Gustav Stålhammar

Professor of ophthalmology
Research group leader
M.D. Ph.D. FEBO
Board certified ophthalmologist
Board certified pathologist
Director, St. Erik Ophthalmic Pathology Laboratory

My work centers on reducing the mortality and morbidity associated with ocular and periocular cancer.

I lead a clinically focused research group of about twelve investigators who run several parallel projects toward this goal. A major emphasis is uveal melanoma, the most common primary intraocular malignancy in adults. Despite enucleation, nearly 50 % of patients later develop metastases, and median survival after distant spread is only ~18 months. We can now stratify patients’ metastatic risk with high precision using a next-generation sequencing panel developed in our laboratory, yet effective preventive therapies remain scarce. Closing this gap is a core objective of my research.

Another recent advance is our deep-learning algorithm that differentiates benign pigmented fundus lesions—which occur in roughly 7 % of Caucasians—from the far rarer but life-threatening melanomas. Because benign lesions are so common, reliable triage is a genuine clinical challenge. We anticipate that targeted education plus automated early detection will enable earlier intervention and better outcomes.

I also serve as Principal Investigator of AMUM (clinicaltrials.gov), the world’s longest-running randomized trial evaluating adjuvant melatonin for uveal melanoma.

In 2025, our uveal melanoma research was ranked fifth globally in prominence over the past five years: ScholarGPS