Jesper Säfholm

I am currently employed as Assistant Professor in the research environment of
the Experimental Asthma and Allergy unit. I initiated my PhD-studies within
the field of airway pharmacology and physiology in 2008 and graduated 2013.
This was followed by post graduate work 2014-2018 on mechanisms in asthmatic
airway inflammation and I subsequently acquired an assistant professorship
for continuation of translational airway pharmacology studies of lipid
mediators, airway hyperresponsiveness and inflammation using /in vivo, ex
vivo/ and /in vitro/ methods in both animal and human tissue.
I am currently a co-supervisor of three PhD-students in the lab (one PharmD
and two MDs) and have successfully supervised five Master students during
their graduation projects.
Between 1999 and 2012 I worked at Astra Zeneca within the departements Safety
Assessment, Neuroscience and Molecular Toxicology as a research technician.
*Awards*
* In 2020 I was given the IMM Junior Faculty Strategic Award by The
Institute of Environmental Medicine, IMM, Karolinska Institutet.
* In 2017 I was awarded the Veritas Pharma Inc. Dom Spina Prize by the
British Pharmacological Society.
*Commissions of trust*
* 2018-2019
I was the organiser of a bi-monthly seminar series within physiology and
pharmacology at Karolinska Instiutet.
* 2014-2017 I was board member of Centre for Allergy Research PhD and
Postdoc Association at Karolinska Instiutet.
* 2009-2013 I was member of the Educational Board at the Institute of
Environmental Medicine at Karolinska Instiutet.
* High School Education (Chemistry), Europaskolan, Strängnäs, 1998-2001
* Master of Science in Biology (MSc), Uppsala Universitet, Uppsala,
2003-2007
* Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Institute of Environmental Medicine and
Experimental Asthma and Allergy Research, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm
2008-2013

Asthma is a major public health concern affecting between 5 and 10% of the
population. The exacerbations of asthma occur on a background of chronic
inflammation where inflammatory cells, such as eosinophils and mast cells,
and their respective mediators, including lipid mediators, orchestrate
different patterns of inflammation and bronchoconstriction. The purpose of my
research programme is to define the role of different lipid mediators for
airway function in relation to the pathobiology of asthma.

Jag undervisar i sektionerna anatomi, fysiologi, farmakologi, toxikologi och patofysiologi av lungsystemet samt djurmodeller inom lungsjukdomar vid två internationella masterprogram (Masterprogram i toxikologi och Masterprogram i Translationell Fysiologi och Farmakologi) vid Karolinska Institutet. Jag föreläser även inom allergi, luftvägssjukdomar och inflammation.

Jag undervisar även gästforskare, praktikanter, masterstudenter, doktorander och postdoktorander i vetenskaplig metodik, design av kvantitativ forskning, metoder för systematisk litteraturöversikt, klinisk immunologi och allergi, diagnos och hantering av astma och andra luftvägssjukdomar, samt förebyggande strategier för allergi och astma.