Akademiliv

Sahlgrenska akademins nyheter

På Svenska
University of Gothenburg Logotype
  • News
  • Notices
  • Grants
  • About Akademiliv
Dean Jenny Nyström highlighted the importance of educating the right competencies for the development within life science. In the foreground, Minister of Social Affairs Jakob Forssmed. Photo: GoCo Health Innovation City.

Engaging Study Visit with the Minister of Social Affairs and the National Life Science Office

16 April, 2024 Leave a Comment

COLLABORATION. The development of life science in Western Sweden is strategically driven by collaboration between universities, industry, and healthcare. During a study visit by Minister of Social Affairs Jakob Forssmed and Jeanette Edblad, Head of the National Life Science Office, representatives from institutions such as Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Chalmers University of Technology, AstraZeneca, and GoCo Health Innovation City presented the long-term vision for cooperation.

Jenny Nyström during her presentation.

“We have a common drive forward, contributing to lifting the entire country within life science. It’s an exciting and growing sector. One of the key success factors here in Western Sweden is the strong expertise we are building through education and research,” says Jenny Nyström, Dean of Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg.

The investment in the national infrastructure CCRM Nordic also strengthens Sweden as a knowledge nation within life science. Together with Oligonova, this provides better opportunities for the development, manufacturing, and commercialization of gene, cell, and tissue therapies. During the two-day meeting in Gothenburg, visitors had the chance to see one of the cleanrooms where advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs) are manufactured.

Collaborations with other universities

Hospital Director Boubou Hallberg during the discussion.

The study visit began on a rainy Tuesday afternoon at Sahlgrenska University Hospital. Here, representatives from Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Chalmers University of Technology, and the Sahlgrenska Academy discussed how they collectively contribute to strengthening Sweden as a leading life science nation. Boubou Hallberg, hospital director at Sahlgrenska University Hospital, suggested that given the proximity between the university hospital, the technical university, the university, and the life science industry, Gothenburg should no longer be called “little London” but instead compared to Boston, where so much important research is concentrated.

“Within a mile’s radius, Gothenburg has everything from AI centers and industrial clusters to research, education, and specialized healthcare with 1.4 million patient visits per year,” said Boubou Hallberg. “So perhaps we should call ourselves ‘little Boston’ instead.”

Jenny Nyström, professor and dean at the Sahlgrenska Academy, had the opportunity to talk about research at the University of Gothenburg and highlighted the close collaboration with other universities.

“This includes basic research together with Chalmers University of Technology and work in health economics together with the School of Business, Economics and Law.”

ATMP up close

Jan Holgersson, vice dean for infrastructure and premises, at cleanroom used for ATMP.

There was also a visit to the Cell and Tissue Laboratory within the Clinical Immunology and Transfusion Medicine department. Jan Holgersson, professor and vice dean at Sahlgrenska Academy, showed one of the cleanrooms where the hospital manufactures advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs) and discussed progress and challenges in the field.

In the meticulously controlled premises, T-cells, known as tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, are manufactured, which are used in clinical studies for the treatment of ocular melanoma.

“It’s incredibly important that we have the right infrastructure and functional premises,” emphasized Jan Holgersson. “Maintaining premises for pharmaceutical production is both personnel-intensive and technically demanding.”

One of the challenges in the field mentioned by Jan Holgersson is competence supply, where it can sometimes be difficult to find individuals with the right profile, requiring internal training to provide individuals with the specific competencies needed for manufacturing ATMPs in a hospital environment. In the future, it may also involve finding solutions where one person holds a position shared between healthcare and academia or industry.

The importance of the right competencies

Another major challenge revolves around the regulations surrounding the activity in general and the in-house manufacturing of advanced therapy medicinal products specifically.

“If an ATMP product is not commercially viable, will it then become the responsibility of healthcare to manufacture it to meet the needs of the relevant patient group?” commented Jan Holgersson.

Jeanette Edblad, Head of the National Life Science Office, together with Dean Jenny Nyström. Photo: Paul Björkman.

Jeanette Edblad, Head of the National Life Science Office, had many thoughts after listening to the various presentations.

“There is a need for collaboration between the technology sector and traditional life science, and as many discussed during their presentations, it’s important to have the right competencies for the transition within the life science sector.”

“It was exciting to hear about how Western Sweden is at the forefront with a long-term vision; there is a strategic way of thinking here,” concluded Jeanette Edblad before the visit to Western Sweden continued to other life science stakeholders.

BY: PATRIK CENTERWALL (SAHLGRENSKA UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL) & ELIN LINDSTRÖM (SAHLGRENSKA ACADEMY)
PHOTO: GOCO HEALTH INNOVATION CITY AND SAHLGRENSKA UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL (PAUL BJÖRKMAN)

 

 

 

By: Elin Lindström
Tagged With: Sahlgrenska Universitetssjukhuset

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

HAPPY SUMMER!

The newsletter from Akademiliv will return on Wednesday, August 21st.

Contact your institute to add your event to the calendar in the Staff Portal

  • Biomedicine: Kristian Kvint: kalender@biomedicine.gu.se
  • Core Facilities: Amelie Karlsson: amelie.karlsson.2@gu.se
  • Clinical Sciences: Katarina Olinder Eriksson: klinvet@gu.se
  • Medicine: Nina Raun; kommunikation@medicine.gu.se
  • Neuroscience and Physiology: Josefin Bergenholtz; kommunikation@neuro.gu.se
  • Odontology: Johan Thompson; info@odontologi.gu.se
  • Sahlgrenska Academy’s Office and faculty-wide calendar events Åsa Ekvall; info@sahlgrenska.gu.se
  • Health and Care Sciences: Karin Mossberg; vardvetenskap@fhs.gu.se

Information from Sahlgrenska Academy Research Support Office

[UPDATED JUNE 2024]
The Sahlgrenska Academy Research Support Office provides an overview of upcoming and current calls, nominations and events in an information letter. This letter is updated on a monthly basis.
Current and previous newsletters are also available in the Staff Portal.

’20 minutes for researchers’ is back – see full spring program

During 20 minutes over Zoom, the Biomedical Library gives tips on tools and services that can facilitate your research everyday life.

More news

En personlig död (A Personal Death) – a chance to win Björn Fagerberg’s new book

27 May, 2024

NEW BOOK. During his career as a physician specializing in internal medicine, Björn Fagerberg has been involved in many end-of-life situations, …  

She is doing her residency in the US with a medical degree from Gothenburg

21 May, 2024

STUDENT. Doing a “residency” in orthopedics in the United States is an unattainable dream for many newly qualified American doctors. Now Janina Ka …  

Alba Corell reports from a high-level brain tumor meeting

20 May, 2024

COLUMN. The recent gathering of the Scandinavian Society of Neuro-oncology (SNOG) in Gothenburg has concluded. Professor Asgeir Jakola hosted and …  

From South Africa to Sweden: Collaborative Research Efforts Improving Pregnant Women’s Health

17 May, 2024

GLOBAL HEALTH. In the bustling Tygerberg University Hospital in Cape Town, a dedicated research team led by Lina Bergman, is on a mission to …  

Sara Bjursten and Anna Wenger are the recipients of the Assar Gabrielsson Prize 2024

17 May, 2024

AWARD. The Assar Gabrielsson Foundation has named Anna Wenger as the winner in the basic science research category and Sara Bjursten as the …  

A full day for PhD students focused on mental health

16 May, 2024

PHD STUDENTS. For the sixth time, PhD students at Sahlgrenska Academy were invited to PhD Day, organized by the Doctoral Student Council. The day …  

Kaj Blennow ranked highest in Sweden in neuroscience

16 May, 2024

AWARD. In this year's edition of the researcher ranking from Research.com in the field of neuroscience, Kaj Blennow is ranked 17th …  

Linda Wass is doing a postdoc at Stanford with ALF funding

14 May, 2024

ALF FUNDING. Biomedical Scientist Linda Wass has just settled in Stanford, California, where she will spend two years as a postdoc. She is the …  

Karin Nilsson wrote the Thesis of the Year at Sahlgrenska Academy in 2023

14 May, 2024

AWARD. Karin Nilsson, currently a postdoc at the Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Nutrition, receives the faculty-wide Thesis of the …  

Some answers from the proposed members of the next Faculty Board

14 May, 2024

FACULTY ELECTIONS. The eight proposed members of the next Faculty Board hereby give some brief answers on how they want to contribute to the work …  

More news...

Sahlgrenska Academy

© University of Gothenburg
PO-Box 100, S-405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden
Phone: 00 46 31 786 0000

About the website

Elin Lindström is editor for Akademiliv.
Please feel free to send your ideas and comments to akademiliv@gu.se

Sign up for the Akademiliv newsletter:

Send you tips to Akademiliv

Do you have a suggestion for news, grants, seminars or an education?
Send an email to Elin Lindström Claessen