Research at Karolinska Institutet
Karolinska Institutet accounts for the single largest share of all academic medical research conducted in Sweden. The research spans the entire biomedical field — from basic experimental research to clinical studies in collaboration with the health care system. Pioneering research is conducted here in, for example, cancer, neuroscience, immunology, epidemiology, nursing and global health.
Search research information
The search service is based on KI RIMS, a system that collects information about KI’s researchers, publications, grants and research groups.
Resources in brief
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Photo: Liza SimonssonWhy become a researcher at KI?
Academic freedom and work-life balance are two aspects that attract many researchers and lecturers to Sweden and Karolinska Institutet. As a researcher here, you will have the right to commercialise your research, and even get support from the university in doing so. Find out more about the many benefits of working at KI.
Photo: PixabayResearch groups by field
KI has about 800 teams, groups and larger units in research, distributed across 21 departments and three departmental or campus groups. Find an overview of these groupings by research field, based on the Swedish standard classification.
Photo: Niklas Norberg WirténSciLifeLab
SciLifeLab is a collaboration between multiple Swedish universities, and a national research infrastructure. One of the core missions of SciLifeLab is to provide technologies facilitating the large-scale analysis of biological processes at the molecular level.
Selected news & events
New initiative to recruit faculty funded assistant professors in 2026
KI among partners in new strategic climate research initiative
KI receives a half‑billion donation to boost dementia research
”KIRI is a practical workshop for future research breakthroughs"
KI involved in Sweden’s largest excellence cluster initiative
Get to know KI’s core facilities — face to face
Bill Gates turns to Karolinska Institutet for Alzheimer’s insights
New radiation centre in Stockholm a joint effort for the future of cancer treatment
Meet our researchers
Photo: Martin StenmarkJohan Lundström sniffs out new knowledge
Scented television, questions about farts and the smell of newborn babies. Johan Lundström's days include everything from treating smell loss to researching how our sense of smell actually works.
Photo: Martin StenmarkShe saves lives after brain trauma
Forced to flee as a child, today Elham Rostami saves lives in emergency situations – and conducts research to understand why some patients with brain injuries recover unexpectedly well.
Photo: Martin StenmarkFrom a crash in the ditch to forefront of research
When Per Uhlén was fourteen, he ended up in a wheelchair. Since then, he has become a professor, started three companies, and competed in two Paralympic Games. “Sometimes I feel like my life is a film,” he says.
Photo: Martin StenmarkGonçalo Castelo-Branco wants to fundamentally understand MS
His research shows molecular changes in brain cells when a person has Multiple sclerosis (MS). But it is still unclear whether they contribute to - or even protect against - the disease. Gonçalo Castelo-Branco is open to the answer.
In depth articles and features
Myths and misunderstandings about testosterone
The use of testosterone is rising rapidly among Swedish men, and online the hormone is often sold as an elixir of masculinity. But the myths are misleading and unnecessary treatment is not without risk.
When gaming takes over your life
Gaming disorder is on its way to becoming a recognised diagnosis in Swedish healthcare. This is welcomed by researcher and psychologist Philip Lindner, who is increasingly concerned about the growing role of money in modern games.
Does the school day improve with a later start?
Theresa Lemke is collecting data from a study in which schools have tried adapting to teenagers’ “internal body clock” – by starting morning lessons a little later.
Digital twins provide answers to health
Medical digital twins are computerised versions of patients, enabling different treatments to be tested and the most effective one identified, without any risk to the patient’s health. And in the future, we will each have our own, according to researcher Mikael Benson.
Gut and mind – how they are connected
Photo: TT Bild/Science Photo LibraryCell and gene therapy – from science fiction to the hospital ward
Photo: Jens MagnussonOsteoporosis
Photo: GettyImages,Getty Images/iStockphotoAir pollution — the dirt we breathe
Photo: Arad Golan CollRadiotherapy charged with new energy
More on research at KI
Animal research
Animal research is strictly regulated and comes under both Swedish and EU legislation on animal welfare.
Collaboration worldwide
International collaborations are crucial for KI to fulfill our mission and strive towards better health for all.
Departments and their research
The 21 departments at KI are central to the academic environment, with responsibilities encompassing scientific strategy, finance, and administration. Find an overview of their research areas.
Doctoral education
World-class research and specialised research environments create a breeding ground for PhD studies at KI.
New doctoral theses
Each year, around 350 doctoral students at KI will present their thesis to their peers in science.
Preparedness for changing conditions in the US
Karolinska Institutet has initiated an enhanced preparedness to monitor, analyze, and respond to changes in the U.S. that may impact research and higher education.
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
In his will, Alfred Nobel appointed Karolinska Institutet to award the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
Top publications list
Current articles to which our researchers have contributed and that have been published in selected top-ranked journals.
University Library
Find papers, advice about bibliometrics and publishing strategy, academic writing workshops, and much more.
Working at KI
KI's vision is to be one of the leading medical universities in the world. Our committed and competent employees make this possible.