RESEARCH THAT AFFECTS. Titanium has the ability to heal into bone through a process called osseointegration. The term was coined by its originator, the University of Gothenburg professor Per-Ingvar Brånemark. This process is now to be celebrated with a day of its own instituted by two large international organizations. Two organizations, the European Academy of Osseointegration (EAO) and the American College of Prosthodontics (ACP), decided that the First Global Osseointegration…
Frequently asked questions about the Faculty Board (Academy Board) election
FACULTY ELECTION. The election for Sahlgrenska Academy’s Faculty Board will take place between May 17 and May 30, 2021. Below, Akademiliv answers several frequently asked questions about the election. You will find more general information on online voting in the Staff Portal.
Principles for Enhancing Animal Research – An Insight Into the 3R Seminar at University of Gothenburg, spring 2021
CONDITIONS OF RESEARCH. This spring’s 3R seminar arranged by the University of Gothenburg’s Animal welfare body, gathered around 70 online participants, and focused on how scientists kan become better at evaluating the actual severity grading for each animal used in an experiment. During the seminar, Experimental Biomedicine (EBM) also shared different techniques for how they are increasing the welfare of the animals. Among other things, giving pain relief to rats…
Agneta Holmäng: “Medical research not prioritized in Government’s Spring Budget”
CHRONICLE. In early June, the Riksdag will vote on the Spring Budget Bill. But its content does not benefit medical research in Sweden. As Dean Agneta Holmäng writes in her column, the University’s medical faculties and Karolinska Institute are unanimous in this criticism. On Monday, April 19, Sahlgrenska Academy hosted a national Deans’ Meeting that, owing to the pandemic, had to take place on Zoom. All the medical faculties’ deans…
“A huge opportunity to reach students at the Faculty of Science and Chalmers”
TECHNOLOGY AND HEALTH. May 11 is the date for the master thesis project fair, which brings together supervisors and students from Sahlgrenska Academy, the Faculty of Science and Chalmers University of Technology. The purpose of the fair is to create new interdisciplinary projects. Supervisors can propose projects for the fair until May 5 (extended deadline). “This is a huge opportunity to reach students in the natural sciences and technology who…
COVID-19 restrictions determine how digital the next two semesters will be
VICE-CHANCELLOR DECISION. Yesterday, Thursday, the Vice-chancellor announced a policy decision regarding the summer and autumn semesters. It has two scenarios. If the restrictions are eased, the policy will be for students and staff to gradually return to campus. But if the spread of infection continues on a large scale, work will remain largely digital for the upcoming two semesters. “So far, our staff and students alike have made outstanding contributions,…
Anders Björkman – attention to detail and a steady hand
PEOPLE. Suppose you accidentally severed a nerve in your hand when you were cutting open an avocado. Not that serious, surely? Nerves regenerate and grow together again, unaided — right? Still, nerve damage affecting the hands is problematic, and can mean that active 30-year-olds lose their jobs. In this personal profile, Anders Björkman, Professor of Hand Surgery, talks about why this is, the plasticity of the brain, artificial (prosthetic) hands,…
Particles from volcanic eruption worsened respiratory conditions
NEW STUDY. Six years ago, there was a marked rise in respiratory diseases among Reykjavik residents during one of Iceland’s biggest volcanic eruptions on record, according to new research findings, to which University of Gothenburg scientists contributed. The adverse health effects increased most when the sulfur dioxide emissions returned in the form of sulfate aerosol deposition. The present research is based on air quality data and health care records in…
Positive evaluation for Core Facilities
CONDITIONS OF RESEARCH. After external evaluations, and a decision from the Vice-chancellor, the Core Facilities will continue to be a university-wide infrastructure. The evaluators are impressed and positive about the facilities work, and gave valuable recommendations for how it can be developed. The evaluations were made by external representatives from the universities of Århus, Helsinki and Linköping. According to the university’s rules, university-wide infrastructure must be evaluated regularly. For Core…
Defects in a specific cell type may cause ulcerative colitis
NEW STUDY. There are many variants of “goblet cells” in the intestines and they seem to have different functions, according to a new study from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. The study indicates that defects in goblet cells of a particular type may be a factor contributing to ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory bowel disease. The entire inside of our intestines is covered by a thin layer of mucus that protects…
Machine learning can help slow down future pandemics
AI-NEWS. Artificial intelligence could be one of the keys for limiting the spread of infection in future pandemics. In a new study, researchers at the University of Gothenburg have investigated how machine learning can be used to find effective testing methods during epidemic outbreaks, thereby helping to better control the outbreaks. In the study, the researchers developed a method to improve testing strategies during epidemic outbreaks and with relatively limited…
Sahlgrenska Academy in program overview for Sahlgrenska Life, Buildings 2 and 3
CAMPUS MEDICINAREBERGET. A program review of parts of Sahlgrenska Life, Buildings 2 and 3, in which the University will be a primary tenant, is currently underway. Simultaneously, Region Västra Götaland (VGR, the county council) is continuing work on Building 1, and the City of Gothenburg (the municipality) is taking new steps towards the adoption of the detailed development plan. Work on the program overview for Buildings 2 and 3 is…
Ingmar Skoog chosen as Senior Citizen of the Year
DISTINCTION. Professor Ingmar Skoog has been voted Senior Citizen of the Year. The honor is given by the magazine Senioren and is intended to recognize a person who has helped change how senior citizens are viewed or who has been a good example for others. Skoog has been very critical of how society has treated elderly people during the pandemic and was quick to argue that public authorities should listen…
Bygginformation Medicinareberget: Natrium – entrance floor facade now visible
BYGGINFORMATION. Akademiliv ger här information om byggnation av Natrium på Medicinareberget, samt förberedelser för satsningen på Sahlgrenska Life. Infromationen gäller perioden vecka 15 – 18 (12 april – 7 maj). The projects are summarized in a PowerPoint presentation that is updated a few times a year. It is intended to be used in meetings with employees. See the updated presentation (only available in Swedish) in the Staff Portal: https://medarbetarportalen.gu.se/sahlgrenskaakademin/byggprojektmedicinareberget Through…
Heart failure and stroke rising in men under 40
NEW STUDY. Heart failure and stroke are unusual diagnoses among younger people. But they are now clearly on the rise in men below the age of 40, according to a University of Gothenburg study. The scientists have found links to obesity and low fitness in the upper teens. The present study, published in Journal of Internal Medicine, includes data on 1,258,432 men who, at an average age of 18.3 years, enlisted for military…
Engineering Health – a digital smorgasbord of new technologies for health
CONFERENCE. Diet and intestinal health, antibiotic resistance, hand transplantation, smart textiles, 3D printing, digital health and VR for treatment of psychosis. For two days, the Engineering Health conference offers a digital smorgasbord of technical solutions for medical care and health. The next Engineering Health conference will be held April 13–14. This year’s conference is being organized by Chalmers, in collaboration with Sahlgrenska Academy, the Faculty of Science at the University…
Estimating costs of uterine transplantation
NEW STUDY. Sweden’s acclaimed research on uterine transplants has taken a new step forward: into the field of health economics. Now, for the first time, there is a scientifically based estimate of how much implementing the treatment costs. The current research is based on the nine uterine transplants from living donors carried out in 2013, under the leadership of Mats Brännström, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, and Chief Physician at Sahlgrenska University Hospital. The transplants…
Meet Ali Harandi – one of the University of Gothenburg’s vaccine experts
PEOPLE. Several new variants of the coronavirus are attracting attention, and many people now wonder how long the available vaccines will provide adequate protection. Ali Harandi, vaccine expert at the University of Gothenburg, is looking into this. He and his colleagues are studying new ways to differentiate antibodies against different virus variants and against COVID vaccines. Since the COVID-19-pandemic started in Sweden, Ali Harandi has emerged as one of the…
Gut microbiota in cesarean-born babies catches up
NEW STUDY. Infants born by cesarean section have a relatively meager array of bacteria in the gut. But by the age of three to five years they are broadly in line with their peers. This is shown by a study that also shows that it takes a remarkably long time for the mature intestinal microbiota to get established. Fredrik Bäckhed, Professor of Molecular Medicine at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, has been heading this research. The…
We have learned more about the SARS-CoV-2 virus using its proteins as keys
RESEARCH CONDITIONS. During the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, understanding the virus’ proteins has been at the core of SARS-CoV-2 research, because the virus invades human cells through protein contacts. Several universities in Sweden have facilities that produce proteins for various research projects that are part of Protein Production Network Sweden–University of Gothenburg through the Mammalian Protein Expression (MPE) Core Facility. Through its national collaboration, the Protein Production Network Sweden (PPNS) has…