Joakim Dillner

Joakim Dillner

Professor/R&D Manager
Visiting address: F56 Karolinska Universitetssjukhuset Huddinge, 14186 Stockholm
Postal address: H9 Klinisk vetenskap, intervention och teknik, H9 CLINTEC Centrum för Cervixcancereliminering, 141 52 Huddinge
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About me

  • I am Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology at KI since 2009 and Head of Section at Molecular Cancer Diagnostics & Screening, Pathology & Cancer Diagnostics, Medical Diagnostics Karolinska, Karolinska University Hospital since 2024. I have conducted research in tumor virology since 1982 and became professor in virology in 2001. Since 1989, my group has conducted Human Papillomavirus (HPV) research in the areas of molecular biology, immunology and vaccinology, clinical virology and epidemiology.
    Major projects include Swedescreen, the first started randomised trial of HPV-screening (since 1997), biobank- and registry-based follow-up studies of HPV vaccination (since 1999), the International Human Papillomavirus Reference Center, the National Quality Registry of Cervical Cancer Prevention and the Swedish national project for Faster elimination of HPV and Cervical Cancer.


    Education
    Dr. Med. Sc. (Ph.D.) in Tumor Biology at Karolinska Institutet 1986
    M.D. Karolinska Institutet 1995
    Post-doc 1986-1988 at Scripps, La Jolla
    Docent in Virology, Karolinska Institutet, 1990

    Academic honours, awards and prizes
    Member of the Board of Research of the Swedish Cancer Society 2009-2015
    Director of the Swedish National Quality Registry of Cervical Cancer Screening
    Cancer networker of the year 2018 (honorary award from the Network against Cancer, which includes national cancer-related patient associations in Sweden)

    Recipient of the 2019 ‘Eldsjälspriset’ (Dedicated Champion Award) from the patient organization Network Against Gynecological Cancer

Research

  • My research focuses on cancer prevention and tumor virology, such as trials on the use of HPV testing in the gynecological cell sampling program and translational  studies on HPV vaccination. The aim of my research is to be able to develop more effective cancer prevention programs.

Articles

All other publications

Grants

  • Swedish Research Council
    1 December 2021 - 30 November 2024
  • Translational Studies of Human Papillomavirus
    Swedish Cancer Society
    1 January 2018
    Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the quantitatively most important preventable causes of cancer. WHO estimates that about 5% of all cancers in humans could be eradicated if cancer-causing HPV were eradicated. There are effective vaccines against HPV. There are also tests for HPV which, when used in organized gynecological cell sampling, provide better cancer protection than the old-fashioned cell sample. Our international reference laboratory provides a uniform quality for the detection and classification of HPV, a prerequisite for both basic research and prevention. We analyze the organized cell sampling program and the HPV vaccination program to demonstrate whether there is an opportunity to increase the cancer prevention effect. We hope that the organized gynecological cell sampling program will have an even better preventive effect against cervical cancer. We hope to contribute to an increased understanding of the spread of HPV infections and the medical significance of this. We hope to contribute to the design of a successful elimination of HPV infections through vaccination and thereby to the prevention of HPV-induced cancers.
  • Swedish Research Council
    1 December 2017 - 31 December 2019
  • Translational Studies of Human Papillomavirus
    Swedish Cancer Society
    1 January 2017
    Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the quantitatively most important preventable causes of cancer. WHO estimates that about 5% of all cancers in humans could be eradicated if cancer-causing HPV were eradicated. There are effective vaccines against HPV. There are also tests for HPV which, when used in organized gynecological cell sampling, provide better cancer protection than the old-fashioned cell sample. Our international reference laboratory provides a uniform quality for the detection and classification of HPV, a prerequisite for both basic research and prevention. We analyze the organized cell sampling program and the HPV vaccination program to demonstrate whether there is an opportunity to increase the cancer prevention effect. We hope that the organized gynecological cell sampling program will have an even better preventive effect against cervical cancer. We hope to contribute to an increased understanding of the spread of HPV infections and the medical significance of this. We hope to contribute to the design of a successful elimination of HPV infections through vaccination and thereby to the prevention of HPV-induced cancers.
  • Translational Studies of Human Papillomavirus
    Swedish Cancer Society
    1 January 2016
    Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is today considered one of the quantitatively most important preventable causes of cancer. WHO has estimated that about 5% of all cancers in humans could be eradicated if cancer-causing HPV could be eradicated. There are effective vaccines against HPV. There are also HPV tests that, when used in organized gynecological cell sampling, provide better cancer protection than the old-fashioned cell sample. Finally, there are a large number of HPV viruses that are often found in skin cancer. A large-scale analysis of which HPV types are found in these tumors can provide a good basis for continued research on HPV's role in cancer. Our international reference laboratory provides a uniform quality for the detection and classification of HPV, a prerequisite for both basic research and prevention. We test skin tumors for if they contain HPV. We analyze the organized cell sampling program and the HPV vaccination program, if there is the possibility of increasing the cancer prevention effect. We introduce organized sampling for HPV, in a controlled and evaluable way. We hope that the organized gynecological cell sampling program will have an even better preventive effect against cervical cancer. We hope to contribute to an increased understanding of the extent and role of HPV infections in various tumors. We hope to contribute to the design of a successful elimination of HPV infections through vaccination and thereby to the prevention of HPV-induced cancers.
  • Translational Studies of Human Papillomavirus
    Swedish Cancer Society
    1 January 2015
    Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is today considered one of the quantitatively most important preventable causes of cancer. WHO has estimated that about 5% of all cancers in humans could be eradicated if cancer-causing HPV could be eradicated. There are effective vaccines against HPV. There are also HPV tests that, when used in organized gynecological cell sampling, provide better cancer protection than the old-fashioned cell sample. Finally, there are a large number of HPV viruses that are often found in skin cancer. A large-scale analysis of which HPV types are found in these tumors can provide a good basis for continued research on HPV's role in cancer. Our international reference laboratory provides a uniform quality for the detection and classification of HPV, a prerequisite for both basic research and prevention. We test skin tumors for if they contain HPV. We analyze the organized cell sampling program and the HPV vaccination program, if there is the possibility of increasing the cancer prevention effect. We introduce organized sampling for HPV, in a controlled and evaluable way. We hope that the organized gynecological cell sampling program will have an even better preventive effect against cervical cancer. We hope to contribute to an increased understanding of the extent and role of HPV infections in various tumors. We hope to contribute to the design of a successful elimination of HPV infections through vaccination and thereby to the prevention of HPV-induced cancers.
  • Biobank-based Evaluation of New Cervical Screening Tests
    Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research
    1 January 2015 - 31 December 2019
  • Swedish Research Council
    1 January 2015 - 31 December 2017
  • Translational Studies of Human Papillomavirus
    Swedish Cancer Society
    1 January 2014
    Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is today considered one of the quantitatively most important preventable causes of cancer. WHO has estimated that about 5% of all cancers in humans could be eradicated if cancer-causing HPV could be eradicated. There are effective vaccines against HPV. There are also HPV tests that, when used in organized gynecological cell sampling, provide better cancer protection than the old-fashioned cell sample. Finally, there are a large number of HPV viruses that are often found in skin cancer. A large-scale analysis of which HPV types are found in these tumors can provide a good basis for continued research on HPV's role in cancer. Our international reference laboratory provides a uniform quality for the detection and classification of HPV, a prerequisite for both basic research and prevention. We test skin tumors for if they contain HPV. We analyze the organized cell sampling program and the HPV vaccination program, if there is the possibility of increasing the cancer prevention effect. We introduce organized sampling for HPV, in a controlled and evaluable way. We hope that the organized gynecological cell sampling program will have an even better preventive effect against cervical cancer. We hope to contribute to an increased understanding of the extent and role of HPV infections in various tumors. We hope to contribute to the design of a successful elimination of HPV infections through vaccination and thereby to the prevention of HPV-induced cancers.
  • The Nordic Information for Action eScience Center
    NordForsk
    1 January 2014 - 31 December 2018
  • Swedish Research Council
    1 January 2012 - 31 December 2014

Employments

  • Professor/R&D Manager, Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, 2023-
  • Professor/R&D Manager, Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, 2018-2022
  • Professor/Clinical Chemist, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, 2012-2017
  • Professor, Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, 2009-2017
  • Professor, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, 2009-2012

Degrees and Education

  • University Medical Degree, Karolinska Institutet, 1995

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