FUNDING. Thirty-seven postdocs from six Swedish universities were recognized when the Swedish Society for Medical Research (SSMF) announced its 2016 scholarships for postdocs. SSMF supports young researchers by awarding SEK 127 million during in 2016.
In the coming years, these postdocs can devote all their energies to their research without having to think about financing their salaries. Six come from the University of Gothenburg, 17 from Karolinska Institutet, seven from Lund University, four from Uppsala University, two from Umeå University and one from Linköping University. Postdocs are funded through a two-year scholarship.
“Postdoctoral studies are absolutely necessary for continued success in a research career. SSMF’s scholarships give postdocs the opportunity to not only gain valuable experience in a new research environment, but also to establish their own network for continued collaborations,” says Professor Mats Ulfendahl, chair of SSMF.
The postdocs from the University of Gothenburg who receive scholarships are:
- Lina Jonsson, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology. She studies the genetic factors associated with autism spectrum disorders and other neuropsychiatric disorders that can affect behavior and biological functions.
- Martina Klevstig, Institute of Medicine. Martina explores how heart cells can produce and secrete fat particles that protect against the accumulation of toxic fats, called lipotoxicity, which can lead to heart attacks.
- Jakub Kwiecinski, Institute of Medicine. Jakub wants to understand how the Staphylococcus aureus bacterium, which cause serious wound infections and other problems, attach themselves to body tissue and how they can then spread further in the body. This has implications for improving the treatment of this type of infection.
- Volkan Sayin Institute of Medicine. Volkan examines whether it is possible to inhibit lung cancer by reducing the body’s own antioxidants through the blocking a specific pathway, which in turn may lead to new targets for drug treatments for this type of cancer.
- Anna Törnqvist, Institute of Medicine. Anna is conducting functional studies to investigate how various genes identified in osteoarthritis actually contribute to disease development. This has great significance for the ability to develop new treatments for osteoarthritis.
- Lovisa Vennström, Institute of Medicine. She is studying whether manipulation of NK cells, a type of immune cells in the blood, is effective for the treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia, a type of blood cancer. The therapy has already been approved to prevent recurrence for another type of blood cancer.
You can apply for SSMF’s 2017 scholarships for postdoctoral studies in medical science between October 15 and November 15. Young researchers can apply for SSMF’s large grants between April 15 and May 15, 2017.
