Research at our departments
Karolinska Institutet has 22 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 within their respective areas. On this page, you will find a brief overview of the departments’ scientific focus and links to their webpages.
Department of Biosciences and Nutrition
We conduct experimental research in molecular ageing, cancer biology, biologic drugs and biomaterials, functional genomics, structural biology, bioinformatics, and nutrition.
Department of Cell and Molecular Biology
Our research involves many different biological systems, including viruses, unicellular eukaryotes, animal models as well as direct human studies. Research groups at the department are organised in three themes: cell biology; developmental and stem cell biology; and infection and cancer.
Department of Clinical Sciences, Danderyd Hospital
We conduct clinical research in anesthesiology and intensive care, cardiovascular diseases, skin, surgery and urology, medicine, nephrology, obstetrics and gynecology, orthopedics and rehabilitation medicine.
Department of Clinical Science and Education, Södersjukhuset
We conduct clinical research in anesthesiology, hand surgery, infections, cardiology, women's health and delivery, orthopedics, pediatrics, prehospital- and emergency medicine, stroke, diabetes and endocrinology.
Department of Clinical Neuroscience
Our research is about brain function at all levels, from molecular to societal. The department’s researchers are active in a wide range of areas including insurance medicine, psychology, psychiatry, neurobiology, and ophthalmology
Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology
We conduct research in anesthesiology, audiology, surgery, speech therapy, renal diseases, obstetrics and gynecology, orthopedics, paediatrics, radiography, transplantation, urology, and ear, nose and throat diseases. The research is largely clinical and translational, although experimental and comparative studies also are represented.
Department of Dental Medicine
Our research is about improving people’s oral health, preventing or treating oral diseases, and understanding the connections between oral and systemic health. Research is conducted in areas such as maxillofacial surgery, oral prosthetics, orofacial pain, orthodontics, periodontology, and pediatric dentistry.
Institute of Environmental Medicine
We conduct research in toxicology, epidemiology, physiology and occupational medicine as regards to the impact of the environment on health, with a focus on chemical and physical factors as well as lifestyle. The institute also has a government assignment as a national expert body in environmental medicine.
Department of Global Public Health
We are a multidisciplinary department with the aim to advance knowledge about challenges and opportunities for public health in a local, national, and global setting. This includes studying how societal phenomena affect health in a globalized world and translating research evidence into public health action.
Department of Laboratory Medicine
We conduct research in cell and tissue biology, physiology, genomics, immune and gene therapy, immunology, infection, metabolism, pathology, and on transfusion and transplantation.
Department of Learning, Informatics, Management and Ethics
We conduct research in leadership and management in health care, lifelong learning for healthcare professionals, ethics and policy issues related to health care and research, health care information systems, social innovation and suicide prevention.
Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics
We conduct research in protein chemistry, redox biochemistry, metabolism, lipid research, inflammation research, structural biochemistry, molecular biochemistry, tissue biology, and developmental biology.
Department of Medical Epidemology and Biostatistics
We conduct epidemiologic research of many kinds, ranging from traditional to genetic and molecular epidemiology as well as statistical methodology and bioinformatics. The foundation of our research is information collected through questionnaires, interviews, medical records, different types of registers and biological samples.
Department of Medicine, Huddinge
We conduct research in endocrinology, gastroenterology, hematology, cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases, infectious diseases and rheumatology.
Department of Medicine, Solna
We conduct research in allergy, atherosclerosis, dermatology and venerology, infectious diseases, inflammatory diseases, cardiology, clinical epidemiology, pulmonary medicine and rheumatology.
Department of Microbiology, Tumour and Cell Biology
We conduct research in cell and tumour biology, immunology, and infection biology. Our research is about understanding and exploring the molecular basis of infectious diseases and cancers and associated immunological responses. We are committed to translating our discoveries through the development of diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines.
Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery
We conduct research in areas such as diabetes, clinical physiology, clinical genetics, orthopaedics, rare diagnoses, sports medicine, urology, and surgery, for example plastic surgery, thoracic surgery, and vascular surgery. The research is both preclinical and clinical.
Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society
We conduct research in care sciences and nursing, ageing and clinical geriatrics, occupational therapy and physiotherapy, as well as social and psychosocial aspects of illness and care.
Department of Neuroscience
The department hosts research groups studying the nervous system’s functions in health and disease. Research projects include a broad range of studies at the molecular and cellular levels, the network level and at the level of the overall organisation of the nervous system.
Department of Oncology-Pathology
We conduct research in areas such as molecular pathology, tumour biology, and immunotherapies against cancer. The research aims to improve the understanding of cancer development and progression, as well as to develop new treatments and diagnostic tools.
Department of Physiology and Pharmacology
We conduct research in the areas of pharmacology, physiology, anesthesiology and intensive care.
Department of Women’s and Children’s Health
We conduct research in asthma and allergy, pediatric surgery, pediatric oncology, pediatric orthopedics, child and adolescent psychiatry, endocrinology, infections and inflammations, neonatalogy, paediatric neurology, neuropsychiatry, obstetrics and gynaecology, reproductive health, musculoskeletal diseases, and rare diseases.