This year, the Swedish Rheumatism Association is awarding almost SEK 14 million in funding for research into rheumatic diseases. One third of the funded projects are being carried out at Karolinska Institutet.
In total, research grants have been awarded to 96 projects. Researchers at Karolinska Institutet are leading 29 of these projects and will share SEK 4.7 million of the total SEK 13.6 million available in this year's call.
The funded research covers a wide range of areas, including early diagnosis, personalised treatment, rehabilitation, physical activity and digital support tools. A common focus is to ensure clear benefits for patients, so that the research makes a real difference for people living with rheumatic diseases.
The Swedish Rheumatism Association is one of the largest private funders of rheumatology research in Sweden, and this year saw a record number of applications for research funding.
KI researchers awarded grants from the Swedish Rheumatism Association in 2026:
Marie Wahren-Herlenius, Department of Medicine, Solna, Division of Rheumatology
Project: Sjögren's syndrome - clinical and immunological studies
Ioannis Parodis , Department of Medicine, Solna, Division of Rheumatology
Project: Precision diagnostics and personalised treatment in systemic lupus erythematosus (PREDICT‑LUPUS)
Ingrid Lundberg , Department of Medicine, Solna, Division of Rheumatology
Project: Disease mechanisms and treatment effects in chronic inflammatory myopathies
Helga Westerlind , Department of Medicine, Solna, Division of Rheumatology
Project: Machine learning to predict treatment outcomes in rheumatoid arthritis
Elisabet Svenungsson , Department of Medicine, Solna, Division of Rheumatology
Project: Subgrouping systemic lupus erythematosus: a new approach to understanding disease pathogenesis and tailoring treatment
Helena Erlandsson Harris , Department of Medicine, Solna, Division of Rheumatology
Project: Understanding the causes of juvenile idiopathic arthritis
Lina Marcela Diaz‑Gallo Norlén , Department of Medicine, Solna, Division of Rheumatology
Project: Towards genetic testing: improving the diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus in children and adults
Vivianne Malmström , Department of Medicine, Solna, Division of Rheumatology
Project: The role of lymphocytes in inflammatory rheumatic diseases
Eva Kosek , Department of Clinical Neuroscience
Project: The importance of autoreactive antibodies in pain associated with fibromyalgia
Álvaro Gomez Gonzalez , Department of Medicine, Solna, Division of Clinical Epidemiology
Project: Mapping the patient journey: novel methods for identifying diagnostic pathways in lupus
Daniel Andersson , Department of Physiology and Pharmacology
Project: The role of serological factors in muscle weakness and metabolic dysfunction in inflammatory myopathies - evaluation of a novel pharmacological treatment
Dionysis Nikolopoulos , Department of Medicine, Solna, Division of Rheumatology
Project: Improving the understanding of systemic lupus erythematosus endotypes through organ‑specific molecular profiling, with a focus on neuropsychiatric lupus (RESOLVE‑NP)
Per‑Johan Jakobsson , Department of Medicine, Solna, Division of Rheumatology
Project: Early diagnosis and early treatment in rheumatic disease
Marie Holmqvist, Department of Medicine, Solna, Division of Clinical Epidemiology
Project: The path to diagnosis - understanding the development of systemic sclerosis from the inside out
Karin Hellgren , Department of Medicine, Solna, Division of Clinical Epidemiology
Project: Rheumatic disease and reproductive health across the life course - how can we identify risk factors and improve outcomes and care?
Begüm Horuluoglu , Department of Medicine, Solna, Division of Rheumatology
Project: Investigating the function and contribution of autoreactive cells in myositis
Caroline Grönwall , Department of Medicine, Solna, Division of Rheumatology
Project: B cells and autoantibodies in rheumatic disease - mapping complex interactions
Lars Alfredsson , Institute of Environmental Medicine
Project: The role of modifiable lifestyle and work environment factors in the onset and course of rheumatoid arthritis
Karine Chemin , Department of Medicine, Solna, Division of Rheumatology
Project: How do T cells survive during inflammation? Metabolic and hormonal regulation of immune cells in rheumatic diseases
Natalia Sherina , institutionen för medicin, Solna, avdelningen för reumatologi.
Projekt: Mekanismer och biomarkörer för CAR-NK-inducerad reset av B-cellsimmunitet vid lupus (ReSET-LUPUS).
Albin Björk , Department of Medicine, Solna, Division of Rheumatology
Project: Identification of key immunological events in the clinical progression to systemic autoimmune disease (the ProgreSS study)
Jon Lampa , Department of Medicine, Solna, Division of Rheumatology
Project: Persistent pain and fatigue despite anti‑rheumatic treatment - an epidemiological and mechanistic mapping in early rheumatoid arthritis
Fabricio Espinosa Ortega , Department of Medicine, Solna, Division of Clinical Epidemiology
Project: Muscle ultrasound in seronegative myositis - from imaging to patient benefit
Angeles Shunashy Galindo Feria , Department of Medicine, Solna, Division of Rheumatology
Project: AI‑driven ultrasound for precision medicine - a scalable platform for faster diagnosis and treatment of muscle diseases
Karin Lodin, Department of Medicine, Solna, Division of Clinical Epidemiology
Project: Prediction of clinical outcomes and treatment response in patients with myositis
Akilan Krishnamurthy, Department of Medicine, Solna, Division of Rheumatology
Project: Mapping mucosal dysbiosis and the impact of autoantibodies on immune cells in systemic lupus erythematosus
Osama Saher, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Biomolecular and Cellular Medicine
Project: Bioengineered extracellular vesicles for the treatment of arthropathies (BEVAT): small vesicles, big impact
Elizabeth Arkema , Department of Medicine, Solna, Division of Clinical Epidemiology
Project: A comprehensive evaluation of the long‑term risks and benefits of treating systemic lupus erythematosus in Sweden
Yue‑Bei Luo , Department of Medicine, Solna, Division of Rheumatology
Project: An integrated omics‑based investigation of cell‑to‑cell interactions in muscle tissue in myositis
