Mucosal immunology lab – Charlotte Thålin research group

Our research group is driven by two main missions: exploration of the role of secretory IgA in protection against respiratory infections, and early detection of cancer through blood-based biomarkers.

Inside COMMUNITY lab in Danderyd Hospital
Group of people in front of the sea
Members in the Charlotte Thålin research group.

Our research group is engaged in both clinical, basic and translational research and our interests span across mucosal immunity to the exploration of cancer biomarkers.

Our team divides current focus between two distinct aims:

  • a deeper understanding of the role of secretory IgA in respiratory mucosal immunity
  • the discovery of biomarkers predicting an occult cancer in high-risk populations

To achieve these goals, we lead two clinical cohort studies; MEDECA and COMMUNITY, and in 2024, we launched the D/T-MAP project: Dissecting and Translating the Functional Role of Mucosal IgA Glycoprofiles for Effective Humoral Mucosal Protection.

Our research

Our research is deeply rooted in a translational framework, with our unique clinical biobanks at its core. Blood and respiratory samples are collected at Danderyd Hospital and processed and stored at Kliniskt Forskningscentrum (KFC), a research infrastructure embedded within Danderyd Hospital.

This close clinical integration enables efficient sample handling and fosters a true bedside-to-bench-and-back approach. By integrating clinical sciences with translational methods and interdisciplinary collaborations, we conduct innovative, patient-centered research.

Our lab integrates techniques such as flow cytometry, ELISA, qPCR, and in vitro cell-based assays and we have established a dedicated human adult stem cell (hASC) organoid platform to study airway immunity in physiologically relevant tissue models.

Publications

Selected publications

Funding

Our research is supported by several awards, including funding from:

  • The Swedish Research Council (2022–2025)
  • ALF (2020–2025),
  • ERC Starting Grant (2024)
  • The Knut and Alice Wallenberg Project Grant (2024)
  • The SSMF Consolidator Grant (2024)
  • Region Stockholm
  • Stitching af Jochnick Foundation
  • Jonas and Christina af Jochnick Foundation
  • Hjärt-Lungfonden
  • National Institute of Health (NIH)

Staff and contact

Charlotte Thålin

All members of the group

Collaborations

Our work is strengthened by close collaborations with globally leading scientists with complementary expertise spanning molecular biotechnology, proteomics, glycomics, virology, immunology and vaccinology:

  • Sophia Hober, Professor of Molecular Biotechnology at KTH
  • Peter Nilsson, Professor of Proteomics, KTH
  • Mikael Åberg, Associate Professor Uppsala University and head of the Unit of Affinity Proteomics SciLifeLab Uppsala
  • Jonas Klingström, Professor of Virology at Linköping University
  • Jessica Alm, PhD, Strategic Process Leader Defence-Related Medicine, Head of Unit National Pandemic Center, Karolinska Institutet
  • Mattias Forsell, Professor of Immunology at Umeå Universitet
  • Nigel Mackman, Professor of hematology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • Manfred Wuhrer, professor of Proteomics and Glycomics and head of the Center for Proteomics and Metabolomics of the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC)
  • Gestur Vidarsson, Professor in Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics at Utrecht University
  • Fay Probert, PhD, Dorothy Hodgkin Career Development Fellow at the University of Oxford
  • Youjia Zhong, Associate professor in clinical immunology at the National University of Singapore
  • Viviana Simon, Professor in Microbiology and Virology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai New York
  • Florian Krammer, Professor of Vaccinology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai New York