NEWS The three researchers Andreas Kohler, Assistant Professor at the Department of Medical Chemistry and Biophysics, Max Renner, Assistant Professor at the Department of Chemistry, and Markus Ludwig, currently working at the Université du Luxembourg in Luxembourg, have all been appointed Wallenberg Academy Fellows, which means they will receive funding for their research for five years.
Tora Holmberg, Vice-Chancellor at Umeå University. Photo: Mattias Pettersson
"I believe that these three young researchers represent much of what Umeå University stands for at its best – their research is innovative, ambitious and in fields that have a promising future. It is both an honour and a pleasure that the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation is recognising these young stars and giving them the opportunity to work undisturbed for several years. This initiative will lead to high-quality research that also contributes to a better world," says Tora Holmberg, Vice-Chancellor at Umeå University.
The grant gives young researchers an opportunity to contribute new, groundbreaking knowledge by tackling difficult and long-term research questions. Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences assist the Foundation by reviewing applications and helping with the selection process. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences also runs the mentoring programme in which the selected researchers participate.
Cell’s power plants are called mitochondria. Andreas Kohler will investigate how cells maintain the quality of their mitochondria. The aim is to understand why mitochondrial function starts to decline as we age and in certain age-related conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.
Andreas Kohler, Assistant Professor at the Department of Medical Chemistry and Biophysics. Photo: Verena Kohler
"I am thrilled to be selected as a Wallenberg Academy Fellow! This support allows our team to start a project we have long envisioned: uncovering how mitochondria keep their proteins in good shape. These processes are crucial for cellular energy supply and overall cell health. By combining this work with our ongoing studies on mitochondrial decline during ageing and age-related diseases, we aim to build a complete picture of mitochondrial health and its breakdown. Thanks to the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, we can unite curiosity-driven research with societal impact, laying the groundwork for discoveries that could transform our understanding of ageing and disease.“, says Andreas Kohler.
Max Renner will map in 3D how a childhood respiratory virus hijacks our lung cells and forms molecular factories that mass-produce new viruses. The goal is to develop strategies for switching off the virus production and preventing the virus from spreading further.
Max Renner, Assistant Professor at the Department of Chemistry. Photo: Mattias Pettersson
“The support is a game-changer for our team and will allow us to tackle how virus replication works in realistic tissues on a molecular level – and where it is vulnerable to therapeutic intervention.”, says Max Renner.
The third researcher, Markus Ludwig, is currently working at the University of Luxembourg in Luxembourg, but will be joining Umeå University and he is exploring a new way of powering electronics, where ultrashort pulses of laser light generate electric currents inside nanomaterials. The project aims to lay the foundations of a completely new type of electronics, with a potential that far exceeds what we have today.
