Peter Saliba Gustafsson

I am a Research Specialist at Karolinska Institutet, based in Professor Paolo Parini’s laboratory within the CardioMetabolic Unit (CMU) at the Department of Medicine, Huddinge. My work spans translational research, functional genomics, and data‑driven analyses in cardiometabolic disease, as well as teaching and supervision within the biomedicine programmes at KI.

I hold a Bachelor’s degree (2010), a Master’s degree (2012), and a PhD in Medical Sciences (2018) from Karolinska Institutet. My scientific training combines molecular and cellular biology with human genetics and biostatistics, enabling work across the full spectrum from mechanistic studies to patient‑oriented research.

My research focuses on the genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying cardiometabolic diseases, with particular emphasis on metabolic dysfunction‑associated fatty liver disease (MASLD/NAFLD), atherosclerosis, and related metabolic traits. I am especially interested in bridging human genetic discoveries with functional validation in relevant cell model systems.

During my doctoral studies, I investigated autophagy pathways in atherosclerosis, identifying mechanistic links between lipid metabolism, autophagy, and inflammatory signalling in macrophages and foam cells. This work laid the foundation for my continued interest in lipid‑driven cardiometabolic disease.

As a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University (Department of Cardiovascular Medicine), I shifted focus towards functional genomics, developing experimental frameworks to translate genome‑wide association study (GWAS) findings into biological insight. This included large‑scale CRISPR‑based perturbation screens and single‑cell transcriptomic approaches in hepatocyte model systems to study genes implicated in fatty liver disease and insulin resistance.

At Karolinska Institutet, my current research integrates single‑cell transcriptomics, CRISPRi screening, and human genetics to dissect disease‑relevant pathways in hepatocytes and hepatic stellate cells. In parallel, I am involved in collaborative clinical and translational projects, including coordination and statistical support for investigator‑initiated clinical studies in cardiometabolic disease.

I am actively involved in teaching within the biomedicine and molecular medicine programmes at Karolinska Institutet. My teaching focuses on quantitative and conceptual foundations of biomedical research, with particular emphasis on human genetics and critical scientific reasoning.

My teaching contributions include lectures and examinations in:

• Genome‑wide association studies (GWAS), including study design, interpretation, and limitations
• Functional genomics and translation of genetic associations to biological mechanisms
• Hypothesis testing, pilot studies, and philosophy of science in biomedical research

I also supervise bachelor’s and master’s thesis projects and have completed formal training in doctoral student supervision and teaching in higher education at KI.