Lars Björndahl

Lars Björndahl

Affiliated to Research | Docent
Visiting address: C2:94, Karolinska Universitetssjukhuset Huddinge, 14186 Stockholm
Postal address: H7 Medicin, Huddinge, H7 CeRM Rydén&Mejhert, 171 77 Stockholm
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About me

  • Associate Professor of Andrology, Specialist in laboratory medicine (Clinical Chemistry). Worked with
    standardization, training and quality control concerning human ejaculate
    examination since 1994.
    Ph.D: in reproductive physiology with a thesis 1986: /On sperm nuclear zinc
    and chromatin decondensation : an in vitro study on the physiology of the
    ejaculated human spermatozoon/. Stockholm, Karolinska Institutet.
    Active in the build of a new andrology laboratory at Karolinska University
    Hospital since 1987. Head of this laboratory as part of ANOVA since 2013.
    Consultant Advisor in Laboratory Andrology since 1995.
    /Research Fellow/ and /honorary Senior Lecturer/ in Human Reproductive
    Biology, University of Birmingham and the Assisted Conception Unit, ,
    Birmingham Women's Health Care Trust, 2001-2005
    Senior Consultant Physician at the Andrology Laboratory, Centre for Andrology
    and Sexual Medicine (later ANOVA), from 2010.
    Organizer of the ESHRE Campus Course on Sperm Chromatin Stability (Stockholm
    2009)
    Chairman of the Organizing Committee and Host of the XIIIth International
    Symposium on Spermatology (Stockholm 2018).
    *Earlier Scientific Commissions:*
    * 2004-08: Co-ordinator of the ESHRE Special Interest Group in Andrology.
    * 2010-14: Associate Editor of Human Reproduction.
    * 2005-2010: Member of Editorial Board of WHO manual on human semen
    examination, 5th edition
    *Present Scientific Commissions:*
    * Associate Editor of Human Reproduction Update
    * Associate Editor of Andrology
    * Editorial Board Member Asian Journal of Andrology
    * Project Leader: ISO Technical Standard for human semen examination
    * Editor in Chief - Editorial Board of WHO manual on human semen
    examination, 6th edition
    * Expert (Laboratory Andrology) in WHO Infertility Global Guidelines and
    Research Group
    * Chairman Technical Committe 331, Swedish Institute for Standards
    (www.sis.se)
    Hon Senior Lecturer in Reproductive Medicine, University of Birmingham,
    2003-2005.
    Associate Editor, Human Reproduction 2010-14; twice awarded "top-ten"
    reviewer of manuscripts for Human Reproduction,
    Member of editorial committees of Andrology and Asian Journal of Androloy.
    Conference Grant (Swedish Research Council): Sperm Chromatin structure and
    stability (2009)
    Conference Grant (Swedish Research Council): XIIIth International Symposium
    on Spermatology (2018)
    M.D. 1982; Ph.D. 1986 (Karolinska Institutet). Swedish Licence as Physician
    1990, Specialist in Clinical Chemistry 1992

Research

  • Starting out with investigations on the zinc dependence of human sperm
    head-tail connection my Ph.D. project focused on the zinc dependent chromatin
    stabilization, concluding that the environment spermatozoa were expelled in
    determined the status of the sperm chromatin stability. Early loss of zinc
    (to binders originating from the seminal vesicular fluid) induced an
    initially decreased stability that was rapidly exchanged for an extreme
    stability, that would jeopardize the rapid unravelling of the chromaitn in
    the oocyte potentially causing failure of zygote development after
    fertilization. The relation between zinc rich prostatic fluid and potential
    negative influence of seminal vesicular fluid has been further investigated.
    Co-supervisor of Dr Emma Holmes has shown the huge increase in semen
    osmolality in ejaculates kept in vitro and the relation to rapid
    deterioration of sperm motility during clinical relevant preparation for
    Assisted Reproductive Technologies.
    Supervisor of Dr Petr Houska whos project focuses on sperm DNA abnormalities
    as (sperm DNA fragmentation) measured by Flow Cytometry of sperm DNA stained
    with Acridine Orange in order to distinguish between single stranded and
    double stranded DNA. This test is widely used in commercial IVF centres, but
    the clinical value for the individual patient is very limited since many
    unknown factors influence the result of individual patients. The Ph.D.
    project includes experimental studies to evaluate factors besides actual DNA
    damages that can have significant effect on the final result of the sperm DNA
    fragmentation test.
    My own studies in recent years have focused on the establishment of modern
    laboratory medicine techniques for reliable results from ejaculate
    examinations.

Teaching

  • Extensive experience from teaching physiology and most aspects of basic
    medicine to different categories of students. Since 1995 involved in
    development of standardized training courses on WHO and ESHRE recommended
    techniques for reliable analysis of human semen.
    Course-leader and teacher SVK Andrologi och Sexualmedicin (KI 2020-) and
    teacher SVK Sexualmedicin (KI 2020)

Articles

All other publications

Grants

Employments

  • Affiliated to Research, Department of Medicine, Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, 2023-2025

Degrees and Education

  • Docent, Andrology, Karolinska Institutet, 2024

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