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Immunotherapy

The Applied Immunology group is dedicated to investigation of the pathogenesis of incurable diseases affecting the Central Nervous System /CNS), including chronic Multiple Sclerosis, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease and Glioblastoma brain tumors. There are currently no effective therapies for any of these diseases and so our primary aim is to develop new therapies for use in these diseases. Through study of experimental diseases,our ultimate aim is to apply this knowledge to the human clinical situation. 

We conduct a strongly interconnected research programme aimed at using knowledge gained from projects in basic science to applications in a clinical setting. These aims can be summarised as: 

• Studying the heterogeneity of microglial function in the CNS 
• Developing myeloid cell-targeted immunotherapies 
• Development of novel immunotherapies using immunoparticles

Another major aim is the training of PhD students and postdoctoral fellows. We contribute to teaching in the undergraduate programs for Allergy, Immunology & Inflammation, Neuroscience and Biomedicine. Students and clinicians are welcome to conduct projects in the laboratory. The research laboratory is located in the Centre for Molecular Medicine (CMM) at the Karolinska Hospital. Within CMM, we collaborate with research groups in rheumatology, immunology, cell biology and other disciplines. We are also engaged in active collaborations with research groups at MTC, Huddinge Hospital and several international institutions.

Research projects

• Personalised myeloid cell therapy for treatment of chronic neuroinflammatory diseases 
• Microglial depletion and repopulation treatment of neurodegenerative diseases 
• Immunotherapy in neurological diseases using immunoparticles 

We are primarily interested in understanding the pathogenesis of incurable, chronic disease states of the Central Nervous System, including ALS, MS, Alzheimer's disease and glioma brain tumors.

How can we treat or cure diseases?

There is currently no cure for the diseases we study, and existing medications are only partly effective.

Our main interest is thus on developing new strategies to reduce or abrogate disease symptoms.

We focus on using the body’s own myeloid cells as a means of treating the same individual through ‘personalised cell therapy’ or by targeting these cells for immunomodulation.

Scientific Hypothesis addressed: Adoptive transfer of pre-activated myeloid cells will be an effective treatment for neurodegenerative disease states. We use both macrophages and microglia-like cells in our studies of microglia replacement therapy.

Scientific Hypothesis addressed: Adoptive transfer of amniotic epithelial cells will be an effective treatment for neurodegenerative disease states. The stem-like immunoregulatory properties of AECs that are usually used to protect unborn infants are now applied to immunomodulate neurodegenerative disease processes, and in particular modulation of microglia function.

PhD theses

PhD students with Bob as Main Supervisor

Keying Zhu 2023-05-17

Jinming Han 2021-02-19

After leaving the lab began as a Post-doctoral fellow, Capital Hospital, Bejing, China

Melanie Pieber 2019-04-26

After leaving the lab began as a Post-doctoral fellow at UCB, Vancouver, Canada

Harald Lund 2018-06-01    

After leaving the lab began as a Post-doctoral fellow at UCLA, USA

Eyglo Gudmundsdottir 2017-11-30 

Chao Sun 2017-04-28 

Andreas Warnecke 2016-06-14

After leaving the lab began at a Biotechnology company in Stockholm

Roham Parsa   2015-06-12

After leaving the lab began as a Post-doctoral fellow at Rockefeller, USA

Sohel Mia 2014-04-11

After leaving the lab began as a Post-doctoral fellow at KI

Ã…sa Andersson 2006-01-27


After leaving the lab began as a Post-doctoral fellow at UCLA, USA

Maja WÃ¥llberg 2005-05-04

After leaving the lab began as a Post-doctoral fellow at Cambridge University, UK

Judit Wefer 2004-09-17

After leaving the lab was Employed by Grants Office, KI

Khairul-Bariah Abdul-Majid  2002-01-11

After leaving the lab began as a Post-doctoral fellow at Johns Hopkins University, USA
 

PhD students with Bob as co-supervisor

Caroline DeVisscher 2021-06-03
           
After completion of PhD continued as a practicing clinician

Oscar Diaz Perez 2021-05-28 - Post-doctoral fellow, USA

After completion of PhD began as a Post-doctoral fellow USA

Elena Di Martino 2020-10-02
        
After completion of PhD began as a Post-doctoral fellow USA

Eliane Piket 2020-06-12


After completion of PhD joined ImmunoIVD AB as an application specialist

Natalia Sherina 2019-12-13

After completion of PhD began as a Post-doctoral fellow at KI

Marie N’diaye 2018-03-16

After completion of PhD began as a Post-doctoral fellow at KI

Sabrina Ruhrmann 2017-05-19

After completion of PhD began as a Post-doctoral fellow at KI

Nataliya Tarasova 2016-06-17

After completion of PhD began as a Post-doctoral fellow at KI

Anna Maria Marino 2012-12-07

After completion of PhD began as a Post-doctoral fellow at KI

Melanie Thessen Hedreul 2012-06-15

After completion of PhD continued as a research scientist at Celgene

Elizabeth Jedell 2010-12-17

Alan Gillett 2010-11-19

After completion of PhD joined Merck Group, Canada

Amennai Beyeen 2010-11-12

After completion of PhD joined Novartis, Sweden

Jan Ottervald 2009-11-27

After completion of PhD continued as a research scientist at Astra Zeneca

Anna Ökvist 2009-06-08

After completion of PhD began as a research scientist at KaroBio

Ruxandra Covacu 2008-01-24

After completion of PhD began as a Post-doctoral fellow at KI

Monica Marta 2007-09-25

After completion of PhD began as a Post-doctoral fellow at Kings College London, UK

Samer Sourial 2005-10-07

After completion of PhD began as a Medical student at KI

John Andersson (Docent) 2003-06-04

After completion of PhD began as a Post-doctoral fellow at NIH, USA

Maha Hamadien 2002-08-29

After completion of PhD began as a Post-doctoral fellow at UCLA, USA

Saad Muhallab 2002-06-14

After completion of PhD began as a clinician at Linköping Hospital, Sweden

Ahmed Sharafeldin 2001-12-14

After completion of PhD began as a Post-doctoral fellow at KI

Dan Sunnemark 1998-05-20

After completion of PhD began as a research scientist at Astra Zeneca

Azael Saldana (Docent) 1997-11-19

After completion of PhD began as a Post-doctoral fellow at Panama University and later became Professor

Swedish Medical Research Council (VR)

Alltid Litt Sterkere

Neurofonden

Thierry Latran Foundation

Stiftelse Olle Engkvist

Ã…hlen stiftelse

Ulla Carin Lindquist Foundation 

CancerFonden

̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ KID

FAQ

Some frequently asked questions

Do you have a PhD position available?

I have had good success in securing faculty (KID) funding for several PhD students, and these positions are advertised at KI Jobb. Social skills, ability to work collaboratively and a genuine interest in our work are all prerequisites for being accepted. A 4-year PhD training should not be something you do because you have nothing better to do – you should have a vocation for science and in particular the science we do. I am happy to receive enquiries from people fulfilling these requirements.

Do you have a Masters project position available?

I usually have one Masters project student per term working together with one of my PhD students. You are welcome to contact me and to express an interest in working within one of the projects described in the lab profile. Social skills, ability to work collaboratively and a genuine interest in our work are all prerequisites for being accepted.

Do you have a postdoc position available?

Funding for postdocs is often the hardest type of funding to secure. If you are interested in working in my lab you are welcome to contact me and submit a CV and a statement describing your specific research interests. If funding is available in the lab then great. If not you will be expected to provide your own funding or strategy for securing financing.

Do you accept volunteers?

I do not accept volunteers. If you are making a valuable contribution to my lab you will get paid for your efforts.

A team leader operates as an additional leadership support to our research group leader and conducts its own research.
 

Video links

Fighting Brain Tumors and Alzheimers 

 

#followup with Robert Harris - some intreresting news

 

Introducing Neurotech2040

 

Nationella Dekanmötet i Lund 2019

 

7th Trials Methodology Symposium 2021, Prof. Robert Harris

Media

Nature Careers podcast: 10th February 2023.
Showing the love as a science leader: the emotional side of empowering and inspiring others

Professor Bob Harris – with an award and a sword

Robert Harris (Director of post graduation studies at Karolinska Institute and President of ORPHEUS) visited the Escola de Medicina

Reflections and visions for modernization: why doctoral education needs TECH

Latest news

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2021-2022

2015 - 2020

Perivascular fibroblast cells contribute to ALS neurodegeneration

Team leader Sebastian Lewandowski led a study that identified a rare brain cell type called â€™perivascular fibroblast’ that becomes activated in early, asymptomatic stages of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). These fibroblasts remodel the structure of brain vessels by depositing the COL6A1 and SPP1 proteins. These protein biomarkers in ALS patient plasma indicate short survival with stronger effects than the classical neurofilament biomarkers.