Health at Dalarna University. Research Marie Klingberg Allvin’s research focuses on unsafe abortions, access to safe abortion care and access to contraceptives in low-income countries. In a study in Uganda, she showed that trained midwives can diagnose complications after incomplete abortions and treat them with the drug misoprostol with equally good results as doctors. The results were published in the Lancet in 2015 and form the basis for new guidelines from the World Health Organization. Integrating research with training and thus strengthening the midwifery profession is a recurrent theme in Klingberg Allvin’s work. In a project in Somalia, she initiated net-based education for midwifery teachers with the goal of strengthening midwifery education and, in the long term, improving maternal and newborn health. To date, about 80 teachers have completed the course. Marie Klingberg Allvin also researches reproductive health and parental support initiatives for Somali immigrants in Sweden. She has also been pro-vice-chancellor and deputy vice-chancellor of Dalarna University.
Mathias Uhlén Visiting Professor of Neuroscience at the Department of Neuroscience from 1 May 2018 to 30 April 2021.
Photo: Jens Lasthein.
Primary position Professor of Microbiology at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH).
FROM CELL TO SOCIETY 2018
Research Mathias Uhlén became a professor at KTH in 1988 and has played an important role in the development and use of powerful technologies within genetics and microbiology. During the 1990s, he was involved in the mapping of the human genome in the Human Genome Project. Since 2003, he has led the mapping of human proteins in the Human Protein Atlas – an open database with more than 100,000 unique users each month. Uhlén is behind approximately 70 patents and has been involved in the founding of several companies, including Pyrosequencing AB (now Biotage) and Affibody. He founded SciLifeLab in 2010 and served as its director until 2015. Uhlén is currently conducting in-depth studies on proteins in the brain and the blood, a pursuit which will result in two new components of the Protein Atlas. Uhlén also heads an extensive study within “wellness profiling”, a broad physiological characterisation of a large number of healthy people over time.
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“Potency arises” by John Schell / Fredrik Lanner lab An embryo, five days after conception. From research about pluripotency and new approaches in regenerative medicine.
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FROM CELL TO SOCIETY 2018
VISITING PROFESSOR S
PRIZES AND AWARDS
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PRIZES AND AWARDS
The Grand Silver Medal 2018 from Karolinska Institutet is awarded to Håkan Eriksson, Laura Fratiglioni and Bertil Fredholm in special recognition of the outstanding contributions they have made to medical research and to Karolinska Institutet.
Photo: Wilmer Palm.
The Grand Silver Medal
Professor emeritus Håkan Eriksson has been awarded the Grand Silver Medal for his exceptional contributions to Karolinska Institutet and to Swedish medical research over several decades. Håkan Eriksson was appointed Professor of Reproductive Endocrinology at Karolinska Institutet in 1987 and launched a new line of research on the mechanisms of implantation. In collaboration with clinical researchers at the former Karolinska Hospital and Huddinge Hospital, his group developed a cell culture system for uterine mucous membrane that resulted in the attachment of embryos in vitro. Eriksson has made extensive contributions to KI and to Swedish research policy as a member of the Board of Undergraduate Studies at KI and as Director of Studies at the former Department of Medical Chemistry. He was a driving force behind efforts to strengthen the connection between preclinical education and clinical training, and was also heavily involved in the development of new forms of knowledge transfer.
ABOUT THE PRIZE The medal is awarded to a person who has made great contributions in support of Karolinska Institutet’s activities. One or more medals will be awarded in conjunction with the installation ceremony in Aula Medica.
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Håkan Eriksson’s work has been of crucial importance, particularly during the 1990s, when KI underwent a period of great change. The results of these changes included more efficient processes and higher quality research, education and collaboration throughout KI. Over time, Håkan Eriksson’s research interests have shifted towards information technology and digitization. He is interested both in their effects on the individual and society and in how they can be used in healthcare to support diagnosis, therapy, education, and knowledge transfer. He is the author or co-author of numerous books on this subject.
FROM CELL TO SOCIETY 2018
Laura Fratiglioni, Professor in Geriatric Epidemiology at Karolinska Institutet and Senior Consultant at the Geriatric Clinic at Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, has been awarded The Grand Silver Medal for her outstanding contributions to KI in science, doctoral education, leadership and innovation. With a strong clinical and scientific background, Laura Fratiglioni is one of the leading international researchers in the epidemiology of aging. She is often sought out as an expert in aging and health, both nationally and internationally, and has strongly contributed to KI’s international profile in this field. Fratiglioni’s research covers a broad spectrum with a main focus on Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, multimorbidity and disability. She has made many important contributions to the use of epidemiologic methods in aging research. Her work concerning the influence of life style, social factors, hypertension and diabetes on the development of dementia has also been translated into new basic research strategies. She has often been involved in international seminars, workshops and large conferences – both as a participant and as an organizer. Professor Fratiglioni has also demonstrated a strong interest in public health outreach and the implementation of her research findings. She has extensively lectured to elderly people, eldercare providers and politicians and has also reported her research findings in popular science presentations and the media.
FROM CELL TO SOCIETY 2018
Photo: Private.
Photo: Tom Bellander.
PRIZES AND AWARDS
Professor emeritus Bertil Fredholm has been awarded the Grand Silver Medal for his outstanding contributions to research and doctoral education in the area of pharmacology at Karolinska Institutet. Bertil Fredholm was appointed Professor of Pharmacology at Karolinska Institutet in 1977 and is one of KI’s most internationally acclaimed researchers. He has demonstrated an unusual methodological breadth, with research ranging from purely molecular studies to studies of several organ systems and of intact organisms. His most important discoveries are related to adenosine and adenosine receptors, including as targets for methylxanthines, such as caffeine. He was among the first to describe ways in which caffeine (the psychoactive substance in coffee, which can also be found in tea and chocolate) affects the body – findings that sparked both scientific and public interest. Fredholm’s combination of breadth and depth of knowledge has been invaluable to numerous advisory boards and evaluation committees. He has been a member of the Nobel Committee for eighteen years, including two in which he served as its chairperson. He has also been elected to several scholarly societies, including the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and Academia Europea, and has been active in national and international pharmacology societies, including the International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology (IUPhar). Bertil Fredholm has also devoted a great deal of time to teaching, and was a highly regarded teacher at both the undergraduate and doctoral levels.
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PRIZES AND AWARDS
The Dimitris N. Chorafas Prize
The Eric K. Fernström Prize
Bianca Tesi, previously a doctoral student at the Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Karolinska Institutet, has been awarded the prize for her thesis Genetic studies of susceptibility to inflammation, autoimmunity, and hematological malignancy.
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Professor Pernilla Lagergren receives the 2018 Eric K. Fernström Prize for young, promising and successful researchers for her outstanding research in the area of health-related quality of life, particularly in patients with cancer of the oesophagus.
Lagergren leads a research group in surgical care science at Karolinska Institutet and has in a series of high-level publications addressed how quality of life can be used as a prognostic factor for oesophageal cancer.
Her research focuses on identifying genetic factors causing defective immune function and associated with predisposition to hyperinflammation, autoimmunity, and cancer. Her most distinguished contribution is the discovery that germline mutations in the gene SAMD9L is the cause of a familial form of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS).
She has also identified risk factors for poor recovery after oesophageal cancer surgery, highlighted patient groups in specific need of tailored follow-up, and revealed nutritional problems after surgery. Through well-designed and comprehensive prospective studies, she has substantially contributed to the improvement of survivorship in many cancer patients.
Bianca Tesi’s findings, recently published in the prestigious journal Blood, highlight a novel mechanism for hereditary cancer predisposition described as “adaptation by aneuploidy”. Since then, several children with bone marrow failure have been found to carry germline SAMD9L mutations worldwide.
Pernilla Lagergren was born in 1977. She defended her thesis at Karolinska Institutet in 2006 and was appointed professor of surgical care science in 2011.
ABOUT THE PRIZE
The Dimitris N. Chorafas Foundation was founded in 1992. Since 1996, the Foundation has established collaborations with 23 partner universities including Karolinska Institutet. The subject area ’medical science’ focuses on new PhD holders or doctoral students who are in the final phase of their doctoral work. The candidates should not be older than 32 years of age during their public defense.
The Eric K. Fernström Foundation was established in 1978 and annually awards a Nordic prize and seven prizes to young and particularly promising researchers who have made outstanding contributions to medical science. Each medical faculty of the country elects its prizewinner.
Photo: Private.
ABOUT THE PRIZE
Photo: Johan Bergmark.
Tesi defended her thesis in the autumn of 2017 and is today a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery at Karolinska Institutet and a resident in clinical genetics at Karolinska University Hospital.
FROM CELL TO SOCIETY 2018
PRIZES AND AWARDS
The Med. Dr. Axel Hirsch Prize
The Håkan Mogren Prize
Professor Gunnar C. Hansson, University of Gothenburg, is awarded the Axel Hirsch Prize 2018 for research in anatomy and cell biology for his discovery of a new type of goblet cells which act as sentinels to the entrances of colon crypts and prevent bacterial infection.
Anders Castor, paediatric oncologist and clinical ethicist, is receiving the 2018 Håkan Mogren Foundation scholarship in medicine for his work in improving the care of children with cancer, his great commitment to ethical issues in medical care and his contributions to teaching.
Gunnar C. Hansson is a professor of medical biochemistry at the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg. He is receiving the 2018 Med. Dr. Axel Hirsch Prize for the discovery of a previously unknown type of cells, called sentinel cells, which guard the entrances to colon crypts and prevent bacterial invasion.
Anders Castor is consultant at Skåne University Hospital, Lund. His expertise in ethics is highly valued not only in medical care, but also in education and in outreach to the general public. He has long been interested in issues connected with medical ethics and palliative care, especially in children’s medicine and surgery.
The discovery, made in collaboration with Hansson’s group, was published in the summer of 2016 in the journal Science. It adds to previous important contributions from Hansson’s group regarding the role of colon mucus in the defense against infection and may be important in understanding the mechanisms behind inflammatory bowel disease, such as ulcerative colitis.
For example, when is it correct to interrupt the painful treatment of a terminally ill child, and how, in such cases, should rational and empathetic conversations take place within the care team and with relatives? Dr. Castor was instrumental in establishing an ethical committee at the paediatric department at Skåne University Hospital.
ABOUT THE PRIZE
This prize is awarded annually by the Board of Research at Karolinska Institutet in ”recognition for a scientific article of high value published by a Swedish scientific researcher”. The actual choice of prize winner takes place through nomination.
The Håkan Mogren Foundation was established in 2012. Its dual purpose is to promote education and research within the medical field and to promote the education and training of classical musicians. Within the medical field, the purpose is to provide the opportunity for well-qualified, scientifically competent and clinically active physicians to improve themselves professionally or to carry out research.
FROM CELL TO SOCIETY 2018
Photo: Magnus Gotander/Bilduppdraget.
ABOUT THE PRIZE
Photo: SUS/Roger Lundholm.
Through his knowledge and great commitment, Castor has also contributed to improving the care of children with cancer in developing countries – always with the patient and family in the centre.
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PRIZES AND AWARDS
Lena Nilsson-Wikmar has served as an excellent pedagogical leader at Karolinska Institutet and has been a pioneer in the improvement of its teaching methods. Photo: Ulf Sirborn.
Karolinska Institutet’s Pedagogical Prize Lena Nilsson-Wikmar has been awarded Karolinska Institutet’s Pedagogical Prize. For many years, she has served as an excellent pedagogical leader at KI and has been a pioneer in the improvement of its teaching methods. Lena Nilsson-Wikmar is a professor of physiotherapy (specializing in education) at the Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society (NVS). She has been the program director of the Master’s Program in Clinical Medical Science and has also been responsible for undergraduate and postgraduate education at NVS. In 2011 she was elected as a member of the newly founded Pedagogical Academy and today serves as its chairperson. Nilsson-Wikmar has been heavily involved in the establishment of the InterProfessional Training Ward (KUA) and the Clinical Education Centre (KUM), as well as the creation of the Academic Primary Healtcare Centres. She has been a pioneer when it comes to methods for activating the students and a driving force in matters concerning interprofessional education and integrating a gender perspective into education. In her innovative teaching methods, the central focus is always on the students and PhD students – inspiring them to take responsibility for their own learning. 26
ABOUT THE PRIZE The prize is awarded annually to individual teachers, teacher teams or administrative personnel who have undertaken significant educational initiatives related to pedagogical development or renewal work within Karolinska Institutet’s programmes at first cycle, second cycle or postgraduate levels.
FROM CELL TO SOCIETY 2018
PRIZES AND AWARDS
Hippocampus (using widefield multiphoton microscopy). Photo: Thomas Deerinck.
Lennart Nilsson Award Thomas Deerinck is the recipient of the 2018 Lennart Nilsson Award for his outstanding work to develop techniques that make the invisible visible.
Photo: Private.
Thomas Deerinck, the National Center for Microscopy and Imaging Reseach (NCMIR) and the Center for Research on Biological Systems at the University of California, San Diego, USA, is a scientist, technical specialist and bio-artist who works tirelessly in Lennart Nilsson’s spirit to make the invisible visible. He has made a long series of important contributions to the development of new methods in both light and electron microscopy. His images have often been decisive steps in pioneering research projects, and at the same time, he has captured the beauty of the scientific content and turned it into works of art. FROM CELL TO SOCIETY 2018
ABOUT THE PRIZE The Lennart Nilsson Award is the world’s top accolade in scientific and medical photography. The award was inaugurated in 1998 in honour of Swedish medical photographer Lennart Nilsson, who achieved worldwide recognition for his images. The prize is awarded each year to individuals who make an outstanding contribution to scientific photography “in the spirit of Lennart Nilsson”.
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PRIZES AND AWARDS
Professor Lorelei Lingard has spent more than 20 years studying how healthcare teams function. Photo: Department of Medicine at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, Canada.
The Karolinska Institutet Prize for Research in Medical Education Professor Lorelei Lingard is awarded The Karolinska Institutet Prize for Research in Medical Education. Her work has had a profound impact on both research and methodological development within the field of healthcare education and has contributed significantly to our understanding of the ways that healthcare teams interact and communicate. It has led to new clinical practices and increased patient safety. Lorelei Lingard, Professor in the Department of Medicine at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at Western University, Canada, has spent more than 20 years studying how healthcare teams function – both in providing care and during clinical training. She has studied team members in settings ranging from operating rooms to rehabilitation hospitals and inpatient medicine wards. Her research has found that teamwork is a core part of what needs to be learned within the field of medicine. It needs to be thoroughly understood, developed and assessed in trainees, and consistently improved through continuing medical education. Teamwork is also a key non-technical skill that forms the basic building blocks of safe patient care, alongside leadership, situational awareness and communication. 28
ABOUT THE PRIZE This international prize is awarded for outstanding research in medical education. The purpose is to recognise and stimulate highquality research in the field and to promote long-term improvements of educational practices in medical training. The prize is made possible through financial support from the Gunnar HĂśglund and Anna-Stina Malmborg Foundation.
FROM CELL TO SOCIETY 2018
2018 Text and editor: Anders Nilsson, Parabel Media | Translation: Semantix Co-editors: Sara AldĂŠn and Katarina Sternudd, Karolinska Institutet Portraits (unless otherwise stated): Bildmakarna Design: Sofia Lindberg, Karolinska Institutet Print: TMG Tabergs AB 2018 | ISBN: 978-91-85681-98-3
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