Cancer Research KI
Cancer Research KI is an overarching umbrella organisation of cancer research at Karolinska Institutet, that includes more than 400 research groups. The aim is to combine cancer research with clinical oncology by bringing together top level cancer scientists from different disciplines, with the goal to aid generating new scientific discoveries that can be rapidly translated into clinical practice for the benefit of patients and society.
The Cancer Research KI missions
Educating
News
Karolinska CCC first in Sweden to renew accreditation
Karolinska Comprehensive Cancer Center will be the first center in Sweden to receive renewed accreditation. This milestone marks an important step in further strengthening the collaboration between Karolinska University Hospital and KI. Childhood cancer is now also part of Karolinska CCC.
Rolf Kiessling receives a distinguished award for immunotherapy research
Professor Rolf Kiessling at Karolinska Institutet has been selected as the recipient of the 2025 CIMT Lifetime Achievement Award for his groundbreaking discovery of natural killer (NK) cells, which has significantly advanced our understanding of the immune response to viruses and cancer cells.
Cancer Research KI PI Retreat 2025 Recap
During February 17th and 18th, 80 principal investigators from 13 departments at KI, both from the Solna and Flemingsberg campuses, participated in the Cancer Research KI PI Retreat in Djurönäset. The participating researchers covered pre-clinical, translational, clinical, and epidemiological research areas. The event featured research presentations, elevator pitches, and, for the first time this year, a session on Personalized Cancer Medicine and Clinical Trials, followed by a panel discussion. Additionally, a Fast-Track Collaboration Challenge was held to foster new collaborations among the participating PIs.
Prestigious Göran Gustafsson Prize to Laura Baranello
Laura Baranello, principal researcher at the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology at Karolinska Institutet, receives the Göran Gustafsson Prize in molecular biology. The goal of her research is to find a new strategy for gentler cancer treatments. The idea is to improve both survival and quality of life for patients in the future.
"The biggest challenge today with chemotherapy is that the drugs cannot distinguish between cancer cells and fast-growing healthy cells. This means that doctors sometimes hesitate to start treatment because the patient suffers from so many side effects. Our goal is to achieve a greater understanding of the molecular mechanism of the topoisomerases in cancer cells using a combination of genomics and molecular biology approaches".
En dag för cancerforskning 2024
Watch the recordings of En dag för cancerforskning 2024 here.
Events, Seminars and Workshops
Photo: N/AQ&A drop-in session with Cancer Research Horizons, 2 September 2025
The next Q&A drop-in session with Cancer Research Horizons will be held on 2 September, 12:30 - 13:30h, online.
During this session, you will get the chance to ask any questions on the grants or other opportunities to work with Cancer Research Horizons.
No registration is needed, just follow the link to join the meeting
Photo: Åsa CatapanoIndustry-Academia Collaborations Seminar Series 3 Sept 2025: Beyond the Bench – From Discovery to Impact
Join us for our upcoming seminar from the CRKI Industry Collaboration Series co-organized with KI Science Park.
This event will explore the journey from academic research to entrepreneurship, featuring insights from KI Innovations and invited companies who have successfully made the leap from lab to market.
Date: 3 September, 2025 (from 15:00)
Location: A Working Lab café, Innomedicum
Stay tuned. Full program and registration details coming soon!
Photo: N/ACancer Research KI retreat at Djurönäset 22-23 September 2025
The XXIInd Cancer Research KI Retreat will take place on September 22-23, 2025 at Djurönäset in the Stockholm archipelago, gathering Cancer Researchers from Karolinska Institutet and University Hospital for an annual joint scientific meeting.
The retreat is currently fully booked.
However, you can still sign up for the waiting list here! We encourage you to register for the chance to get a spot in the most popular CRKI activity.
Photo: n/aCCE Summer School in Translational Cancer Research 5 -10 October 2025
We are pleased to announce that applications are now being accepted for the Cancer Core Europe (CCE) Summer School in Translational Cancer Research, taking place in beautiful Algarve, Portugal from 5 – 10 October 2025.
To apply for the upcoming CCE Summer School, please visit https://www.cancercoreeurope.eu/summerschool/ and submit your application along with a scientific abstract. The deadline for applications is Friday, May 23rd, 2025. Successful applicants will be notified at the end of June.
More information and preliminary programme can be found here.
Photo: iStock8th Cancer Workshop for Patient Organizations, 23 Oct 2025
Save the date for the 8th Cancer workshop for patient organizations. The workshop will be held online on October 23, 2025 and will be conducted in Swedish.
During the event, participants will gain insights into cutting-edge research in the cancer field, this year with a special focus on cancers common in men.
More information about the programme and registration will follow soon.
Photo: Cancer Research KIEn dag för cancerforskning, 12 Nov 2025
Save the date for the 4th edition of the public outreach day, "En dag för cancerforskning", which will take place on 12 November 2025.
More information, speakers and program will follow soon. In the meanwhile, you can watch the the recording of En dag för cancerforskning 2024 here
Grant Announcements
Photo: Lotte BrandtBlue Sky Grant for Innovative Cancer Research & Technology 2025
Cancer Research KI hereby announces up to six project grants in cancer research for well-defined innovative pilot projects that aim to demonstrate proof-of-principle concepts.
Deadline for application: 29 Aug 2025. More information can be found here
Photo: Getty ImagesTherapeutic Catalyst Grant
Cancer Research UK Therapeutic Catalyst Awards were launched in late 2021 and have been a great success. The scheme operates as a collaborative venture between research scientists and drug discoverers within Cancer Research Horizons to accelerate the translation of novel ideas for therapeutic discovery. Awards can be up to £250,000 to support a 12–18-month proposal. There are 3 rounds of applications per year held in February, June and October.
Next expression of interest deadline: 3 October 2025.