Anna Martling

Anna Martling

Professor/Senior Physician | Docent
Telephone: +46852482725
Visiting address: Elite Hotell, plan 2, Eugeniavägen 6, 17176 Stockholm
Postal address: K1 Molekylär medicin och kirurgi, K1 MMK Kolorektalkirurgi, 171 76 Stockholm

About me

  • Anna Martling is a Professor of Surgery at Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. She defended her thesis on rectal cancer in 2003, became a board certified surgeon in 2004 and an associate professor of surgery in 2009. In 2014 Martling became full professor of surgery. Between 2019 and 2023, Anna Martlin served as Dean at Karolinska Institutet. From 2020 to 2024, she held the role of coordinating and driving the implementation of precision medicine into healthcare within the Stockholm Region. In 2024, Professor Martling served as the Scientific Director of Life Science at Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm.

    Since 2008 she has been heading the research group and responsible for the research field of colorectal surgery with special focus on clinical, translational and epidemiological studies on colorectal cancer. A special interest of Martlings research group has been predictive and prognostic biomarkers, aspirin, radiotherapy, timing of surgery and development of new surgical techniques. Anna Martling has managed to fully integrate the work by the research group into the clinical department creating a unique creative and academic culture supporting high quality clinical research.

    Her research has received numerous awards. In 2013, Anna Martling received the Swedish Surgical Society´s Great Research Prize. In year 2021 she received the prize “Cancer Researcher of the Year” from The Swedish Cancer Society.

    She is considered to be a world leading expert in her field and is a frequent lecturer in Sweden and abroad. Professor Martling is Honorary Fellow of Royal College of Surgeon of England (FRCS), American Colleges of Surgeons (FACS) and American Society of Colorectal Surgeons (FASCRS). Professor Martling is chairman of the Swedish Colorectal Cancer Study Group, which is a national research network for colorectal cancer in Sweden. Between 2015-2018 she has been the Chairman of the Program Committee of ESCP and responsible for the scientific programme for the annual meeting. Since 2020 Professor Martling is coordinating chairman of the Task force for implementing Precision Medicine into healthcare in Region Stockholm.

    Anna Martling's research is funded by the Swedish Research Council, the Swedish Cancer Society, Radiumhemmet's research funds, KI and the Region Stockholm. In 2014, she received the Swedish Research Council's largest grant to date for clinical treatment research of 25 million Swedish crowns.

    Concerned questions

    At Karolinska Institutet (KI), we must jointly create a stimulating and research-facilitating environment that enables world-leading basic scientific, translational and clinical research which together creates value by contributing knowledge about life and improving human health. An important component in this is the introduction of what has come to be known as precision medicine. By running this project in collaboration between KI, SciLifeLab, Karolinska University Hospital and the Stockholm Region, we hope to achieve that important medical advances, new findings and technologies can be implemented in healthcare and create more precise, individualized diagnostics and therapies at the forefront. Another important component to achieve this is that we jointly create conditions for storage, processing, integration and analysis of large amounts of complex data, which not just contributes to the development of precision medicine but also enables secondary use of health data for research.

    At the same time, KI is facing new challenges but also significant opportunities with the major changes in the healthcare structure within the Stockholm Region. It is then of utmost importance that KI is active and deeply involved in the changes and seize the opportunity to build an excellent research and education environment for the future where research and education are integrated and natural parts of our healthcare system at all levels, regardless of mode of operation and care provider.

    Academic honours, awards and prizes
    2023 Honorary Fellow of European Society of Coloproctology (FESCP)

    2023 Honorary Fellow of American College of Surgeons (FACS)

    2022 Honorary Fellow of Royal College of Surgeons of England (FRCS)

    2021 Årets Cancerforskare, Cancerfonden

    2020 Honorary Fellowship of American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (FASCRC)

    2019 Tarmcancerpriset, ILCO

    2019 Med dr Axel Hirsch Pris, Karolinska Institutet

    2018 Hilda and Alfred Eriksson's Prize, Kungliga Vetenskaps Akademin

    2017 Marc-Claude Marti Lecture, Villars, Schweiz

    2016 Årets Lennanderföreläsare, Svenska Läkaresällskapet

    2015 The Edward Wilson Lecture, Sydney, Australia

    2013 Swedish Surgical Society Major Research Prize

Research

  • Research group leader of the group Colorectal Surgery

Selected publications

Articles

All other publications

Grants

Employments

  • Professor/Senior Physician, Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, 2014-

Degrees and Education

  • Docent, Karolinska Institutet, 2009
  • Doctor Of Philosophy, Dept of Surgical Science, Karolinska Institutet, 2003
  • University Medical Degree, Karolinska Institutet, 1994

Leadership and responsibility assignments

  • Research team leader, CITCCA - CIrculating Tumour DNA in Colorectal CAncer, Karolinska Institute, 2020-
  • Research team leader, EROS - EaRly interventiOn and Sexual rehabilitation, Karolinska Institute, 2018-
  • Research team leader, ALASCCA-trial
  • Adjuvant Low dose ASpirin in patients with Colorectal CAncer, Karolinska Institute, 2016-
  • Research team leader, Stockholm III Trial, Karolinska Institute, 2007-2013

Distinction and awards

  • Honorary Fellow of American College of Surgeons (FACS), American College of Surgeons, 2023
  • Honorary Fellow of European Society of Coloproctology (FESCP), European Society of Coloproctology, 2023
  • Member, BJS Award Committee, 2022
  • Honorary Fellow of Royal College of Surgeons of England (FRCS), Royal College of Surgeons of England, 2022
  • Cancer Researcher of the Year, Swedish Cancer Society, Swedish Cancer Society, 2021
  • Honorary Fellowship, American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, 2020
  • Member, International Surgical Group (ISG), 2020
  • Med dr Axel Hirsch Prize, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska Institute, 2019
  • Tarmcancerpriset, ILCO, ILCO, Tarm- uro- och stomiförbundet, 2019
  • Hilda and Alfred Eriksson's Prize, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, 2018
  • Marc-Claude Marti Lecture, Villars, Switzerland, 2017
  • Årets Lennanderföreläsare, the Swedish Society of Medicine, Swedish Society of Medicine, 2016
  • Six best papers award, ESCP meeting, 2016
  • Six best papers award, ESCP meeting, 2015
  • The Edward Wilson Lecture, Sydney, Australia, 2015
  • Swedish Surgical Society Major Research Prize, Swedish Surgical Society, 2013
  • Six best papers award, ESCP meeting, 2012
  • Young Investigator Award, 6 years of salary stipend for postdoctoral researchers in Sweden working on cancer research, Swedish Cancer Society, 2008
  • Six best papers award, ESCP meeting, 2008
  • Young Promising Researcher, Karolinska Institute, 2003

Supervisor

  • Ida Hed Myrberg, 2023
  • Cecilia Merk, 2022
  • Huang Linglong, 2021
  • Sofieke Temmink, Organ preservation in rectal cancer: Implementation and quality assurance, 2021
  • Mehrnoosh Shahrivar, Aspirin use, genetic profile and prognosis in patients with colorectal cancer, https://ki.se/en/people/mehrnoosh-shahrivar, 2020
  • Louise de la Motte, Sequele after multimodal treatment of rectal cancer, 2019
  • Emeli Pontén, 2018
  • Emelie Ponten, 2017
  • Stina Fuentes, Adverse effects and quality of life after radiotherapy and surgery for rectal cancer - a randomized controlled trial enriched with register data, 2016
  • Patrik Lundström, 2015
  • Petri Rantanen, On the clinical evaluation of morhology related and other risk factors in colorectal cancer patients, 2014
  • Anders Hansson Elliot, On preoperative treatment selection and magnetic resonance imaging in rectal cancer
  • John Tapper, Hormones, Muscles and Oncological Outcome in men with rectal cancer
  • Michael Torkzad, Magnetic resonance imaging of rectum : diagnostic and therapy related aspects
  • Gabriella Jansson Palmer, Locally advanced rectal cancer : aspects on management, outcome and quality of life
  • David Pettersson, Preoperative radiotherapy in rectal cancer – aspects of different regimens
  • Richard Bernhoff, Coloncancer- aspects on surgical treatment and Complete Mesocolic Excision
  • Johan Erlandsson, Preoperative radiotherapy in rectal cancer - Aspects on fractionation and timing to surgery
  • Annika Svanström Röjvall, Adverse effects of treatment for rectal cancer- Sexual function, hormones, and bone health
  • Josefin Segelman, Colorectal Cancer – Aspects of multidisciplinary treatment, metastatic disease and sexual function
  • Karin Westberg, Locally recurrent rectal cancer-aspects on management, surgery and outcome
  • Deborah Saraste, Early rectal cancer and screening for colorectal cancer
  • Claes Anderin, Low rectal cancer : aspects of surgical techniques and treatment results
  • Christian Buchli, Rectal cancer : aspects on radiotherapy, androgens and body composition

Committee work

  • Member, Steering committee, Swedish Quantum Life Science Center, 2023-
  • Member, Steering committee, Genomic Medicine Sweden (GMS), 2023-
  • Member, Board of Trustees, European Society of Coloproctology (ESCP), 2021-
  • Member, Steering committee, Clinicum, Karolinska Institute, 2021-
  • Member, Board, Swedish Cancer Society, 2020-2023
  • Chair, Task-force Precision Medicine, Karolinska Institute, 2020-
  • Member, Board, Forska Sverige, 2020-
  • Member, Board of Directors, Karolinska Cancer Comprehensive Center (KCCC), 2020-
  • Member, Board, KI/Region Stockholm, 2019-
  • Member, Board, Bactiguard (Sweden), 2019-
  • Member, Board, St Erik Eye Hospital, 2019-
  • Chair, Stiftelsen Konung Gustaf V:s Jubileumsfond, 2019-2024
  • Member, Faculty Board, Karolinska Institute, 2019-
  • Member, Board of Directors, Centrum for Innovative Medicine (CIMED), 2018-
  • Member, Board of Research, Karolinska Institute, 2015-2018
  • Chair, Program/Scientific Committee, European Society of Coloproctology (ESCP), 2015-2018
  • Chair, Swedish Colorectal Cancer Study Group, 2015-
  • Chair, Bengt Ihre Research Fellowship, 2012-2016
  • Member, Scientific Committee and Research Council, Swedish Cancer Society, 2012-2017
  • Member, Scientific committee, Swedish Cancer Society, 2012-2018
  • Member, United European Gastroenterology Federation Scientific Committee, 2010-2012
  • Chair, Stockholm Colorectal Cancer Study Group, 2008-
  • Member, Steering Committee, Swedish Colorectal Cancer Registry, 2008-2019
  • Other, Advisor, ad hoc committee for development of National Centers of Excellence for the Treatment of Rectal Cancer, American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, 2008-2008
  • Member, Swedish Colorectal Surgery Society, 2004-2006

Editorial work

  • British Journal of Surgery, Editorial board member, 2016
  • European Journal of Surgical Oncology, Associate editor, 2014-2017
  • Colorectal Disease, Associate editor, 2014-2019

News from KI

Events from KI