Justification

"For his ground-breaking, world-leading research on how cells regenerate in the adult human and animal brain and spinal cord, both under normal conditions and during injury and disease."

Jonas Frisén's work involves identifying and studying stem cells in adult organs. Stem cells are of particular interest because they are immature cells with the ability to give rise to various specialized cells, such as skin or nerve cells. An important component of many diseases is the loss of cells, such as nerve cell loss in Alzheimer's disease or loss of heart muscle cells in heart attacks, so it is important to understand how stem cells work and how the body can make new cells. Frisén and his research team have studied this new formation using a proprietary carbon-14 method where the cells are dated. The method has also made it possible to produce a map of how human cells are turned over and renewed. Using his newly developed interdisciplinary methods, which range from biomedicine to nuclear physics, Frisén has been able to answer key questions in medicine, such as where nerve cells are newly formed in adult brains and that heart muscle cells are formed throughout life.

The professorship will promote internationally leading research in the medical field on a full-time basis for 5 years. The total grant amounts to SEK 10 million.