Children and young people with hereditary, often fatal, mitochondrial diseases have long lacked effective treatment. Each individual disease is rare, but there are many diseases within this group. They are estimated to affect about 1 in 5,000 people worldwide. Common symptoms include epilepsy, liver and heart problems, and muscle weakness. Mutations in a specific gene are the most common cause. After twenty years of work, a pattern is now emerging in the mutations, making it possible to develop treatments for several mitochondrial diseases. Among other things, the research team has identified a new substance that enables the restoration of function in a damaged enzyme in the cell’s mitochondria. A drug based on this is now being tested in humans in a Phase 1 study.

By studying dog genes, Kerstin Lindblad-Toh and her research team can better understand the genetic mechanisms behind cancer and other serious diseases in humans. The advantage of taking the detour via animals is that certain types of cancer often occur in certain animal species and breeds. In dogs, for example, skeletal cancer occurs more often in large breeds, and studies of their genetics can be used to understand the corresponding disease mechanism in humans. The research team has developed methods for studying mutations in so-called regulatory elements that control how much protein is formed in a cancer cell. In terms of cancer, the research will focus in particular on genes that contribute to the development of glioblastoma—brain tumors that mainly occur in adults—medulloblastoma—brain tumors that most often affect children—lymphoma, and skeletal cancer.

Dementia, including Alzheimer's, is a huge problem. The number of people suffering from dementia, of which Alzheimer's is the most common cause, is predicted to triple by 2050. At the same time, there are positive developments with new drugs that can actually slow down the progression of the disease. Five years ago, new, much more sensitive, techniques were identified that make it possible to search the blood for phosphorylated tau and amyloid-beta, substances that indicate that a person has Alzheimer's disease. The first step is now to start using this method in specialist care. The research team is also conducting a world-first study to see how taking the blood samples in primary care works instead, and the results point to a revolution in diagnosing Alzheimer's disease.

In total, there are 20 000 protein-coding genes in our genome. What we want to explore is how many different patterns there are for how these genes are turned on and off and how often this happens. With new methods, the research team will see the direct effect of different drug substances at a very early stage, how they work and what side effects they have. For example, this could lead to the refinement of drugs to make them work better. This is basic research at a very high level to understand how the genome is controlled and regulated by our genes, but the results can also be of practical use.

In our research, we study respiratory infections and seek to understand how respiratory bacteria interact with their host and cause disease. We have a particular focus on diseases caused by pneumococci. Pneumococci are common in the nose of healthy children, but they are also the most common cause of respiratory infections such as ear and sinus infections, as well as serious infections such as pneumonia and meningitis. The research ranges from basic molecular mechanisms of how bacteria affect disease development and immune response, to clinical and epidemiological studies and antibiotic resistance and transmission. The research is expected to lead to new strategies for treatment and prevention.

Our research uses single-cell analysis to discover cell types and developmental pathways in the human nervous system. In the long term, we want to map all cell types in the brain, and understand how they form during embryonic development. To achieve this, we are developing technologies for highly sensitive and accurate measurement of RNA in individual cells, and also for accurate two-dimensional mapping of gene activity in the embryonic human brain.

The research involves understanding how cells in the central nervous system are formed from stem cells. We are particularly interested in the cell types that die in patients with Parkinson's disease. We are doing basic research with the aim of understanding fundamental processes at the molecular level. In the longer term, the aim is to have an impact on diseases such as Parkinson's disease. Hopefully, the research will provide opportunities to inhibit nerve cell death or bring about repair, known as regeneration, in the central nervous system.

Our research aims to understand how the trillions of bacteria in our gut affect our health. We like to think of the gut microbiota as an organ with its own genome and functions that our body's own cells cannot perform. An important component is to understand the factors that influence the composition of the gut microbiota, where diet is an important factor. Currently, our major interest is to investigate how the gut flora is altered in diabetes and cardiovascular disease and whether this altered gut flora contributes to the development of the disease. If so, the next step is to understand how we can stabilize the gut microbiota to prevent disease or to develop new strategies to cure the disease based on the gut microbiota.

Our research focuses on stem cells in the blood system, how they form the body's various blood cells and the immune system, and what happens when the normal stem cells are replaced by cancer stem cells and the body goes from producing blood cells to producing leukemia. This research is important in areas such as stem cell transplants used to cure diseases of the blood and immune system. Many vital blood cells take a long time to form and by identifying key blood-forming stem cells we hope to find ways to speed up production. An even bigger problem is the relapse of e.g. leukemia after a stem cell transplant. By identifying the stem cells that cause relapses, we can focus on how to better eliminate or neutralize them.

I research Alzheimer's disease and work on developing methods to measure the biochemical changes in the brain via cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples and also via blood samples. The aim of the research is to understand the molecular mechanisms of Alzheimer's disease, in particular which changes are most important for the development of the disease. To obtain reliable data, this type of research will ultimately have to be carried out directly on patients with the disease, in studies that follow patients and symptom-free elderly people for several years. An important goal is also to be able to use these tests for clinical diagnostics, to enable patients to receive adequate treatment.

I am interested in the body's ability to renew cells, both when we are healthy and how it changes in disease. A major interest in my research group is the regeneration of cells in the adult brain and how this affects the malleability of our brains and also responses to injury and disease. Much of our research aims to increase our understanding of how cells in the body work at a fairly basic level. But we are also always interested in how the function of cells is affected in diseases and to find knowledge that can lead to new insights into disease processes, which are needed to develop new treatments.

The aim of the research is to describe why we can perceive our environment and different types of sensation, and to develop new advanced genetic engineering methods. One hope is also to create deeper knowledge of underlying mechanisms in pain conditions. The research involves the development of a technological platform that makes it possible to understand activity-based connections between neurons and thus increase our knowledge of all types of physiological and pathophysiological (disease-influenced) processes in the brain.

Between 2007 and 2011, the Torsten Söderberg Foundation, in collaboration with the Ragnar Söderberg Foundation, provided joint grants to the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences to support professors’ research over periods of 4–5 years.

Donation to the Kungl. Vetenskapsakademien for the establishment of a professorship in economics in a broad sense. The professorship will be held for periods of approximately four years. The Academy's class for social sciences is responsible for the professorship and appoints a working group. In the call for applications, Swedish universities with economic research are invited to nominate two candidates.