Life Science at KTH

🎉 Congratulations to Zhihao Duan on successfully defending his Licentiate thesis on motor unit alterations in individuals with spinal cord injury! "My research uses a non-invasive approach to study potential changes in motor units in individuals with spinal cord injury. By understanding these changes, we can gain insights into how the nervous system adapts after injury," explains Zhihao. His work enhances our knowledge of muscle coordination and neural adaptations following neurological disorders, which could help inform future rehabilitation strategies. By shedding light on how motor units change after spinal cord injury, this research could improve treatments and mobility solutions. "I have always been fascinated by how the nervous system controls movement. Through my research, I hope to contribute to solutions that help people regain mobility after injury," Zhihao shares. A huge congratulations to Zhihao on this achievement! We look forward to seeing where his research leads next. 🚀 Want to learn more? Read the full thesis here: https://lnkd.in/dJab_yVn #Neuroscience #Rehabilitation #SpinalCordInjury #MotorControl

On the latest episode of the Flot.bio podcast, Mathias Uhlen, SciLifeLab Founding Director, joins Philip Hemme to discuss the power of an entrepreneurial mindset in academia and how AI is shaping the future of biology. The conversation explores SciLifeLab’s role in advancing life science research, the impact of AI on biology, and how scientific innovation can drive new discoveries and applications. The discussion also touches on the future of biotech and the challenges and opportunities in translating research into real-world solutions. Listen now on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts (link in comments)!

🔬 From single biomarkers to full-on proteomics – that’s how one KTH alumnus future-proofed her career! Meet Arianna March, who graduated from the Molecular Techniques in Life Science programme, a collaboration between Karolinska Institutet, Kungliga Tekniska högskolan and Stockholms universitet, in 2023. When exploring potential Alzheimer’s biomarkers in a wet lab, Arianna March realized that the future was shifting toward large-scale omics technologies. That’s when she discovered the Molecular Techniques in Life Science (MTLS) programme – a perfect blend of biology, bioinformatics, and cutting-edge computational tools. “It required no programming experience but was heavy on computational electives if I found it to be my thing. I wanted to future-proof my career by learning how to code, and it provided the structure and deadlines to make it happen. At the same time, it still allowed lots of flexibility: I could have just as easily followed the wet-lab career path if I found out that bioinformatics wasn’t for me.” 🔹 What did you like most about the programme? “I really liked the international atmosphere and the perception of being surrounded by very smart, ambitious, collaborative people. The strong ties with the SciLifeLab made the whole programme very strong in terms of learning opportunities since it allowed us to come in close contact with pioneers in the field. Even though the change was at times challenging, having the Master’s programme offered by three universities was also a great advantage – three times the resources available to us!” 🔹 What are you doing today? “Currently, I'm part of an awesome 2-year talent program at Novo Nordisk. The programme is about shaping young Master’s grads into future key players at the company, focusing heavily on personal and professional growth. We get to experience different parts of the value chain, explore global offices, and try out various job roles. I've been lucky enough to be a data analyst in Copenhagen, a data scientist in Boston, and now I'm back in Copenhagen for my final rotation as a project manager.”

“I feel very proud every time I see an article published using data we at NGI helped generate” says Elísabet Einarsdóttir, project coordinator at SciLifeLab National Genomics Infrastructure - NGI, in our SciLifeLab Voices interview series. “The best part of working for NGI at SciLifeLab is the feeling of truly making a difference for researchers and supporting their work. There is so much expertise, interesting ideas, and ongoing studies in the Swedish research community”. Read the full interview on the link below ↓ https://lnkd.in/dRTxgg7n

Congratulations to Komang Arsana on successfully defending his PhD thesis on Advanced x-raymicroscopy for high-resolution biological imaging! 🎉   "My research focused on developing a laboratory-based soft x-ray microscope for imaging biological samples at the nanoscale. This technique enables the visualisation of intact cells and cellular structures without the need for extensive preparation methods like staining or sectioning," explains Komang.   His work enhances the ability to study biological systems at the cellular level, contributing to better diagnostics, nanomedicine, and targeted therapies. By allowing researchers to observe nanoparticles within cells in their natural state, this research supports advancements in health science and disease treatment.   "Beyond improving biological imaging, this approach also helps reduce research costs, accelerate scientific discoveries, and foster interdisciplinary collaboration," Komang notes.   A huge congratulations to Komang on this achievement! We look forward to seeing where his research leads next. 🚀   Want to learn more? Read the full thesis here: https://lnkd.in/dEQbn65q   #XRayMicroscopy #BiomedicalResearch #Nanomedicine #PhD #ImagingScience

Congratulations to Max Senftleben on successfully defending his thesis on Advancing Fluorescence Microscopy for High-Resolution Live Imaging! 👏 "My thesis focused on developing advanced fluorescence microscopy techniques, combining them with post-processing tools to enhance data analysis. Two microscopes enable high-speed, high-resolution imaging of living samples using multifocus technology, while the third is an open-source light-sheet microscope for imaging cleared samples," explains Maximilian. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of biological processes at millisecond time scales and offers accessible, cost-effective microscopy solutions. By improving how we visualise and analyse living samples, these innovations support advancements in biology and medicine. "Fluorescence microscopy has always fascinated me—its ability to observe living samples with single-molecule specificity is remarkable. Integrating post-processing tools, including deep learning, allows us to extract valuable quantitative and qualitative insights from microscopy data," Maximilian adds. Want to learn more? Read the full thesis here: https://lnkd.in/ddcmrefW

"We are in a time where a single type of data or information is often not sufficient to learn about human biology," says Jochen Schwenk in a recent Inside Precision Medicine interview ↓ Thomas Sakmar of The Rockefeller University added, "Translating basic science into the clinic is not easy, especially in the #DrugDiscovery space where it takes years or even decades to develop a new drug. But what we’re trying to do with our projects is not developing a new drug per se—it’s about developing a platform technology and disseminating data that can be used to rethink how drugs could be developed." Read the full article with Jochen Schwenk (SciLifeLab/KTH Royal Institute of Technology) & Thomas Sakmar in Inside Precision Medicine: https://lnkd.in/diF-MDXD Life Science at KTH

Congratulations to Luca Marzano on successfully defending his thesis Perspectives on designing data-driven approaches in healthcare based on real-world evidence! ✨ 🚀 🌟   The main objective of his thesis is to investigate key elements necessary for designing data-driven approaches with real-world data in healthcare. He explored various case studies, including small cell lung cancer treatment, emulation of control arms of clinical trials, and flow management in overcrowded emergency departments and hospital wards. Supervisors have been Sebastiaan Meijer, Adam Darwich and Jayanth Raghothama. “The healthy and productive environment I found at KTH Flemingsberg played a significant role in keeping me motivated. My supervisors, colleagues, and professors were all incredibly inspiring and supportive.” 🔹 What sparked your interest in the research topic? I was drawn to this research topic because it's a hot and rapidly evolving field. The multidisciplinary context of my thesis, which spans clinical medicine, clinical trial design, AI and machine learning, healthcare systems engineering, and management, also fueled my curiosity for this research. During my PhD journey I had the opportunity to work directly with clinical experts to discuss and address real-world problems, such as the treatment of lung cancer patients and the overcrowding of Swedish hospitals. 🔹 Why is this research important? Analyzing real-world data is like opening Pandora’s box. This kind of information wasn't initially collected with the primary purpose of generating evidence, which presents several practical challenges: lack of control or randomisation, missing or uncaptured information, biases, and confounders. In my thesis, I discussed how to design data-driven analyses while accounting for the differences between the complex real world and the collected data. I emphasised the importance of contextualising these differences within the analytical models used, making the relationship between data and models transparent and interpretable, and assessing the clinical practical utility of the performed analyses. This was achievable thanks to the continuous involvement of system actors throughout the entire process of analysis and interpretation. 🔹 What will you be doing now? I will continue to work on real-world evidence by exploring new perspectives in an industrial setting. Stay tuned for exciting developments ahead!

3D Printing and Polymer Chemistry Revolutionize Diabetes Treatment Researchers at Karolinska University Hospital and Royal Institute of Technology are collaborating to transform the future of diabetes treatment. By combining expertise in 3D printing and polymer chemistry, they are developing an innovative technique for localized drug delivery. Diabetes is one of the major widespread diseases that continues to increase. With this new technology, researchers hope to improve the transplantation of insulin-producing cells, potentially reducing the need for lifelong medication. At the Rolf Luft Research Center, Anna Herland, professor in Nanobiotechnology at the Department of Protein Science at KTH, and Lisa Juntti-Berggren, Professor and senior consultant in endocrinology at Karolinska Universitetssjukhuset (Karolinska University Hospital) are developing a new technique to transplant pancreatic islets into the anterior chamber of the eye instead of the liver, which has been the standard method until now. Read more: https://lnkd.in/dpxHEKRK 

ACTIVA wants to advance Vision Science for Healthy Ageing 👓 Nine young researchers are working at the intersection of physics and medicine to create solutions for age-related vision challenges, enabling early diagnosis, improved visual functionality, and timely treatment to reduce the risk of vision loss. Project Coordinator Linda Lundström: "Good vision throughout life is a key factor to stay active and independent and is beneficial both on personal and socioeconomic level." ACTIVA is a Doctoral Network funded by the European Commission’s Horizon Europe programme and coordinated by KTH Royal Institute of Technology. The 48-month project brings together 5 European universities and private sector partners to develop innovative optical technologies that support good vision throughout life. With a strong consortium of academic and industry experts, ACTIVA provides a platform for interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation in vision science.