Research at Karolinska Institutet
Karolinska Institutet accounts for the single largest share of all academic medical research conducted in Sweden. The research spans the entire biomedical field – from basic experimental research to clinical studies in collaboration with the health care system. Pioneering research is conducted here in, for example, cancer, neuroscience, immunology, epidemiology, nursing and global health.
Resources in brief
Research at our departments
Karolinska Institutet has 21 departments divided into three departmental or campus groups. These departments are central to the academic environment at our university, with responsibilities encompassing scientific strategy, finance, and administration.
Research groups by subject
Karolinska Institutet has about 800 teams, groups and larger units in research, distributed across 21 departments and three departmental or campus groups. Find an overview of these groupings by research subject, based on the Swedish standard classification.
SciLifeLab
SciLifeLab is a collaboration between multiple Swedish universities, and a national research infrastructure. One of the core missions of SciLifeLab is to provide technologies facilitating the large-scale analysis of biological processes at the molecular level.
Selected news & events
New imaging method enables detailed RNA analysis of the whole brain
KI continues to invest in core facilities
The shadows of the subplate – a seminar with Oxford professor Zoltán Molnár
KI researchers on this year’s Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
Announcing the Swedish Suicide Research Conference in May 2025
New titles for the hidden specialists behind KI's research
Sweden's Innovation Agency awards two KI research environments
Meet our researchers
Petter Brodin wants to understand your immune system
Is your immune system functioning as it should? The question is not as simple to answer as one might think. Professor Petter Brodin is trying to understand more about it. At the same time, he hopes to help patients that are severely affected with post-COVID and other conditions where the regulation of the immune system is not working.
Inger Kull: “Young people with allergies are missed in healthcare”
When Inger Kull was a new nurse in the early 1980s, researchers were looking for risk factors. Today she is a professor and prefers to talk about health factors. Thirty years of research on the Bamse-children have provided answers to many questions, but not the most difficult: Why do children develop allergies?
AI researcher Max Gordon: "AI can do the boring things"
The 2023 AI Swede of the Year feels no need to be at the center of research. Yet that is exactly where he is. The orthopaedic surgeon and researcher Max Gordon was an early adopter of artificial intelligence. Now everyone else wants to know how to do it.
Here are our new professors
The immune system of the airways, AI in healthcare, and the prevention of common diseases and accidents are some of the research areas that the new professors at KI are interested in. Every October, it is time for the Professors’ installation ceremony in Aula Medica. Read about our new professors and learn about their research.
In depth articles and features
A clearer picture of ADHD: focus on function
Over the past 15 years, the number of ADHD diagnoses has risen sharply in Sweden. Is this development reasonable? And what might be the cause? Whilst asking these questions, researchers would also like us to focus less on the diagnosis and more on the functional capacity of people with ADHD.
How old are you – really?
You might be 50 years old, but your body could be as fresh as a 40-year-old’s ‒ or vice versa. Biological ageing has its own pace and rhythm. How we live our lives, what we experience, and the quality of medical treatment we receive all influence how quickly we wear out.
Challenge the sway - Curious about balance
To maintain balance, several factors must align. The inner ears and eyes need to send accurate signals to the brain. Good motor skills and sense of touch, especially in the feet, along with a healthy brain, are necessary. It is not surprising that balance disorders can occur, but how should they be treated?
How screen habits affects children's health
Screen time is often associated with poor health in young people, but it is more complicated than that, say researchers. We are affected, but differently and not just negatively. What we do on our phones – and what we do when we are not using them – also plays a role in our well-being.
Cleaning – not to be swept under the rug
In the healthcare setting, keeping things clean can be vital to prevent the spread of dangerous bacteria. But in a household, what’s best for your health – to live pretty dirty or to be a clean freak? Read our interviews with the researchers who have a pure interest in cleaning.
Nicotine in a new guise
Breast cancer — what is causing it?
Long live the liver!
Sentenced to care — punishment or opportunity?
More on research at KI
Animal research
Animal research is strictly regulated and comes under both Swedish and EU legislation on animal welfare.
Collaboration worldwide
International collaborations are crucial for KI to fulfill our mission and strive towards better health for all.
Doctoral education
World-class research and specialised research environments create a breeding ground for PhD studies at KI.
New doctoral theses
Each year, around 350 doctoral students at KI will present their thesis to their peers in science.
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
In his will, Alfred Nobel appointed Karolinska Institutet to award the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
Top publications list
Current articles to which our researchers have contributed and that have been published in selected top-ranked journals.
University Library
Find papers, advice about bibliometrics and publishing strategy, academic writing workshops, and much more.
Working at KI
KI's vision is to be one of the leading medical universities in the world. Our committed and competent employees make this possible.