DOCTORAL THESIS. Ongoing support for several years and focus on the individual. These are success factors that make physical activity on prescription a workable concept for patients, including those who, after six months, have not reached their desired physical activity level, a University of Gothenburg thesis shows. The thesis concerned comprises studies of 444 patients who were offered what is known as “physical activity on prescription” (PAP) in primary care.…
A molecule from gut bacteria reduces effect of diabetes medication
NEW STUDY. The action of metformin, the classic drug used to treat diabetes by stabilizing blood sugar, can be blocked by a molecule from the bacteria in our intestines, a University of Gothenburg study shows. Metformin is the primary treatment option for type 2 diabetes, but there are major variations in how individuals respond to this drug. In some people it lowers blood glucose (sugar) and delays the course of…
Matching ideas can lead to new collaborations within Life Sciences – postponed until April 21, 2021.
Note – this event is postponed until April21, 2021. New invitation will come! COLLABORATION. Cross-border ideas, long-shot methods, shared instruments, joint projects. New research collaborations can produce great returns. On December 2, the Faculty of Science and Sahlgrenska Academy will test for the first time a virtual matching of ideas for researchers at the two faculties. The last day to register is Sunday, November 22. You can sign up via…
Gunnar Tobin Named New Vice Dean of Education
LEADERSHIP ASSIGNMENT. Gunnar Tobin, a professor of pharmacology and Excellent Teacher , has been appointed as the new vice dean for education affairs. He does not envision transformative changes but wants to administer the work started by his predecessors. “My assignment as vice dean has come as a surprise not only for me but certainly also for many others,” Gunnar Tobin says. “When I was asked, it seemed like an interesting…
New episode of our podcast (in Swedish): Research on how COVID-19 affects pregnant women, their newborns and partners
SCIENCE COMMUNICATION. Pregnant women are not a pronounced risk group but are urged to be careful to avoid becoming infected with COVID-19. So far, smaller studies have pointed to an increase risk of blood clots and premature births from the infection but larger studies are needed to confirm this. The latest edition of Akademiliv, the podcast from Sahlgrenska Academy, is about a new national research project begun by researchers at…
Doctoral Student Council: “The pandemic is impacting doctoral students”
DOCTORAL STUDENTS. Restrictions make it more difficult to carry out planned research, which can impact doctoral students particularly hard. Sahlgrenska Academy’s Doctoral Student Council is a forum for networking, discussions and support. The Doctoral Student Council appoints doctoral student representatives to councils and committees. It is also an arena for networking and social interaction for researching students from the entire faculty and provides an opportunity to discuss research with others…
Awards from the Gothenburg Society of Medicine and Sahlgrenska Academy to Claes Ohlsson and Johan Bengtsson-Palme.
AWARDS. Claes Ohlsson and Johan Bengtsson-Palme have been announced as the recipients of awards established by the Gothenburg Society of Medicine (GLS) and Sahlgrenska Academy. These awards are only given every five years. This year’s recipient of the Grand Prize for Outstanding Medical Research from the Gothenburg Society of Medicine (GLS) and Sahlgrenska Academy is Professor Claes Ohlsson at the Institute of Medicine and chief physician in clinical pharmacology at…
Remote working and online teaching to continue in the spring
VICE-CHANCELLOR’S DECISION. The Vice-Chancellor has announced the new policy decision that most of the University’s activities will continue online and remotely next semester. The decision was expected and applies until further notice, but it can change depending on how the spread of the virus develops. The Vice-Chancellor will announce a new policy decision no later than April 2021. The new policy decision from the Vice-Chancellor has been discussed with the…
All set to start the new medical program
EDUCATION. Starting next autumn, all seven universities that train doctors will receive degree-awarding powers for the new medical program that will become the basis for a medical license. The Swedish Higher Education Authority (UKÄ) has now announced its decision on the matter. “We are delighted that all the universities that applied for the right to award degrees for the new medical program have received it. On behalf of Sahlgrenska Academy,…
New payment portal and model for late fees and lost books
THE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY. On November 12, the Gothenburg University Library will launch a new payment portal that makes it possible to pay fines for overdue books directly on the web. In My loans, minalan.ub.gu.se, you can renew loans, pay fines and replacement costs for lost items. In My loans, you can also update your contact information to get messages from the library when it is time to return your loans.…
After 152 blasts and 260 000 tons of rocks removed, the blasting has now come to an end
NATRIUM. The preparatory groundwork and planning for the blast began two years ago and in February 2019, the first blast was carried out. What was then a rock hilltop is now instead a pit. After a lengthy period of removing rocks from the site things are starting to be added as the construction work now enters a new phase. Those who have windows facing the construction site have for a…
Nearly SEK 6 million from the Swedish Research Council for research on surgical training
EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT. Gothenburg has the only training environment in Sweden that offers specialist courses for surgeons where skills are practiced using donated corpses. The Surgical Anatomical Training Center (KAT) is run in collaboration with Sahlgrenska Academy and Sahlgrenska University Hospital. Thanks to a major contribution from the Swedish Research Council, an interdisciplinary research project can now begin about this skills training. For laparoscopic surgery, surgeons have long been able to…
Difficult to build a family after exposure to chemical weapons
NEW STUDY. People who have been exposed to chemical warfare agents (CWAs) feel uncertain, decades after the exposure, about their survival and ability to build a family, a University of Gothenburg study shows. Women are more severely affected than men. The study, published in BMJ Open, is based on qualitative, in-depth interviews with 16 survivors of the massive 1988 poison-gas attack on Halabja, a city in the Kurdistan Region of…
Vice-chancellor about the stricter guidelines: “Now we need to do everything we can to avoid unnecessary contacts”
COVID-19. After Thursday’s announcement by the Public Health Agency of Sweden on stricter recommendations in Region Västra Götaland, among other places, Vice-chancellor Eva Wiberg emphasizes the seriousness and importance of following the recommendations. “The increased spread of infection right now is very worrying,” she says. The number of people diagnosed with covid-19 in the Region Västra Götaland, Östergötland and Stockholm has increased sharply. After consultation with the regions, the Public…
The Faculty Board has decided on the allocation of direct government funding for coming year
FINANCES. The Faculty Board has decided how next year’s direct government funding will be allocated. There are SEK 441 million for research and a maximum of SEK 540 million in compensation for the funding agreement target. Next year, the faculty will receive SEK 441 million in direct government funding for research, which is an increase of two percent compared with 2020. In accordance with the Faculty Board’s October 21 decision,…
Olle Korsgren likes the team spirit in Gothenburg
DONATION. Olle Korsgren is an internationally leading researcher in the field of transplantation of insulin-producing cells, known as islet transplantation. In the autumn of 2020, Korsgren’s visiting professorship in transplant immunology will be transferred to the Institute of Medicine. He looks forward to continuing to work in the strong research teams that he regards as a hallmark of Sahlgrenska Academy. Olle Korsgren is a professor of transplant immunology at Uppsala…
Thriving as a postdoc in the US
INTERNATIONAL POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER. An exciting and fun filled adventure during which you develop a great deal in a short period of time. This is how Kristina Johansson summarizes her experience as a postdoc at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF), where she has been working since the autumn of 2018. “The best thing is that you have the opportunity to see entirely new ways of working and you can…
Fredrik Bäckhed receives gold medal from the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (IVA)
DISTINCTION. Fredrik Bäckhed, a professor at the University of Gothenburg, is among those awarded the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences’ Gold Medal this year for his outstanding microbiological research. He regards the award as recognition of the importance of the entire field and of the work his research team has conducted for many years. “It is delightful to be named one of the recipients, particularly since the explanatory statement…
Four researchers at the Institute of Medicine receive grants from the Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare
GRANTS. Four researchers at the Institute of Medicine won approval for their applications to the Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare (Forte) and now will receive nearly SEK 18 million for their research. Karl Bonander and Leo Stockfelt have both received junior researcher grants, while Damon Barret and Lotta Dellve have received project grants. For the University of Gothenburg as a whole, 10 researchers will receive a…
Apply for ALF grants for educational development projects within the medical program’s clinical training
EDUCATION. From November 11 to December 9, teachers within the medical program at the University of Gothenburg can apply for ALF grants for research and development linked to clinical training within the program. This is a pilot call for proposals for educational development ALF grants, which is being conducted on the initiative of Medi-SAM Education. The call grew out of discussions in the collaborative organisation Medi-SAM, where members saw a…