NEWS The Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation is awarding SEK 255 million to life sciences, with a focus on clinical research, to be shared between the Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine (WCMM) and The Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS) at Umeå University.
Tora Holmberg, Vice-Chancellor of Umeå University. Photo: Mattias Pettersson
“The two research centres, WCMM and MIMS, are key drivers of Umeå University’s strong research in the life sciences. This is demonstrated not least by Emmanuelle Charpentier’s Nobel Prize in 2020 for the research she conducted during her time at MIMS in Umeå. It is therefore hugely gratifying to see how the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation is continuing and stepping up its support for world-leading research in this field,” says Tora Holmberg, Vice-Chancellor of Umeå University, adding:
"Expanded opportunities for combined roles for research-active doctors in partnership with the regions will strengthen both the regions and the university, as well as individual doctors, and will enable us to create excellent conditions for innovation and cutting-edge research.”
WCMM is to receive SEK 50 million for up to ten operating grants for Clinical Fellows, designed to make it easier for practising doctors to conduct research. In addition, SEK 30 million has been allocated for extension grants for Clinical Fellows and SEK 60 million to Umeå University for the running of WCMM.
Andrei Chabes, Director of WCMM and Professor at the Department of Medical Chemistry and Biophysics. Photo: Mattias Pettersson
"WCMM has meant a great deal to Umeå University. Since its launch in 2016, the initiative has enabled us to recruit truly outstanding young researchers in the face of fierce international competition. “We are delighted with this continued support from the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, which gives us the opportunity to recruit outstanding young clinicians to positions offering excellent terms and good opportunities to develop their own research at Umeå University,” says Andrei Chabes, Director of WCMM and Professor at the Department of Medical Chemistry and Biophysics.
As regards MIMS, SEK 55 million has been allocated to clinical activities, including Clinical Fellows, and SEK 60 million to other activities.
Oliver Billker, Director at MIMS and Professor at Department of Molecular Biology. Photo: Mattias Pettersson
"Physician scientists - doctors who also do research - play a uniquely important role in connecting scientific discovery to improvements in patient care. In my experience, many clinical researchers in Sweden find it hard to maintain a dual career as physician scientists, and I hear that many doctors drop out of research due to a high clinical workload and lack of protected research time. Our clinical research fellowships aim to address this challenge by supporting early-career physician scientists at university hospitals across the country," says Oliver Billker, Director at MIMS and Professor at Department of Molecular Biology.
"We have seen great success with connecting these clinicians to the strong basic research environment of our Nordic EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine. It is encouraging to see the long-term commitment of the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation in supporting these efforts."
Find out more about MIMS and WCMM on their respective websites:
Visit MIMS website
Visit WCMM website