Hannes Hagström, adjunct professor at Karolinska Institutet and consultant in gastroenterology at Karolinska University Hospital, has passed away suddenly. We remember a valued friend, colleague, physician and researcher whose work made a lasting impact both within his field of research and on all those who had the privilege of meeting and working with him.
Hannes Hagström came to Karolinska Institutet as a medical student in 2001 and began his doctoral studies in 2010 at the Department of Medicine in Huddinge. His sharpness, creativity and drive made an immediate impression. Through dedicated effort and a rare research talent, he developed into an internationally recognised scientist whose contributions to the advancement of medical knowledge will endure.
Hannes Hagström radiated positivity and energy. Nothing was impossible. He maintained a high pace but never compromised on quality or on his commitment to colleagues and collaborators.
Through his research on fatty liver disease, he contributed important knowledge. Among other things, he highlighted the significance of hepatic fibrosis in fatty liver disease as a decisive factor for prognosis and the development of complications. Over the course of his career, he published 385 articles in highly ranked journals, which have been and will continue to be widely cited.
Hannes Hagström's research achievements were also recognised with several prestigious awards, reflecting not only his scientific excellence but also the high esteem in which he was held by the international research community.
Alongside his research, Hannes Hagström was deeply committed to developing and strengthening research environments for the benefit of others. Within the Centre for Bioinformatics and Biostatistics (CBB) and Clinicum, he was actively involved in building structures for advanced research support, and he envisioned creating a strong, interdisciplinary epidemiological environment at Campus Flemingsberg. That work was well underway and will live on through others.
As Scientific Secretary of the Swedish Society of Gastroenterology, he also contributed to renewing and revitalising meeting formats and creating settings in which more people felt able and encouraged to participate.
For Karolinska Institutet and the Department of Medicine in Huddinge, Hannes Hagström was an immensely valued colleague and a strong force in academic life. Many of us remember him as a person who was generous with his knowledge, his networks and his time. He leaves a great void.
With deep gratitude, we remember Hannes Hagström and honour his memory by continuing his work-with the same generosity, warmth and faith in others that he so naturally embodied. Our thoughts are with his closest family and loved ones.
Annika Bergquist, head of the Gastroenterology and Nutrition Unit
Petter Höglund, head of the Department of Medicine, Huddinge
