About the Network for Movement and Physical Function
Research on how we move is critical to understand and treat a variety of medical conditions, from musculoskeletal disorders due to injury, work or genetic disorders to movement problems in neurological disease or old age. By gathering resources and expertise from eight different departments within Karolinska Institutet, this network will enable interdisciplinary collaborations and promote ground-breaking research and teaching.
Photo: AI-generated image.
Why a network on movement and physical function?
- Musculoskeletal diseases and reduced mobility are the biggest disease burdens globally and lead to great individual suffering, reduced work ability and low quality of life.
- To help patients with physical disabilities, it is important to understand how the musculoskeletal system works.
- We need to build bridges between basic research and applicable knowledge.
- We need to explore how our genes and cells affect our ability to move.
- We need to explore how the ability to move is connected to our psyche, well-being and quality of life.
- We need to improve our diagnostic skills to be able to detect the problems early.
- We need to develop and evaluate new treatment methods that can optimize and improve motor skills and movement from toddlers to the elderly.
The network's aims are to
- Increase the number of inter-institutional collaborations at KI, research exchanges and support researchers to identify possible collaboration partners for future research, education and innovations.
- Support the start-up and implementation of short- and long-term translational research by integrating different types of research; from cell biology research to clinical application.
- Create an important informative public platform on the importance of movement and physical function to increase interaction between research, teaching and society.