Scientific Award Recipients

Here you find the Scientific Award Recipients who are celebrated in connection with the Annual Celebration 2026.

The scientific award recipients give their lectures in the Humanities Building and the Lindell Hall between 9:00-12:00, 17 October.

They will receive their diplomas at the Annual Celebration Ceremony 15.00 in Aula Nordica, 17 October.

The lectures and the Ceremony are open to the public.

The Scientific Award Recipients

Alexandre Bartel i kort hår och skägg, står vid fönstret i ljusblå skjorta

Alexandre Bartel - The Nordea Scientific Award

Professor Alexandre Bartel has received this award in recognition of his research having had a significant impact in the field of data and cybersecurity. His work has led to the development of completely new and advanced tools that enable early detection of vulnerabilities, deviations and attacks in digital systems. The banking sector, with its high demands on security, is one of the areas where Bartel’s research is particularly significant. His research group is at the forefront of following and analysing developments in artificial intelligence, and it actively contributes to highlighting the risks of AI-generated code, which may contain hidden vulnerabilities.

Oliver Billker - The Torgny and Lena Stigbrand Award at Umeå University

Professor Oliver Billker receives the award for his leading contributions in malaria research and for strategic leadership that has clearly raised the profile of Umeå University. Through the development of large-scale genetic methods and open resources, he has fundamentally changed the field and enabled breakthroughs globally. With extensive publications, strong research funding and leading major collaborations, he exemplifies scientific excellence. As the director of MIMS and a central figure within SciLifeLab and DDLS, he has strengthened infrastructure, the research environment and international networks.

Dorothee Bohn - The Umeå Municipality Scientific Award

Postdoctoral fellow Dorothee Bohn has been awarded the Umeå Municipality Scientific Award for her outstanding and innovative research on the relationship between society and nature in Arctic and northern regions. Through a theoretically rigorous and empirically thorough analysis, she demonstrates how climate change, tourism and governance are reshaping landscapes, natural resources and living conditions. Her research provides important insights into how perceptions of unspoilt nature and increasing exploitation affect sustainable development and contributes to a better understanding of environmental challenges in northern Sweden in the context of a global transition.

Erik Elmroth - The Nordea and Umeå University Innovation Award for Utilisation of Research

Professor Erik Elmroth is receiving the award for his outstanding ability to translate world-leading research into concrete societal benefit. By combining scientific excellence with entrepreneurship and strategic leadership, he has created sustainable frameworks for innovation, regional growth and international competitiveness. Elmroth’s work has also led to the establishment of strong collaborative environments between academia and industry. As a co-founder of Elastisys, Elmroth has successfully commercialised cutting-edge research in cloud technology, which has contributed to robust digital solutions for mission-critical services and strengthened Swedish industry.

Eyal Frank och Anant Sudarshan - The Erik Kempe Award

The award goes to Assistant Professor Eyal Frank, University of Chicago, and Professor Anant Sudarshan, University of Warwick, for an important contribution to the measurement of value of ecosystem services. The award-winning article shows how a recent local collapse of the vulture population in India led to increased human mortality and estimates the social costs thereof. By identifying the mechanisms underlying species collapse, the results can inform efforts to recover the population. The article also shows how information on local population collapse can be used to analyse the effects of species collapse on human well-being.

Read the article by Eyal Frank och Anant Sudarshan

En man som står framför en vägg med armarna i kors.

Alejandro Haiek Coll - The Faculty of Science and Technology External Engagements Award

Associate Professor Alejandro Haiek Coll is receiving the award in recognition of his innovative work in developing collaboration between academia, the public sector, cultural institutions and local communities. Through interdisciplinary projects, international collaborations and public forums, he has created new forms of knowledge dissemination and sustainable meeting places. His work strengthens the faculty’s research, education and societal relevance both nationally and internationally.

Jenny Jarlsdotter Wikström - The Royal Skyttean Society Award in Humanities

Associate Professor Jenny Jarlsdotter Wikström receives this award for research characterised by theoretical insightfulness, a clear interdisciplinary nature and strong societal relevance. She defended her PhD in 2020 in literary studies at Umeå University with an award-winning thesis that combines feminist theory, environmental humanities and post-humanism. After her doctoral defence, she has demonstrated impressive research momentum through research leadership, external funding and regular publication in highly ranked national and international contexts. She has also held prominent roles in research networks and actively contributed to research environments in Umeå and in Nordic and international contexts, with recurring thematic connections to Norrland.

Peter Johansson – The Várdduo – Centre for Sámi Research Scientific Award 2026

Associate Professor Peter Johansson has received this award for his significant contributions to research with a Sámi focus. His research has focused on political and legal dimensions of human rights, with an emphasis on indigenous rights, self-determination and land rights in Sápmi. In addition to his scientific production, he has demonstrated extensive commitment to collaboration, knowledge dissemination and public dialogue on Sámi and indigenous issues. Through active participation in broader societal and academic arenas, both nationally and internationally, he has clearly contributed to the development of Sámi research and knowledge production.

Jenny Lander - The Mångberg Award for Promising Research

Jenny Lander is a resident physician in neurology at University Hospital of Umeå. She defended her thesis in 2022 in the field of normal pressure hydrocephalus, advancing this research track at Neurosciences at Umeå University. Jenny has completed a postdoctoral appointment in Seattle and has already shown promising research. She has been awarded competitive funding that allows her to combine her specialist training with research at the University and has received funding from the Swedish Brain Foundation, Central ALF and as a co-applicant from the Swedish Research Council. She is the principal supervisor for a PhD student and has twice received an award at conferences as a ‘Young Investigator’.

Jan Malm - The Mångberg Award for Outstanding Scientific Achievement

Jan Malm is a senior physician at University Hospital of Umeå and professor of neurology at Clinical Science, Neurosciences, Umeå University. Jan’s thesis from 1994 was on normal pressure hydrocephalus, and his research has focused on CSF dynamics, epidemiology and the treatment of the disease. With Professor Anders Eklund at Medical Technology, Jan has built a research group that is at the absolute forefront internationally. Jan has almost 200 publications, most recently in the New England Journal of Medicine, and in 2020 received the international “Robert H. Pudenz Award” for his research. Other themes of Jan’s research have been stroke, blood flow measurement and intracranial pressure in astronauts.

Irina Mancheva - The Royal Skyttean Society Award in Social Sciences and Economics

Assistant Professor Irina Mancheva receives this award for her research that addresses central governance challenges in conflict-ridden social issues focusing on goal conflicts between different interests with clear scientific and societal relevance. After defending her doctoral dissertation, she has demonstrated strong scientific development through continuing to publish, broadening her research and successfully competing for external research funding. She is an independent and enterprising researcher who has developed new research tracks and contributed to interdisciplinary collaboration on complex questions about the environment and natural resource management and has actively strengthening the research environment in Norrland.

Asta Mitkijá Balto - The Várdduo – Centre for Sámi Research Scientific Award 2025

Professor Emerita Asta Mitkijá Balto receives this award for her long-term work in Sámi and indigenous-related research and education, both in Sápmi and internationally. By focusing on Sámi knowledge, she has developed decolonising research and educational practices. Her work has had a crucial impact on teacher education, schools, preschools and policy development. Her research on Sámi traditional knowledge, values and ways of life – with a particular focus on upbringing, learning and the relationship between humans, nature and society – has made key contributions to the understanding of Sámi epistemologies.

Andre NybergProfessor vid Institutionen för samhällsmedicin och rehabiliteringEnhet: Fysioterapi

André Nyberg - The Margareta and Eric Modig Award

Professor André Nyberg has received this award for his outstanding contributions to medical research with a particular focus on physiotherapy and lung disease. André Nyberg is a licensed physiotherapist and professor of physiotherapy, with a strong and independent research profile in the development of new measurement methods and training interventions for individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). His research is characterised by high scientific quality, clear clinical relevance and a consistent international impact. Through his success in being awarded extensive external research funding in competition, management of several multinational projects and a broad international network, he has established himself as a leading researcher in his field. He also has major assignments within the European Respiratory Society and has made important contributions as a principal investigator and supervisor. André Nyberg conducts innovative and clinically significant research with great impact nationally and internationally, and he is thus an extremely worthy recipient of the Margareta and Eric Modig Award.

Sun Nyunt Wai - The Bo and Barbro Hammarström Award at Umeå University

Professor Sun Nyunt Wai receives the award for her groundbreaking and long-term significant contributions in medical microbiology and immunology. Her pioneering work on the role of bacterial membrane vesicles in pathogenesis, immune activation and microbial interactions has shaped an entire field of research. Through publications in leading journals, strong research funding and highly valued teaching, she has clearly contributed to raising Umeå University’s profile. Her scientific breakthroughs and academic leadership exemplify the excellence the award seeks to recognise.

Silvia Remeseiro - The Eric K. Fernström Award

Docent Silvia Remeseiro has established an internationally competitive research environment at Umeå University in molecular medicine, bioinformatics and cancer biology. Through innovative multi-omics methods and advanced glioblastoma models, her research has contributed to a new understanding of how communication between neurons and tumour cells drives tumour growth and aggressiveness. Her work has also identified gene regulatory networks and transcription factors that control the interaction between neurons and tumour cells, which opens new possibilities for future treatments targeting epigenetic mechanisms.

Florentin Späth - The Royal Skyttean Society Award in Medicine

Docent Florentin Späth is recognised with this award for his research being characterised by high scientific quality and clear relevance to medical research, combined with extensive publication in leading international journals. Since completing his doctoral thesis, he has demonstrated outstanding academic progress through extensive publishing, competing successfully for national research funding and receiving an international scientific honour from the Myeloma Society. He has also established himself as a docent and holds several qualified scientific assignments. Florentin Späth demonstrates a high level of independence, a clear research profile and great potential for continued scientific development, which makes him a deserving recipient of the award.

Stefan Söderberg - The Margareta and Eric Modig Award

Professor Stefan Söderberg receives this award for his long-term and significant contributions to medical research with a focus on heart and lung-related disease. He is a registered doctor and professor of cardiology, with a research profile that encompasses both clinical and registry-based research, with a strong focus on patient benefit and the development of medical care system. Through extensive scientific publications, success in securing national research funding and leading roles in major research collaborations, Stefan has contributed to new clinical practices and guidelines in such as areas as pulmonary hypertension and cardiovascular risk assessment. He has also made significant contributions as a supervisor and principal investigator. Stefan Söderberg, through his scientific breadth, impact and clinical relevance, has had a major impact on both research and healthcare, nationally and internationally. This makes him an extremely worthy recipient of the 2026 Margareta and Eric Modig Award.