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Home , Hugo Theorell, Ragnar Granit, Ulf von Euler

Karolinska Institutet – a medical university

Phone: +46-8-524 800 00 ki.se

Our mission is to contribute to the improvement of human health through research and education Blood cell. Photo by Lennart Nilsson/Scanpix© Karolinska Institutet is a world-leading medical university and occupies a central position in Swedish public life. The research and education we conduct span the entire medical field, from cell to society. Karolinska Institutet has contributed to the improvement of human health for the past 200 years, and a great deal is expected of us – by our present and future students, by the scientific community, by the healthcare and industrial sectors, by regional and national government, and, not least, by the general public. I remain, however, convinced that we can meet these high expectations. Karolinska Institutet is a strong and expanding university in the midst of rapid change, and is right now seeing major advances in the treatment of our most serious and prevalent chronic diseases, something that will help to improve the lives of many people and make their futures brighter.

Anders Hamsten Vice-Chancellor

Blood cell. Photo by Lennart Nilsson/Scanpix© A MEDICAL UNIVERSITY

Karolinska Institutet is the only university in to specialize in

Karolinska Institutet was founded by King Karl XIII in 1810 as an “academy to the training of skilled army surgeons”. Today, Karolinska Institutet is a modern medical university and one of the foremost in the world. With its close relationship to the clinical milieu, a well established infrastructure and a stable financial situation, Karolinska Institutet has excellent prerequisites for sustaining high quality research and education.

6 Campus Huddinge, Alfred Nobels Allé

Campus Solna, Aula Medica “Gammelgården“ in front RESEARCH STRENGTHS

Karolinska Institutet is a globally respected medical university marked by a passion for research and a drive to contribute to the improvement of human health. Karolinska Institutet today accounts for about 40 per cent of all academic medical research in Sweden. SciLifeLab The Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab) on the Karolinska Institutet campus in Solna is a national resource centre for high-throughput bioscience with a focus on genomics, proteomics, bioimaging and bioinformatics. The SciLifeLab was formed jointly by the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), University, and Karolinska Institutet. Academic research, the healthcare system and the life science industry can all benefit from SciLifeLab by active collaboration, access to advanced instrumentation and programmes for knowledge transfer.

Stem cell research and cell therapy Karolinska Institutet is one of few universities that successfully cover the gamut from advanced experimental stem cell research to clinical applications of cell therapy and regenerative medicine. Karolinska Institutet has established strong clinical expertise in cell therapy through years of world-leading work in transplantation medicine. This gives Karolinska Institutet a unique potential to achieve medical breakthroughs in a number of diseases.

Epidemiology Sweden is uniquely positioned for the pursuit of epidemiological research thanks to our long tradition of personal identity numbers, access to national demographic and health registries, and healthcare of high and uniform quality. This enables research to be conducted on very large populations. World-class resources for epidemiological research are available at Karolinska Institutet including the KI Biobank, longitudinal cohorts such as the Swedish Twin Registry, and expanding competence in biostatistics. This puts Karolinska Institutet at the cutting edge of medical epidemiological research in an international perspective.

Basic and translational research Research at Karolinska Institutet is conducted in 22 departments, most of which are situated within or adjacent to Stockholm’s teaching hospitals. This creates ample opportunities for translational research in which new experi- mental results are rapidly implemented for patient benefit, and where clinical observations provide a basis for new research ideas.

Number of publications co-authored by researchers at Karolinska Institutet and researchers around the world, 2012.

0 1-10 10-50 51-200 201-1000 1000+

9 RESEARCH AREAS

Research at Karolinska Institutet spans the entire medical field, from basic experimental research to patient-oriented and nursing research Cancer and haematology It aims to achieve both better treatments and more effective Karolinska Institutet has a very broad, strong and often prevention programs and involves for example nutrition, unique research base in cancer and haematology, which physical activity, anaesthesia and intensive care, drug is exploited by many groups distributed among several metabolism, nephrology and gastroenterology. departments. Leading research is for example carried out in breast and prostate cancers and haematological cancers. The Epidemiology and public health research spans from experimental studies on possible drug The focus in the epidemiological research at Karolinska targets to clinical and epidemiological studies. Institutet is to understand the genetic, environmental and nutritional factors behind diseases like cancer, asthma/ Cell, molecular, and structural biology allergies, RA, infections and psychiatric diseases. Public Research in cell, molecular and structural biology is very health research includes studies of the major endemic advanced at Karolinska Institutet and involves the study of diseases and their relationship to lifestyles and environmental genes and their expression, as well as proteins and other factors. Karolinska Institutet is very active in the global organic substances, and how these co-operate in the living health research where prevention measures as well as cell in order to improve our knowledge of fundamental health inequities within and between countries are biological processes. Ongoing research is concerned with important concerns. certain disease areas like for example cancer, neuro- degeneration, cardiovascular diseases and inflammatory Health care sciences conditions. Health care science is an extensive subject at Karolinska Institutet that includes studies in a number of disciplines Circulation and respiration such as nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and Karolinska Institutet has a long tradition of strong clinical health economics. It examines the origins and preconditions research in cardiovascular disease, atherosclerosis, and for disease and health, as well as the consequences of other vascular diseases such as complications of diabetes disease from biological, psychosocial, cultural and and renal disease. This has been further strengthened in economic perspectives and the development of therapeutic recent decades by additional elements of strong measures. fundamental research, which provide a clear orientation towards translational research. Pulmonary medicine, Immunology, infection, inflammation and microbiology chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma Immunology, infection and inflammation are often and cancer are other fields of research in this area. interacting factors in both acute and chronic conditions. Leading research in immunology and inflammation into, Developmental biology, stem cells, and reproductive, for example, rheumatic diseases is carried out at Karolinska regenerative and reparative medicine Institutet. In the field of global health, successful research is Karolinska Institutet is a leader in developmental biology performed on infections such as malaria, HIV and research which includes studies of how genes regulate cell tuberculosis, with an emphasis on epidemiology, vaccination growth, and the differentiation of cells from the stem cell and prevention. stage and onwards in the formation of tissues and organs with the aim of finding new methods of treating diseases , psychiatry and behavioural science and repairing damaged tissues. In reproductive research Karolinska Institutet has the largest neuroscience studies are made on germ cells, infertility, pregnancy, community in Sweden. at Karolinska foetal medicine, the newborn infant and into andrology. Institutet strive to make fundamental discoveries about The reparative medical research at KI involves surgery and function, and to translate research findings orthopaedics. into improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric and neurological disorders. Studies are for Endocrinology and metabolism example made on neurodevelopmental disorders, Karolinska Institutet´s research into endocrinology and Alzheimers disease and dementia, suicide and addictive metabolism touches upon many of the most important disorders. health problems of our time, including diabetes, obesity, hypertension, osteoporosis and hormonal disturbances.

11 EDUCATION Karolinska Institutet is consistently ranked in the top 50 universities globally, and the top 10 medical universities in Europe. As a student at Karolinska Institutet, doors will be opened for you to a global future.

Karolinska Institutet is a single-faculty university abroad. Karolinska Institutet also offers freestanding dedicated solely to the medical and health sciences courses, one bachelor’s programme in biomedicine and offers the widest range of medical education in and six master’s programmes held entirely in English, Sweden. An education at Karolinska Institutet can lead with an international focus. to degrees in such fields as medicine, dentistry, nur- sing, psychology, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, The Global Master’s Programmes biomedicine and public health. Approximately 6,000 • Bioentrepreneurship fulltime students take educational programmes and • Biomedicine freestanding courses at bachelor’s or master’s levels at • Global Health Karolinska Institutet each year. • Health Informatics • Public Health Sciences A head start in clinical training • Toxicology Several of the study programmes at Karolinska Institutet include on-site training, which may consist of Studying in Stockholm - the capital of Sweden clinical training or other training within the healthcare Stockholm is the largest university city in the Nordic system. The close proximity of the Karolinska University region and home to 80,000 students of whom 5,000 Hospital and other educational hospitals area plays a are international. Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, very important role in the university’s operations. spreads out over 14 islands in Lake Mälaren and is famous for its open natural spaces, the surrounding A strong connection to research archipelago, its rich cultural history and a wide variety Teachers at Karolinska Institutet divide their time of things to see and do. Nearly 90 per cent of the between teaching and research, which keeps them up general population speaks English. to speed with on-going developments in their respective Education and research at Karolinska Institutet is fields, and ensures that students are involved in the mainly conducted on two campuses: one in Solna to latest medical advances. The university incorporates an the north of Stockholm and one in Huddinge to the interactive teaching model that emphasises informal south. and close contact with teachers and facilitates the active participation of students. Here, ambitious Educational strengths students, teachers and researchers together create an • Early patient contact interesting and stimulating environment for work and • The presence of strong research environments study. • Access to centres of clinical excellence and clinical education wards An international environment • A broad selection of international exchange Karolinska Institutet offers extensive opportunities programmes and a global classroom for international exchange, which enables students to carry out part of their education at leading universities

13 DOCTORAL EDUCATION

14 The outstanding reputation of Karolinska Institutet attracts prominent academics within the medical field from around the world. A doctoral degree from Karolinska Institutet gives you cutting edge skills within your research field and opens up a wide range of career opportunities.

There are approximately 2,200 active doctoral students collaboration is pursued. Many international doctoral at Karolinska Institutet, which is about one third of the students choose to confine their studies to Karolinska university’s entire student body and over 40 per cent of Institutet whereas others participate in “sandwich” the doctoral population in the fields of medicine, programmes, sharing their time between the home odontology and pharmacy in Sweden. Every year, and the partner institutions. Some doctoral students more than 350 students pursue their doctoral degree also participate in a short-term exchange programme (PhD) here, many having completed their first or or do research within an overseas research group. second cycle education abroad. Many international partnerships are informal and initiated by individual researchers or research groups. Broad and personalised doctoral education Furthermore, doctoral students at Karolinska Institutet Doctoral (or third cycle) education at Karolinska can participate in international collaborations based Institutet (aiming for either a licentiate or doctoral on formal agreements between Karolinska Institutet degree) is based on the student’s individual research and other universities in a long list of countries project in an established research team and supervised including China, Finland, Japan, Singapore, South by a qualified researcher. Doctoral education at Africa, Uganda and the USA. As a student within Karolinska Institutet also includes a course curriculum, a partnership you develop multiple scientific skills, and can take place within the frame of a thematic and some international collaborations give you the educational programme. Karolinska Institutet’s 14 opportunity to receive a double degree from both doctoral programmes cross departmental boundaries universities. and are given in a wide range of medical fields such as cell biology and genetics, regenerative medicine and Exchange students 2012 To Sweden From Sweden neuroscience. Karolinska Institutet also offers several doctoral schools, most of them with a clinical profile.

Worldwide collaborations 225 65 International collaboration increases the quality of 21 31 25 10 education and creates unique opportunities for 14 13 students on all levels including doctoral students to 4 5 connect with other research environments. There is a 16 15 large variety in how international doctoral education

15 The gamma knife, used in the treatment of brain tumours, was developed at Karolinska Institutet. Photo: Elekta

COLLABORATION AND INNOVATION Karolinska Institutet sees greater collaboration and innovation as an important part of the transition of knowledge and results to the community. Such transition will promote better health and cure disease.

The Stockholm Academic Healthcare System The innovation system at Karolinska Institutet As a medical university, it is essential for Karolinska To ensure that innovations in medicine and health Institutet to work in concert with the healthcare translate into benefits for health care, Karolinska services, in particular with the Stockholm County Institutet has spent the past few years building a Council (SLL). In recent years, the partnership unique innovation system. The innovation system between Karolinska Institutet and the SLL has consists of a number of players with services that aim intensified considerably and continues to expand. to utilize ideas originating from research. Support A common goal of Karolinska Institutet and the for enterprise collaboration, counseling and education SLL is to conduct research and education that is of is provided, inspiration for the development of ideas is the highest international quality, and of benefit to given by highlighting best practice, and collaboration today’s and tomorrow’s patients. This is being achieved between industry and academia is established. through the skills and knowledge development of healthcare personnel, the implementation of research The Innovation Office at Karolinska Institutet results, and – together with industry – the development supports industrial and academic collaborations, and and testing of drugs and medical products. provides basic advice, guidance, inspiration and training for researchers, students and clinicians within the fields of innovation and entrepreneurship in the life sciences.

Karolinska Institutet Innovations AB offers researchers professional support in developing good ideas into business and start-up companies. Karolinska University Hospital Karolinska Institutet Science Park AB offers life Solna Danderyd science companies an attractive and creative Hospital environment in which innovative companies can grow in close physical proximity to academic research and Karolinska education. University Hospital Karolinska Institutet Huddinge Karolinska Institutet is also a part owner of S:t Erik´s Karolinska Development AB, one of Europe’s largest Eye Hospital investment companies within the life sciences. Stockholm South General Hospital

17 THE

An honour and a tradition

Stockholm city hall by night, Photo: iStock Eight Nobel Prizes in or Medicine have been awarded to Swedish researchers. Five of them are from Karolinska Institutet.

Hugo Theorell Sune Bergström Bengt Samuelsson

In his will dated November 27, 1895, Alfred Nobel 1955 receives the Nobel Prize in appointed Karolinska Institutet to award the Nobel Prize Physiology or Medicine for his discoveries in Physiology or Medicine. This honourable mission is concerning the nature and mode of action of today executed by the Nobel Assembly at Karolinska oxidation enzymes, such as myoglobin, a Institutet – fifty professors currently working at our protein essential for oxygenation of the muscles. university. This great honour has given the university a broad international network of contacts in the medical 1967 Ragnar Granit receives the Nobel Prize in research community. Physiology or Medicine for his discoveries concerning retinal function and how optical nerve cells’ response to light stimuli, colour and frequency.

1970 Ulf von Euler receives the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his discovery of the signal substance noradrenaline, which serves as in the sympathetic nervous system.

1982 Sune Bergström and Bengt Samuelsson receive the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the discovery of , which play a key role in the regulation of blood pressure and in disorders of the circulatory system.

19 VISION

Karolinska Institutet is one of the world’s leading medical universities, and as such our sights must be permanently directed towards new and exciting challenges “My vision is that Karolinska Institutet, in working with the healthcare system and other important actors, will contribute new knowledge that can readily be integrated into clinical practice and the development of health-improving innovations.”

Kerstin Tham, Pro-Vice-Chancellor

“My vision is that Karolinska Institutet, through mobilization of its students, researchers and networks, will contribute to markedly enhanced health and well-being across the world.”

Carl Johan Sundberg, Professor

“My vision is that Karolinska Institutet protects and invests boldly in its core activities: clinical research and world-class basic research. I hope that one day KI will be a gathering place for all of Europe’s top researchers.”

Henrik Ehrsson, Professor

“My vision is that the work being done at Karolinska Institutet leads to discoveries that can help cure serious diseases, reduce the suffering caused by the nature and treatment of diseases, and enhance people’s health and life expectancy in general.”

Pernilla Lagergren, Professor

”My vision for Karolinska Institutet of the future, would be that KI never rests on its past laurels but become an organisation that continues to strive to be the best that we can be.”

Mathew Abrams, Post-doc

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Design: Super Production and update: Linda Morgan, Communications and Public Relations Office at Karolinska Institutet Photo: page 1: Anders Kallersand, page 4: Lennart Nilsson/Scanpix ©, page 5: Gunnar Ask, page 6: Erik G Svensson, page 7: Camilla Svensk, page 8: Anders Norderman, page 10: Erik G Svensson, page 12: Andreas Beronius, page 14: Marcus Erixson, page 16: Elekta, page 16: Marcus Erixson, page 18.: iStock, page 19: The , page 20: Camilla Svensk

Opposite page: Arbor vitae. This branch-like pattern in the cerebellum is called “The tree of life”. Photo: Lennart Nilsson/Scanpix, © Karolinska Institutet is one of the world’s leading medical universities. Its mission is to contribute to the improvement of human health through research and education. Karolinska Institutet accounts for about 40 per cent of the medical academic research conducted in Sweden and offers the country’s broadest range of education in medicine and health sciences. Since 1901 the Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet has selected the Nobel laureates in Physiology or Medicine.

Karolinska Institutet Phone: +46-8-524 800 00 SE-171 77 Stockholm ki.se Sweden