New professors

On this page you find information about the new professors that are inaugurated at the Annual Celebration Ceremony.

New professors, honorary doctors and scientific award recipients give their lectures in the Humanities Building and the Lindell Hall at 9:00-12:00, 17 October. They are celebrated at the Annual Celebration Ceremony 15.00 in Aula Nordica the same day.

The lectures and the Ceremony are open to the public.

Magnus AnderssonProfessor vid Kemiska institutionenRoll: Studierektor

Magnus Andersson - Professor i biofysikalisk kemi

“Studying the rapid movements of proteins allows us to better understand how to develop new treatments for such conditions as heart failure and antibiotic resistance.”

Magnus Andersson is investigating how proteins change their structure to carry out their biological functions. By combining synchrotron light and the use of supercomputers, he can follow extremely fast movements in detail. This knowledge helps us understand how drugs work and can lead to better treatments for such conditions as antibiotic-resistant bacteria and heart failure.

Ronnie Berntsson - Professor i molekylär medicin

“By understanding how bacteria exchange genes with each other, we can develop medicines to better treat infections.”

Antibiotic resistance is a growing global problem. When bacteria become resistant, this often occurs because they exchange genes with each other; you could say that they exchange information. With his research, Ronnie Berntsson wants to understand how this exchange takes place. The next step will allow us to develop drugs that contribute to better treatment of bacterial infections and that slow the spread of antibiotic resistance.

Johanna Björklund - Professor i datavetenskap

“By developing faster and more reliable algorithms for graphs, I want to improve how we analyse complex data and thus contribute to more reliable AI systems.”

Johanna Björklund researches the development of efficient computational methods, or algorithms, for graphs. This is important because many types of data can be described in just that way. By developing faster and more reliable methods, we can improve calculations in many different applications. In practice, this can lead to more robust, reliable and transparent AI systems.

Lars-Anders Carlson - Professor i molekylär medicin

“By looking inside frozen cells, I want to understand how extremely simple viruses can trick and hijack the machinery of a living cell.”

Compared to cells, viruses are incredibly simple. Yet viruses manage to outsmart and take over cells to build virus factories inside these cells. Using cryo-electron tomography, Lars-Anders Carlson looks into shock-frozen cells to understand these processes. One of his goals is to expand knowledge that can be used to mitigate or stop viral infections in humans and animals.

Christian Ewald - Professor i finansiell matematik

“I want to facilitate decision-making in difficult economic matters, even when there is a lot at stake.”

The future is uncertain. Christian Ewald studies how people make financial decisions in relation to risks and uncertainties – but also how we can best consider risks once the decision has been made. For example, how do we weigh an environmental risk against a financial reward? Ewald’s research facilitates decision-making in difficult situations and is useful both for pension funds and financial companies as well as for public authorities

Ylva Fernaeus - Professor i design

“When making their decisions, designers must work openly, critically and responsibly and always in relation to challenges in the physical world.”

Ylva Fernaeus studies how we can design more long-term sustainable technical products. This largely involves visualising what does not yet exist. The interaction between reality and vision is becoming increasingly important for this, not least in a time where we are increasingly being deceived by what we see.

Robin Fåhraeus - Professor i experimentell patologi

“The goal is to prevent and treat illnesses caused by Epstein-Barr virus.”

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a very common herpes virus that most people carry but which in some cases causes serious illnesses. This includes cancer. Even though the virus has been known for 60 years, there are no treatments that specifically attack EBV. Robin Fåhraeus is looking for new ways to attack the virus in patients with EBV-related cancer. This happens by slowing the production of a key protein that the virus needs to cause disease.

Annika Idahl -

“Ovarian cancer is the deadliest form of gynaecological cancer, but we can use preventive measures and more precise risk profiles to detect it earlier and this can lead to fewer patients.”

Ovarian cancer is the deadliest form of gynaecological cancer and affects around 700 women in Sweden each year. Annika Idahl is researching how ovarian cancer can be prevented and detected earlier. Which women are at greatest risk? By combining data from population studies with analyses of genes and metabolism, she develops more precise risk profiles and diagnostic tests.

Ludvig Lizana - Professor i fysik

“I develop methods in theoretical physics and collaborate with researchers in cell and molecular biology to better understand their specific problems.”

Ludvig Lizana conducts research at the interface between physics and biology. Using mathematical models and computer simulations, he investigates how biological processes work. An example is human aging – biological age does not have to be the same as the time since birth. Here he wants to understand which mechanisms make the clock “tick” faster for some and slower for others.

Karin Neutel - Professor i teologi

“I want to understand what enables some people to present themselves as more worthy than others, in religious and other contexts.”

Karin Neutel examines how the Bible is used in politics and in society at large. How can religious texts be used to create legitimacy and influence in a statement – even in contexts that are perceived as non-religious? For example, she has looked at how Bible quotes are used in debates in the Swedish parliament and on Netflix.

Madeleine Ramstedt - Professor i ytkemi

“By understanding how bacteria attach to surfaces, we can promote beneficial processes in the environment and prevent infections.”

Madeleine Ramstedt studies how bacteria attach to different surfaces, what substances they secrete and how these microbial communities develop and change over time. Through this knowledge, we can better understand both how beneficial bacterial communities function and how harmful coatings arise, for example in the medical care system. The aim is to develop methods to control the formation of bacterial coatings.

Oscar Rantatalo - Professor i polisvetenskap

“I conduct research on criminal investigations with a focus on IT-related sexual crimes against children.”

How is society equipped to deal with new trends in crime? Oscar Rantatalo conducts research on police work in criminal investigations. Particular focus is on investigations of IT-related sexual crimes against children. Through interviews, surveys and participant observations, Rantatalo examines how investigations are organised, prioritised and conducted.

Per-Åke Rosvall - Professor i pedagogiskt arbete

“Belief in the future improves when young people feel they can influence the society they live in.”

Influence, learning a sense of civic responsibility and democracy are three cornerstones of Per-Åke Rosvall’s research. He studies how students learn to exercise influence and how teaching is organised democratically. The emphasis is on vocationally oriented students and on how young people are equipped to participate in a changing society.

Anders Wåhlin - Professor i tillämpad fysik med inriktning mot medicinsk teknik

“Using advanced MRI methods, I investigate how the brain’s fluid system works and how changes in this can be linked to neurological diseases, such as dementia and stroke.”

Both blood and cerebrospinal fluid move in our brains. Disturbances in the flow can contribute to stroke, cognitive impairment and other conditions. The dynamics of cerebrospinal fluid are affected by pulsing movements in the blood vessels, and disturbances in this circulation are believed to be import for dementia. Anders Wåhlin is developing methods to visualise and measure blood flow in the brain using advanced magnetic resonance imaging technology, with the aim of creating tools for earlier and more accurate diagnosis and a better understanding of neurological diseases.

Lars Österlund - Professor i teknisk kemi

“By understanding how the surrounding environment controls chemical reactions on material surfaces, we can develop smart materials that contribute to a better environment and better health.”

Material surfaces react in different ways in interaction with their surroundings. Lars Österlund studies the processes behind this, with the goal of controlling and tailoring the properties of the materials. The research addresses such aspects as how gases in the atmosphere are transformed on surfaces under the influence of sunlight and how materials can be used as sensors for changes in their environment. The results have led to applications in air and water purification, hygienic surface coatings, hydrogen sensors and materials used for bone replacement in orthopaedics.