Karolina af Ekenstam

I am a PhD student conducting a research project on autoimmune mechanisms and muscle pathology in fibromyalgia. The studies also involve proteomics and investigations of skin abnormalities associated with fibromyalgia.

In addition to my doctoral research, I work clinically as a physician and specialist in rehabilitation medicine, focusing on the treatment and rehabilitation of patients with chronic pain conditions, including fibromyalgia. As a practicing clinician, I play an important role in the collection of data from individuals with fibromyalgia as well as healthy controls, and I collaborate with two laboratories at Karolinska Institutet.

Together, we are able to conduct research that would not be possible without this rewarding and highly valuable collaboration.

My research interests currently focus primarily on the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying fibromyalgia and on the associations between physiological findings and clinical variables, which form the core of my PhD project.

As a clinician and future researcher, however, I also envision conducting clinical studies, particularly on rehabilitation interventions for individuals living with chronic pain who experience substantial limitations in their daily lives and a significantly reduced quality of life as a result of their condition.

I regularly teach fourth-semester physiotherapy students about medical conditions that are common causes of chronic pain.

To date, I have also participated on a limited basis in teaching activities within the medical program.