This is what we do at FyFa
The Department of Physiology and Pharmacology (FyFa) at Karolinska Institutet recently marked its 75th anniversary, celebrating a legacy of groundbreaking research and global impact. Renowned for its pioneering work in areas such as neuropsychopharmacology, cardiovascular pharmacology, and pharmacogenomics, FyFa has contributed to Nobel Prize-winning discoveries and consistently ranks among the world’s top institutions in pharmacology.
FyFa has established a remarkable tradition of excellence, with seminal contributions in neuronal control of vasodilatation, cardiovascular pharmacology, neuropsychopharmacology, receptor pharmacology, and pharmacogenomics. These achievements have received global recognition, most notably through Nobel Prizes in Physiology or Medicine. In 1970, Ulf von Euler was awarded the Nobel Prize for discovering the storage, release, and inactivation mechanisms of neurotransmitters. Additionally, the work of Per Hedqvist’s group at FyFa contributed to the Nobel Prize awarded to Sune Bergström and Bengt Samuelsson for their “discoveries concerning prostaglandins and related biologically active substances” in 1982. Over the past decade, Pharmacology at KI has consistently ranked among the world’s top 10 in the QS World University Rankings.
Bridging preclinical and clinical science
Building on this tradition, FyFa continues to emphasise research that bridges preclinical and clinical science. An integrative environment and robust infrastructure foster close collaboration between laboratory-based scientists and clinicians, enabling the efficient translation of discoveries into clinical applications and tangible benefits for patients.
Recent discoveries
Researchers at FyFa has made major contributions across diverse research areas, with several internationally recognised breakthroughs. These include the discovery of exhaled nitric oxide as a biomarker and therapeutic tool in asthma, now widely used in clinical diagnostics; and the identification of mechanisms underlying improved oxygenation in critically ill patients treated in the prone position, findings of great importance during the COVID-19 pandemic. More recent advances include the development of clinically used biomarkers for individualised drug therapy, human like organoid models for investigating different diseases, the discovery of the oral microbiome as a regulator of systemic NO signalling and the discoveries of new pharmacological approaches for treating cardio-metabolic and neurological disorders.
Great things on the horizon
Today, FyFa stands at a pivotal moment, developing transformative infrastructures for research and education connected to medical preparedness and resilience on the horizon.
Supported by a strong network of interdisciplinary, external and international partnerships, FyFa is exceptionally well positioned to remain at the forefront of world-class research and innovation for decades to come.