This year, Jonas Nilsson of the Sahlgrenska Cancer Center in Gothenburg has been awarded one of the Swedish Cancer Society’s Senior Investigator Awards for 2014. His research focuses on the most serious form of skin cancer, malignant melanoma. With the help of mouse models, he hopes to make it possible to select the most effective treatment for each patient.
Malignant melanoma is one of the fastest rising cancers in Sweden. Since 2000, cases have doubled and the disease takes over 500 lives each year.
In his innovative research project, Jonas Nilsson will study tumors by creating patient-like animal models and through these, the tumors can be studied in an individualized way. This will provide whole new opportunities to learn something new about the cancers of specific patients.
“We can study the tumors’ genetics as well as how they grow and are affected by both new and established drugs – all in real time,” says Jonas Nilsson, Associate professor and group leader at Sahlgrenska Cancer Center at the University of Gothenburg.
Based on how the patients’ tumors respond to treatment in the mouse model, the hope is that it will be possible to select the most effective treatment for each patient.
“We also want to learn more about other, rare forms of melanoma, for example, melanomas in the eye. For these, we hope to be able to develop new drug candidates,” says Jonas Nilsson.
“On a personal level, this research position, from such an important research funder, is fantastic recognition. Now I can focus all my time on this exciting new project – be a researcher with both my hands and my head,” concludes Jonas Nilsson.
Through the Swedish Cancer Society’s Senior Investigator Award, Jonas Nilsson will have his salary funded for six years. In total, the Swedish Cancer Society will be funding eleven new researcher positions this year. The funding targets researchers at different stages of their careers. The aim of a researcher position is to enable the researcher to immerse themselves in their area and create more long-term security to do their research. With the eleven new researcher positions, in total 53 researchers this year will have their positions financed by the Swedish Cancer Society.
