Cancer Research KI
Cancer Research KI is an overarching umbrella organisation of cancer research at Karolinska Institutet, that includes more than 350 research groups. The aim is to combine cancer research with clinical oncology by bringing together top level cancer scientists from different disciplines, with the goal to aid generating new scientific discoveries that can be rapidly translated into clinical practice for the benefit of patients and society.
The Cancer Research KI missions
Educating
News
Cancer Research KI PI Retreat 2025 Recap
During February 17th and 18th, 80 principal investigators from 13 departments at KI, both from the Solna and Flemingsberg campuses, participated in the Cancer Research KI PI Retreat in Djurönäset. The participating researchers covered pre-clinical, translational, clinical, and epidemiological research areas. The event featured research presentations, elevator pitches, and, for the first time this year, a session on Personalized Cancer Medicine and Clinical Trials, followed by a panel discussion. Additionally, a Fast-Track Collaboration Challenge was held to foster new collaborations among the participating PIs.
Rolf Kiessling awarded for his groundbreaking discovery of natural killer (NK) cells
Prestigious Göran Gustafsson Prize to Laura Baranello
Laura Baranello, principal researcher at the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology at Karolinska Institutet, receives the Göran Gustafsson Prize in molecular biology. The goal of her research is to find a new strategy for gentler cancer treatments. The idea is to improve both survival and quality of life for patients in the future.
"The biggest challenge today with chemotherapy is that the drugs cannot distinguish between cancer cells and fast-growing healthy cells. This means that doctors sometimes hesitate to start treatment because the patient suffers from so many side effects. Our goal is to achieve a greater understanding of the molecular mechanism of the topoisomerases in cancer cells using a combination of genomics and molecular biology approaches".
Dan Grandér Research Prize
The Dan Grandér Research Prize is awarded annually for the best dissertation in cancer research at Karolinska Institutet.
Nomination for 2024 year's award is open until March 31st 2025.
En dag för cancerforskning 2024
Watch the recordings of En dag för cancerforskning 2024 here.
2024 Blue Sky grant recipients
Congratulations to the Blue Sky grant recipients of 2024:
Claudia Kutter, Erdinc Sezgin, Joel Rurik, Kimmo Kartasalo, Lisa Westerberg, Niklas Björkström, Oliver Mortusewicz, Qiang Pan Hammarström, Roland Fiskesund, and Tom Erkers
Events, Seminars and Workshops
Photo: N/AIndustry-Academia Collaborations Seminar Series on Artificial Intelligence (AI)
The Power of AI in Oncology and Healthcare
How can researchers and companies work together to drive innovation in health and AI? Join us for an insightful event where experts share their experiences on industry-academia collaboration, intellectual property strategies, and the practical implementation of AI in healthcare. Gain valuable perspectives on accelerating research impact, simplifying imaging and AI in cancer studies, and navigating the IP landscape for successful partnerships.
Date: 26 March 2025
Time: 14:45 (program starts at 15:00)
Speakers: Elisabeth Epstein, Frantzeska Papadopoulou Skarp, Johanna Furuhjelm, and Fredrik Illerstam. The presentations will be followed by an after work. Check the full program for the event.
Registration: Please, register here for the seminar and after work.
This seminar is a joint collaboration between Cancer Research KI and KI Science Park.
Photo: Liza SimonssonKarolinska CCC Day 2025
The Karolinska CCC Day will take place on 31 March 2025.
Registration for the event is closed!
The event is free, but registration is required. You can register here. Don't forget to sign up for the poster session when you register. There will be a prize for the best poster!
Registration and abstract submission deadline: 19 March 2025
Speakers: Mef Nilbert, Miriam Merad, Patrik Rossi, Elias Arnér, Anita Wanngren, Magnus Nilsson, Mattias Carlsten and many more.
Latest program with all speakers can be found here.
Photo: CancerfondenWebinar on "Clinical Treatment Studies" with Cancerfonden, 7 April 2025
On April 7th 2025, Cancer Research KI is organizing a joint webinar with the Swedish Cancer Foundation (Cancerfonden) to highlight clinical researchers who have received grants within the Clinical Treatment Studies (Kliniska behandlingsstudier) call.
Date: 7th April 2025, 13:00-15:00
Speakers: Malin Sund (Cancerfonden), Hanna Eriksson, Pernilla Lagergren, and Mattias Carlsten.
Registration: Please register here to receive the link for the webinar. Note that the link will be sent a few days before the event.
Language: English
Photo: Getty Images,Getty Images/iStockphotoCancer Workshop for Patient Organisations 2025
Together with RCC Stockholm-Gotland, Cancer Research KI at Karolinska Institutet is organizing the seventh cancer workshop for patient organizations.
The workshop will be held online on April 10th (13:00-14:35). During the event, participants will gain insights into cutting-edge research in the cancer field, this year with a special focus on cancers common in women.
Speakers: Renske Altena, Marike Gabrielson, Yvonne Wengström and Hanna Milerad.
Registration: Please register here to receive the seminar link. Alternatively, you can email us at cancerresearchki@ki.se.
The workshop will be conducted in Swedish.
Photo: n/aRadiotherapy Workshop with the National Institute of Oncology Budapest
Save the date for the second radiotherapy workshop in Stockholm within the framework of the "twinning agreement" between KI and NIO. The workshop will cover radiotherapy (RT) related research ongoing at Karolinska University Hospital, KI and NIO. It will cover several topics such as brachytherapy, SBRT, clinical RT trials and preclinical RT research.
Date: 12-13 May 2025
Information about the program and registration will follow.
Photo: n/a7th Cancer Swedish Research Meeting in Malmö
Register for the up-coming Swedish Cancer Research Meeting 22-23 May 2025 in Malmö!
The meeting is open to all clinical, preclinical researchers and others with an interest in cancer research from the organizing universities.
The four keynote speakers are Douglas Hanahan, Jana de Boniface, Anna Blom, and Julian Downward. The meeting hosts plenary sessions on the themes: Immunotherapy, Prevention and Biomarker Implementation.
Abstract submission deadline: The deadline for abstract submission is 14th March 2025.
Venue: Clarion Hotel & Congress Malmö Live
Host: Lund University Cancer Centre
Grant Announcements
Photo: Mayo ClinicCollaborative Call to Support Cancer Research - Mayo Clinic and Cancer Research KI 2025
The Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center (MCCCC) and Cancer Research Karolinska Institutet (CRKI) are pleased to announce the 2025 Request for Applications (RFA) within the areas of breast cancer, other solid tumors, and hematologic malignancies with a submission deadline of April 4, 2025.
Photo: Getty ImagesTherapeutic Catalyst Grant
Cancer Research UK Therapeutic Catalyst Awards were launched in late 2021 and have been a great success. The scheme operates as a collaborative venture between research scientists and drug discoverers within Cancer Research Horizons to accelerate the translation of novel ideas for therapeutic discovery. Awards can be up to £250,000 to support a 12–18-month proposal. There are 3 rounds of applications per year held in February, June and October.
Next expression of interest deadline: 6 June 2025.