On October 24, 2023, Prof. Mikael Karlsson from Karolinska Institute in Sweden visited Xiangya Hospital, Central South University (CSU). He engaged in a friendly exchange with Zhang Xin, Board Chair of Xiangya Hospital, and Liu Longfei, Vice President of Xiangya Hospital. Prof. Karlsson also delivered an academic lecture entitled "Neutrophil and iNKT cell regulation of autoreactive B cell responses."
Board Chair Zhang Xin extended a warm welcome to Prof. Karlsson and briefly introduced the history of Xiangya Hospital and recent achievements in clinical care, research, medical education, and international collaboration. Board Chair Zhang Xin also hoped that Prof. Karlsson's visit could facilitate the establishment of collaborative relationships with the Karolinska Institute and other prominent medical institutions in Europe.
Vice President Liu Longfei thanked Prof. Karlsson for his visit and academic exchange, sharing the latest progress in his research with Xiangya's faculty and students. Vice President Liu Longfei also hoped to establish an official collaboration mechanism with the Karolinska Institute, with an aim to deepen cooperation in talent development, scientific research, and medical technique innovation in the future.
Prof. Karlsson’s research focuses on B Cells and Autoinflammation with a particular interest for the areas of Autoimmunity, Allergy, Cardiovascular Disease, Cancer and Infection.Prof. Karlsson presented a new animal model of SLE and shared research findings on the roles of B cells and iNKT cells in inflammation and immunological mechanisms using this model. Besides, he engaged in discussions with Xiangya's faculty and students. The lecture was jointly organized by the Department of Critical Care Medicine, the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, and the Office for International Cooperation and Exchange, Xiangya Hospital. Prof. Zhang Lina chaired the session.
Prof. Karlsson also visited the Department of Critical Care Medicine, the Biobank, the Laboratory of Precision Medicine, and the Historical and Cultural Gallery of Xiangya Hospital. He engaged in in-depth discussions with experts including Prof. Zhang Lina, Prof. Yuan Kai, Prof. Hu Zhonghua, and Prof. Fu Kai during these visits.
In recent years, the Department of Critical Care Medicine of Xiangya Hospital, led by Prof. Lu Ben, Prof. Qian Zhaoxin and Prof. Zhang Lina, has carried out a series of basic and clinical translational studies related to sepsis and organ dysfunction. Based on the common concern about the role of immune response in the occurrence and development of severe diseases, and the potential intervention targets, they have further discussed cooperation with Prof. Karlsson, with an aim to take their cooperation to new levels.
Profile of Prof. Mikael Karlsson:
Prof. Karlsson from Karolinska Institute, Sweden, is a world-renowned expert in immunology, and a member of Henry Kunkel Society for Immunology (USA). He currently holds various positions including Vice chair of the board of the Swedish society for immunology (SWIMM), Member of the steering committee of the Swedish national society and Assistant Editor of theJournal of Innate Immunity. His research interests lie in the field of basic research and applications related to systemic autoimmune diseases and immunotherapy targeting the tumor microenvironment. He has published 127 papers in internationally recognized journals such asNature Immunology,Cellular & Molecular Immunology,Immunity,PNAS, with a total of 5,621 citations.
