- It feels like a very great honor because the medal is only awarded every nine years for medical research efforts, says Stefan Karlsson

The Royal Physiographic Society will be awarding the commemorative medal to Stefan Karlsson for his research in blood formation and blood diseases. But it is not only Stefan Karlsson's own outstanding research that has led to the award, but also his efforts as a visionary, mentor and founder of, among other things, Lund's Stem Cell Center and HematoLinné. 

Under his leadership, the research on blood stem cells has developed into one of the foremost in Europe.

Stefan Karlsson was recruited to Lund University at the beginning of 1995. At that time he was working in the USA but was offered a job and large resources to come to Lund by then dean Per Belfrage. Originally from Iceland, Stefan Karlsson wanted to try working in a Scandinavian country and took the opportunity.

- When I came here, I was lucky enough to be able to recruit many young talents and build a successful organisation with strong and independent researchers.

Stefan Karlsson has absolutely no regrets about moving to Sweden. However, he wishes that there were greater opportunities for taking the research projects into the clinic. In other countries, there are completely different mechanisms and resources to pay the clinical costs.

The commemorative medal is given "as a reward for scientific work of exceptional merit in science, mathematics or medicine" and is awarded on December 2nd. Normally there is a large party, but due to the pandemic, there will just be a small dinner with the board and the prize winners this year.

- Usually the award ceremony requires a festive costume with a tailcoat and patent leather shoes. Personally, I think it's quite nice that it will not be so formal this year - now I do not have to go out and rent a suit, Stefan Karlsson concludes.

Link to the S. Karlsson reseach group:
Development of advanced cell therapies using hematopoietic stem cells