Business magnate and honorary doctor at Karolinska Institutet Fredrik Lundberg is donating SEK 25 million for a continued investment in cardiovascular research. This is the fifth large donation made since 2007 by Lundberg, whose engagement has enabled research that has greatly improved therapeutic and surgical methods for cardiovascular diseases.
The long-standing relationship between Fredrik Lundberg and Karolinska Institutet was forged after professor of thorax surgery Anders Franco-Cereceda contacted Lundberg to sound him out about his interest in financing his research.
The project has resulted in numerous scientific papers and theses, which have informed improvements in the surgical care of patients with cardiovascular conditions, such as changes to preoperative investigations and surgical strategies, and gentler, more targeted follow-up programmes.
"It's had an immediate impact on when, how and if we operate on the aorta, if we're to replace or repair valves, how we attach patients to a heart-lung machine, and how patients are followed up after surgery - the list goes on and on," says Professor Anders Franco-Cereceda , professor at the Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery , Karolinska Institutet, and consultant at Karolinska University Hospital.
Professor Per Eriksson at the Department of Medicine , Solna at Karolinska Institutet has been overseeing the experimental part of the translational project since it began.
Focus on more junior researchers
This new donation from Fredrik Lundberg will give researchers, especially more junior doctoral and postdoc researchers, access to the material generated by two research projects involving almost 3,000 patients who have undergone heart-valve and aortic surgery.
"There's a vast amount of accumulated material in the form of biological samples, patient data, lab data, examinations, CT scans and genes," says Professor Franco-Cereceda, "and this donation will allow us to take on the whole thing in a completely new way."
The new donation forms the basis of the Fredrik Lundberg Pre- and Postdoc Programme in Cardiovascular Research.
Fredrik Lundberg was made an honorary doctor at Karolinska Institutet in 2023.
"The research conducted at Karolinska Institutet is very impressive," he says. "I've been supporting its cardiovascular research for many years and I'm happy that I can continue to do so."
