NEW STUDY. Keeping physically and mentally active in middle age may be tied to a lower risk of developing dementia decades later, according to a study published in the medical journal Neurology. Mental activities included reading, playing instruments, singing in a choir, visiting concerts, gardening, doing needlework or attending religious services. “These results indicate that these activities in middle age may play a role in preventing dementia in old age and…
Two transcription factors put cells in energy-saving mode
NEW STUDY. In a newly published article in the journal Nature, researchers at Sahlgrenska Academy identify two proteins that can put cells’ energy metabolism in a saving mode. This involves transcription factors FOXK1 and FOXK2, which have been shown to regulate the production of the lactate energy source. Under normal circumstances, cells obtain energy from adenosine triphosphate (ATP) molecules produced by the mitochondria inside the cells. In recent years studies…
Teachers may get SEK 100,000 – time to nominate for the Sahlgrenska Academy Pedagogical Award
AWARD. You can now nominate a teacher or group of teachers at Sahlgrenska Academy for the 2019 Pedagogical Award. The award recognizes excellent contributions to study courses and programs at the undergraduate and master’s levels and amounts to SEK 100,000 to be used for educational development and advancement. The award will recognize a teacher or group of teachers, which contributes to our educational programs’ attractiveness and that a high rate…
Sjöberg Foundation gives SEK 9 million for cancer research at Sahlgrenska Academy
GRANTS. The Sjöberg Foundation recently decided to support two teams conducting cancer research at Sahlgrenska Academy with grants totaling SEK 9 million. A study that can pave the way for using immunotherapy as a treatment for pancreatic cancer received the largest grant. Peter Naredi is the principal applicant for that project, which receives SEK 6 million from the Sjöberg Foundation. The translational project deals with improved diagnosis and treatment of…
Drone camera to scan Medicinareberget
The contractor for the construction of Naturvetenskap Life will within soon use drone cameras to scan and measure the site from above. The purpose with this activity is to create a 3D model to support the construction work. In order to safeguard safety during the activity, the contractor is in contact with the air traffic control at Säve Airport as well as the Sahlgrenska hospital, in regards of the helipad…
Safety work at construction site
A question came to medicinareberget@gu.se, in which the questioner describes a concern that boulders could roll down from the construction site towards the house facade. We addressed the question to the contractor who replies as follows: “We make use of rocks and soil at the construction site to build temporary roads and a stable platform for the excavators. Large boulders are used for stabilizing the site. They are gently put…
Information from Akademiska Hus about Naturvetenskap Life – first blast postponed until Tuesday, Februari 19
CONSTRUCTION INFORMATION. Below is information related to the Naturvetenskap Life construction project. Information will be sent to affected employees every two weeks, and it will also be published in Akademiliv (Academy Life).
Blasting for Naturvetenskap Life begins on Tuesday
CONSTRUCTION. Next week – on Tuesday, February 12 – the first blasting for Naturvetenskap Life will occur. The first charge is expected to go off at 12:30, or 15:00 if the planned blasting at lunchtime cannot be done for some reason. Beginning next week, blasting will occur twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Plans call for blasting at 12:30 on these days, and the contingency time is 15:00 on…
The academic side of forensic psychiatry
RESEARCH. Rågården in Gunnilse outside of Gothenburg is not just a forensic psychiatry clinic for individuals who have been ordered to undergo forensic care. It is also a center for cross-disciplinary research in forensic psychiatry where Peter Andiné and Thomas Nilsson contribute important initiatives. The first snow of winter forms a thin blanket over Rågården, reflecting a soft light through the large windows. I meet up with Peter Andiné after trading…
A rock-steady geologist having a blast
NATURVETENSKAP LIFE. Engineering Geologist Romina Lobos is a sought-after supervisor known for her ability to carry out blasting with as little impact on the surroundings as possible. The team on her latest project, Naturvetenskap Life, includes a driller, a blaster and a excavator she specifically requested to work with her. “I work with the best guys, and I have a laser focus on the situation the whole time,” she comments.…
Information from Akademiska Hus about Naturvetenskap Life
Below is information related to the Naturvetenskap Life construction project. Information will be sent to affected employees every two weeks, and it will also be published in Akademiliv (Academy Life). CONSTRUCTION INFORMATION, WEEK 5 The week starts with a safety inspection with the focus on fall protection. We must be vigilant in ensuring the safety of our staff’s work environment by using both convenient and dependable methods for fall protection.…
Animal rights organization Djurrättsalliansen holds demonstration outside EBM, Friday 1 February
Animals’ rights organization Djurrättsalliansen has been granted permission from the police to hold a demonstration outside EBM, Medicinaregatan 15A,tomorrow, Friday, 1 February 15.45-18.00. Main manifestation time according to Djurrättsalliansen’s Facebook event page: 16.00-17.00.
Administering higher doses of oxytocin does not reduce the use of caesarean sections
DOCTORAL THESIS. Delayed labor increases the risk of a caesarean section, even among women who receive oxytocin for augmentation of labour. The rate of caesarean section among first-time mothers is not reduced if the administered dose is doubled either, according to a dissertation from Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. In her dissertation Lotta Selin, a midwife, studied data on a total of 2,775 births in Sweden. She…
Thirty percent fewer prostate cancer deaths with PSA screening
DOCTORAL THESIS. PSA-screening cuts deaths from prostate cancer by some 30%. This is shown by research based on data on 20,000 men monitored for more than two decades. The men’s initially measured PSA level proved highly significant as a predictor of future cancer risk. “This research is important because it shows the long-term effects of an organized screening program in Sweden,” says Maria Frånlund, MD, PhD in Urology at Sahlgrenska…
Stina Simonsson awarded EU grant of more than SEK 5 million
GRANTS. As a co-applicant in a European research consortium, Stina Simonsson is receiving more than SEK 5 million for her research. She is one of 10 research partners in this major project, which aims to find new ways to treat knee injuries with the help of new, advanced technologies. The large European Union project is called RESTORE. The Swedish part of the project will receive more than SEK 5.5 million…
Extra ALF funding invested in three areas
COLLABORATION. The spring’s excellent ALF evaluation has now resulted in an extra SEK 20 million for clinical research in Västra Götaland. Sahlgrenska Academy and Sahlgrenska University Hospital will now use these funds for joint strategic investments in areas that the Swedish Research Council’s evaluation identified as needing strengthening. In March 2018 the Swedish Research Council released its report on its evaluation of clinical research at the county councils and universities…
B cells in thymus can teach T cells to distinguish endogenous from foreign substances
NEW STUDY. The thymus gland plays a key role for our early immune system because this is where immune cells mature into specific T cells. A new study within inflammation and pediatrics research suggests that B cells in the thymus can help T cells learn to discriminate between endogenous and foreign structures in order to not cause autoimmune reactions. The thymus is a gland located high in the chest cavity.…
Information from Akademiska Hus about Naturvetenskap Life
MEDICINAREBERGET. Below is information related to the Naturvetenskap Life construction project. Information will be sent to affected employees every two weeks, and it will also be published in Akademiliv (Academy Life). CONSTRUCTION INFORMATION, WEEK 3 During the week we will be finishing work at the parking garage P-huset by the Zoology building. The contractor will be clearing away loose stones and securing large boulders using drilled stays. The sound of this…
Discovery casts doubt on models of cell surface topography
NEW STUDY. Like planets, the body’s cell surfaces look smooth from a distance but often hilly closer up. An article published in Communications Biology describes implications, unknown to date, of the way data from cell surfaces are normally interpreted as if they lacked topographic features. When Earth is studied from space, its surface looks smooth. But on zooming in we notice the mountains and valleys. The same applies to cells;…
First pregnancy after robot-assisted uterus transplant
RESEARCH. The well-known research on uterine transplantation in Gothenburg is now supported by robotic surgery. This change has made operating on the donors considerably less invasive. After the technical modification, a first woman is now pregnant. “I think robotic surgery has a great future in this area,” says Mats Brännström, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, and world-leading researcher in the field. Recently, the fifth and…