Meet Joel Tärning, Labmed's new Professor of Clinical Pharmacology, who uses clinical data and mathematical models to improve treatments for malaria and other infectious diseases.
Welcome to Labmed! You have worked for many years on research into drug treatment for malaria. What has made this particular area so engaging for you?
Thank you very much. I began my PhD in pharmacokinetics at the University of Gothenburg in 2003. I was immediately drawn to pharmacokinetics during my graduate studies because it brings together biological concepts with mathematical and statistical approaches. When I started my PhD, my supervisor was working on antimalarial drugs, which was how I was first introduced to tropical medicine. During the first year of my PhD, I came into contact with the Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU), a world-leading tropical medicine research group in Bangkok, and was invited to spend a year there in 2004/2005. That experience shaped the direction of my career towards clinical pharmacology and tropical medicine research, and when I completed my PhD in 2007, I moved straight into a postdoctoral position at the unit in Bangkok.
Over the past 19 years, I have been employed by the University of Oxford, while refining my research focus towards pharmacometric approaches to neglected tropical diseases, while also building and leading a large clinical pharmacology laboratory in Thailand.
How would you summarise your research for a broad audience?
Malaria remains a major global health concern, affecting around 250 million people every year. Children under the age of five account for the majority of all malaria-related deaths. One of the main challenges is determining the right treatment for different groups of patients. In my research, I combine clinical trial data with mathematical models to identify patient groups at risk of under- or overdosing, and use pharmacometric modelling and simulation to improve treatment for these patients.
Our research has shown that many of the antimalarial drugs developed over the past fifty years were introduced at incorrect doses, particularly for young children and pregnant women. It is very motivating to know that my research can contribute to improved treatment guidelines and have a real-world impact on these patients. Although much of my research focuses on malaria, I also use similar methods to improve the treatment of other infectious diseases
After many years in an international research environment in Thailand and at Oxford, what attracted you to Karolinska Institutet and the Department of Laboratory Medicine?
I was attracted by the opportunity to build on the established translational research environment at Labmed. KI offers an exciting combination of clinical research, laboratory-based experimental science, and close interaction with the healthcare system. This aligns well with my research, which spans quantitative clinical pharmacology, experimental drug measurements, pharmacometric modelling, basic pharmacology and precision medicine.
I also aim to broaden my research beyond tropical diseases and explore how pharmacometric approaches can contribute to the diverse disease areas currently being investigated by colleagues at KI.
Finally, what do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my wife and two daughters, travelling, cooking and enjoying good food, watching films, and playing golf. After living in a tropical climate for almost 20 years, I am also looking forward to experiencing all four seasons in Sweden again.
