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.
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Resources in brief
Research at our departments
Karolinska Institutet has 22 departments devided into three department groups or main campuses. Find brief descriptions of the research conducted at each department and links forward to their webpages.
Research centres
A research centre aims to create a dynamic collaboration and share resources within a certain field of research. Research centres at KI can be either collaborations between departments or with other organisations.
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.
News & events in selection
Doing science together: Lessons from university-industry research programs
New center to strengthen investment in cell, gene and tissue therapies
Collaboration with KI gives access to 1.5 million Swedish COVID-19 samples for research
SEK 30 million for new centre of excellence in cell-based cancer treatments
What the new biobank act means for you as a researcher
Stockholm scores high quality rating for societal and patient benefit of its clinical research
Agreement with the digital research infrastructure EBRAINS
Meet our researchers
Rickard Sandberg is a molecular codebreaker
Which genes are expressed in a particular cell at a given time affects which proteins are present in it. This in turn influences the character of the cell. Understanding more about gene expression has been the focus of Professor Rickard Sandberg's research.
Kidney specialist with a passion for education
Annika Östman Wernerson is Professor of Renal and Transplantation Science and has a passion for pedagogical research. On 1 March 2023, she also became KI's new President. One of her goals as President is to streanghten internal dialogue.
Psychiatrist Cristian Rück: "A zero vision for suicide is not possible"
Thanks to the research conducted by Christian Rück and others there is currently research on all compulsive related disorders. He is now venturing into a perhaps even more difficult and important task: Suicide prevention.
Inauguration of 17 new professors
Placebo, drug development in 3D, digital media and mental health – these are some of the research areas that the new professors of Karolinska Institutet are interested in. In mid-October every year it is time for the inauguration ceremony in Aula Medica.
In depth articles and features
Vaccine research
Vaccines have saved lives for more than 200 years and the COVID-19 pandemic has given the vaccine research area a real boost. In 2023, the discoveries behind the development of effective mRNA vaccines were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
Internet CBT may help to heal a broken heart
It is common for middle-aged women with suspected myocardial infarction to be diagnosed with broken heart syndrome instead, which is triggered by stress and grief. Per Tornvall hopes that his research will result in more people receiving the correct diagnosis and fewer people suffering a relapse. He is now testing to see if internet CBT may help to heal the heart.
Curious about nausea
Chewing gum, acupressure, vaccine. There have been numerous attempts to stop nausea. We have interviewed the researchers who are examining an important revolutionary mechanism that makes us feel sick.
When today's psychiatric diagnoses are not enough
You may know about depression and ADHD - but what about the p factor, emotion regulation and symptom networks? We need more concepts for mental health difficulties, say researchers.
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.
Sentenced to care - punishment or opportunity?
Hearing loss — easy to prevent but hard to cure
Sepsis — the hidden killer
Health inequities
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.
Research subjects wanted
By participating you will be helping to make progress in research, which may lead to new or more effective treatments.
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.
KI in numbers
Find KI's key indicators for the last years. Did you, for example, know that about 50% of our research is financed with external grants and awards?