Karolinska Institutet

Core Activities: Research, Education, and Nobel Assembly

The activities of Karolinska Institutet are divided into three main pillars: research, education, and its unique connection to the Nobel Prize.

• Research: KI's research spans the entire biomedical field, from fundamental molecular biological research to advanced clinical studies and care sciences, conducted in close collaboration with the healthcare system, primarily the Karolinska University Hospital. It accounts for over 40% of all academic medical and life science research in Sweden and receives approximately a third of the country's public funding for medical research. Pioneering research is conducted across numerous critical areas, including:

  • Cancer
  • Neuroscience and Psychiatry
  • Immunology
  • Epidemiology and Global Health
  • Ageing and Care Sciences
  • Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs), such as cell and gene therapies

• Education: KI offers the broadest range of education in medicine and health sciences in Sweden. It is responsible for approximately 30% of all medical training and around 40% of all doctoral education in the fields of medicine and health in Sweden. The educational programs frequently include practical training within the healthcare setting.

• The Nobel Assembly: A highly distinguished activity of Karolinska Institutet is the operation of the Nobel Assembly. This assembly, consisting of fifty professors from various medical disciplines at the university, is responsible for awarding the annual Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. The Nobel Forum, located on campus, hosts the assembly's selection process and is also used for lectures and symposiums.

Products and Services

Karolinska Institutet offers a comprehensive suite of academic products and research-supporting services.

Academic Programs (Products)

KI???s academic portfolio includes a wide array of programs leading to professional, general, and postgraduate degrees, available in both Swedish and English.

• Professional and General Degrees:

  • Medicine
  • Nursing and Specialist Nursing
  • Dentistry
  • Physiotherapy
  • Psychology
  • Occupational Therapy
  • Biomedical Laboratory Science
  • Other health sciences programs

• International Programs: A selection of global Master's programmes and one Bachelor's programme are offered with an international focus, conducted in English.

• Doctoral (PhD) Education: The university is a major center for doctoral education, with a large proportion of its PhD projects conducted in English, attracting students from around the world.

• Freestanding Courses: A wide selection of individual courses are offered, providing opportunities for professional development and further education.

Research Infrastructure and Core Facilities (Services)

The institute provides a vast network of highly specialized core facilities, which function as service units offering resources, expertise, and cutting-edge technology. These facilities are primarily for KI's own researchers but are often accessible to external academic organizations, researchers, and, in some cases, the private sector through collaboration agreements.

Key Core Facilities and Services Include:

• Omics and High-Throughput Analysis: Facilities for proteomics, genomics, and related techniques, including single cell analysis.
• Biobanks, Registries, and Epidemiology: Globally unique resources for biobanking, longitudinal cohort studies, and biostatistics competence for large-scale epidemiological research.
• Imaging and X-ray Core Facilities: Advanced platforms for various forms of medical and biological imaging, such as the Biomedicum Imaging Core Facility (BIC).
• Stem Cells, Engineering, and FACS: Platforms for advanced technologies like pluripotent stem cells, CRISPR functional genomics, and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS).
• Translational and Biosafety Facilities: Including high-containment laboratories such as the ANA Futura BSL3 Core Facility.
• Biostatistics Core Facility: Providing statistical and methodological support for complex research projects.
• Clinical Trials Support: Through the associated Karolinska University Hospital and the Karolinska Trial Alliance, facilitating and coordinating clinical trials to move scientific findings to patient care rapidly.
• Knowledge Transfer and Collaboration: Actively supports the commercialization of research by its academics and maintains essential partnerships with industry to accelerate the translation of laboratory breakthroughs into real-world patient treatments.

This extensive infrastructure positions Karolinska Institutet as a hub for both fundamental discovery and translational medicine, serving the national and international research community.