Alumni of the Year: species under threat and safe perinatal care

Store your research here – it’s freezing!

Thick gauntlets are needed to protect the wearer from a temperature of -150 degrees in the biobank cold storage at the University Hospital Campus in Linköping.

Online therapy helped cardiovascular disease patients with depression

Researchers have developed a treatment for depression among people with cardiovascular disease. The results show that patients who underwent internet-based therapy became less depressed and gained a better quality of life.

Stress fractures can be ongoing healing processes

The healthcare system has often assessed chronic leg pain in elite and hobby athletes as caused by breaks in bone structure. Research at Linköping University, however, demonstrates that the features seen in radiography are an ongoing healing process.

How blades in a gas turbine crack

Upwards, downwards or sideways. Quickly or slowly. Evenly or unevenly. New research at LiU shows how cracks propagate in gas turbine blades. The results may have far-reaching industrial implications.

Wireless communication by the metre

Is there a poor mobile signal? In that case, buy a few metres of radio stripe and set it up where it´s practically invisible. Researchers at LiU and Ericsson have developed patented technology to make this possible: antennas by the metre.

Three LiU researchers appointed Wallenberg Academy Fellows

Emil Björnson, Magnus Jonsson and Marcin Szczot, have been appointed Wallenberg Academy Fellows. Five-year research grants from the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation makes it possible for young researchers to make breakthroughs.

Castration of men was based on knowledge of the female body

For men with prostate problems, castration was a treatment method for many years. A thesis from Linköping University contradicts the notion that in the history of medicine, men are the norm.

Immune cells in the brain – a link between inflammation and depression

One in four people in Sweden will be affected at some time by a depression so serious that it requires treatment. Wouldn’t it be great if we could understand the brain circuits that determine the way we feel, and find new and better treatments?

“A lot of good is done for the environment in many parts of the world”

Researchers have studied how ordinary people around the world view environmental problems, and whether they face any in their day-to-day lives. The interviews gave the researchers hope – and some clever solutions.

Among the world’s 36 best in machine learning

Fredrik Lindsten and his PhD student Anna Wigren have been chosen among stiff competition to present results at the world’s most prestigious conference in machine learning. One application of their algorithms is to understand how diseases spread.

Additive manufacture changes materials

Additive manufacture in combination with nickel-based superalloys can be used in the production of high-temperature products. New research increases our knowledge of new manufacturing methods and how these change the properties of materials.

Improved treatment for PTSD

People with post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD, often also develop a dependency disorder. LiU researchers are seeking answers to how these conditions are related and how they best can be treated – both individually and when they arise together.

AI research competing with giants

“Giants such as Google, Facebook and Apple are buying up top-flight researchers in artificial intelligence. In the academic world we find it difficult to compete”, warned Professor Michael Felsberg from LiU at the WASP4All conference.

An integrated approach develops drones of the future

Design optimisation and a systems-based approach can improve the communication equipment, sensors and other components of unmanned aerial vehicles of the future. One result is more effective searches for missing people using drones.

49 million Swedish crowns for research into sustainable development

Ten researchers at LiU have been awarded grants by the Formas research council. The projects include research into urban cultivation, the possibility of capturing carbon dioxide after emission, and the welfare of laying hens.

Selling energy by the metre

At spin-off company Epishine, the printing presses are feeding out solar cells in printed electronics intended for indoor use. Olle Inganäs has an even higher goal: organic solar cells will contribute to solving the world’s energy problems.

LiU: helping LHC keep a clean sheet

A collaboration between two LiU researchers and the Linköping ice hockey club LHC will make it possible to discover the strategy of the opposing team quickly. The system is almost ready to be brought into use.

Knowledge resistance – a threat to democracy

We interpret facts in a way that confirms our worldview, is the conclusion of a group of LiU researchers. This increases polarisation in society and makes democratic discourse more difficult.

LiU to lead EU projects in eastern Europe

LiU has been awarded responsibility for two Erasmus projects in eastern Europe. One project will develop a new master’s programme in mobile app and games development, the other a new syllabus for future teachers of maths, technology and science.

Two simulator labs opened in Norrköping

Two simulation environments, for maritime applications and for air traffic control, have been built at LiU. “It may appear to us to be playing games, but it is everyday experience for maritime pilots and flight controllers”, says Jonas Lundberg.

Twelve steps to better cost analysis

What does the conduct of an accurate total cost analysis involve? And how should teaching be arranged to teach this in a good way? These questions are answered in a doctoral thesis recently presented at LiU.

Many LiU students leaving Hong Kong

Last week, LiU recommended that the 38 exchange students in Hong Kong should return to Sweden. Many held off from travelling at first, but now on Monday, many have chosen to leave Hong Kong.

New materials increase gas turbines efficiency

New surface coatings can increase the efficiency and reduce emissions from the gas turbines of the future. A recently presented thesis at LiU demonstrates how some of the new materials function and how lifetimes can be calculated.

LiU recommends that students leave Hong Kong

Due to the unrest and insecure situation in Hong Kong, Linköping University is recommending that students leave the region.

The LiU Game Conference: this year bigger than ever

This year, the LiU Game Conference will celebrate its 10th anniversary, releasing 1,500 tickets. Interest in game development, research, and student competitions is growing unhindered.

Libraries combatting digital exclusion

Public libraries have become a collecting point for the half million people in Sweden living in digital exclusion. Elin Wihlborg and her research group are looking at how the libraries act to help people and reduce digital exclusion.

Folk high schools give second chances

In 2018, more than a million people participated in courses and study circles arranged by folk high schools and study associations. Louise Malmström and Henrik Nordvall work with questions concerning non-formal education.

Two pieces of the Alzheimer’s puzzle

One is a protein chemist, the other a physician. Both conduct research into Alzheimer’s disease. Each benefits from the knowledge of the other, making progress more rapid. Their objective: to make a difference for those affected by disease.

Large-scale board game will increase knowledge about climate change

LiU researcher Ola Leifler is organising a megagame in April 2020, designed to provide insights into the effects of climate change.

Large integrated circuits produced in printing press

Researchers at Linköping University and RISE have shown for the first time that it is possible to print complete integrated circuits with more than 100 organic electrochemical transistors. The result has been published in Nature Communications.

Competence and participation in successful quality management

Quality management can be either expansive or adaptive, and the two forms are equally important. Successful quality management depends on employees being given the possibility to contribute to the development. These are conclusions in a new thesis.

LiU students take gold for antimicrobial bandage

Students at Linköping University took gold in the international competition in synthetic biology, iGEM 2019.

Her life inspires her research

One day a Soviet citizen, the next day Russian. That’s what happened to Professor Madina Tlostanova when the Soviet Union collapsed. The experience came to inspire her research.

Elusive cancer-related protein captured in flight

Scientists have for the first time seen how the MYC protein, which plays a central role in cancer, binds to a key protein and controls important functions in cells. The new discovery may in the long term help in the development of new cancer drugs.

Anders Ynnerman elected to visualisation hall of fame

Thirty-two people from all over the world have been selected to become members of the newly formed IEEE Visualization Academy. One of them is professor Anders Ynnerman. “It’s extremely gratifying to be recognised as one of the pioneers”, he says.

Laestadius, crop failure and barley in Fennoscandia

Is it possible that a single individual influenced which crops were cultivated over large areas of Fennoscandia? In a new study, clues from DNA from old barley indicate that the priest Lars-Levi Laestadius may have played an important role.

LiU researchers receive SEK 97 million from Swedish Research Council

27 researchers in natural and engineering sciences at LiU have been awarded nearly SEK 97 million for the coming four years from the Swedish Research Council. Five young researchers have received grants to build up their own research group.

The social life of pets arouses curiosity

LiU’s courses in domestic animal behaviour remain extremely popular. Nearly 900 people applied for the 90 places on a new distance-learning course in animal psychology.

An electronic signal expands the material by a factor of 100

Researchers at the Laboratory of Organic Electronics have discovered a material that can both increase and reduce its volume when exposed to a weak electrical pulse. In a filter, the researchers can control the size of particles that pass through.

They make future gas turbines both greener and safer

In the future, gas turbines will be more efficient, more eco-friendly, and powered by renewable fuel. At the Division for Solid Mechanics, models are being developed to predict the lifetimes of the materials that will make the future possible.

SEK 40 million for research in medicine and health

Eight researchers at LiU have been awarded at total of SEK 40.2 million in the Swedish Research Council’s round of funding in medicine and the health sciences for 2019.

Students looking for a missing person in Kolmården Wildlife Park

Someone’s lost in the Kolmården Forest and around 40 students must find him before he wanders into the elephant enclosure. They are using the electronic footprints he has made. Can they manage it? Indeed they can – and it doesn’t take them long.

LiU inspires engineering education in Brazil

Linköping University is one of several universities around the world working together to improve engineering education. Taking inspiration from LiU, several engineering programmes in Brazil are undergoing radical change.

A computer algorithm to recognise and follow objects

Master's graduate Goutam Bhat has been awarded the Christer Gilén Scholarship for 2019 in the field of statistics and machine learning. The scholarship recognises his work in computer vision.

Nine of ten LiU graduates in employment one year after graduating

Linköping University is best in Sweden for the entry of students into the labour market. 88 percent of students from LiU are employed a year after graduating. The statistics are presented in a report from the Swedish Higher Education Authority.

Changes in policy attracted foreign entreprenuers to Sweden

Changes to the Swedish immigration policy led to greater numbers of foreign entrepreneurs coming to Sweden after 2008. Differences in income between Swedish and foreign entrepreneurs also fell during several years. All conclusions of a new thesis.

Human medicines affect fish behaviour

Human medicines that act on important signal systems in the brain make fish bolder, shows a new study by researchers at LiU. The results reinforce that drugs that end up in the natural environment may have consequences for animal life.

Compact living a la Malmstens

Students in the Furniture Design programme at Malmstens accepted the challenge of designing the interior of a young person’s apartment measuring 23 square metres. The result is a window seating, a rail system for wall storage and a room divider.

Chains of atoms move at lightning speed inside metals

A phenomenon that has been seen when researchers simulate the properties of planet cores at extreme pressures has now been observed in pure titanium at atmospheric pressure. Chains of atoms dash around at lightning speeds inside the solid material.

How energy renovations of older buildings can reduce energy use

Energy renovation of older multi-family buildings can nearly halve energy use. When considering costs, it is usually better to renovate a building than to demolish it and build a new one. These are the conclusions of a thesis presented at LiU.

A robot politely gets out of the way

We are far from being able to coexist with flying robots in our urban landscapes, but one of the demonstrations this year within the WASP arena for public safety was a drone that politely gets out of the way when a person walks towards it.

High blood pressure at maximal exercise may signal good fitness

Is it dangerous to have high blood pressure when exercising? “It depends”, is the answer from a newly published study.

Antidepressant medications appear to be generally safe

Antidepressants are generally safe, according to a new study by an international team of researchers. The researchers did not find strong evidence of adverse health outcomes associated with antidepressant use.

LiU researchers receive Wallenberg grants

Two LiU researchers each receive around SEK 34 million for five years from the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation. Håkan Olausson is working on ultrafast pain signalling, while Feng Gao is developing new materials for solar cells.

Helping tobacco plants save water

Eleni Stavrinidou and her research group at the Laboratory of Organic Electronics, Linköping University, have used bioelectronics to influence transpiration in a tobacco plant, without harming the plant in any way.

How to save energy with hybrid hydraulic technology

Computer control makes it possible to introduce hybrid hydraulic technology into working machines. This will not only save energy but also – in the long term – make autonomous machines possible.

Two of six grants for Alzheimer research to LiU

Martin Hallbeck and Per Hammarström are two of the six researchers who have been granted funds from the Swedish Brain Foundation’s special call for research into Alzheimer disease.

LiU seminars to focus on human rights

LiU is to hold three seminars on human rights in October. The topics discussed are children’s rights, asylum, and citizenship and migration. They are associated with the Swedish Forum for Human Rights, to be held in Linköping in November.

Model aircraft to improve flight testing

Roger Larsson presents a doctoral thesis in which he has looked at several methods to optimise the modelling methods used to test and develop aircraft. He has also used model airplanes from colleagues.

LiU welcomes employees of the future

“Don’t start the meeting without me – it’s warm in here, I want to get out”, says YuMi, interrupting Vice-Chancellor Helen Dannetun who is welcoming her guests from ABB to LiU and the new Studenthuset.

Solidarity drives Super-Sara

Put two cans, Classic and Light, of fizzy drink into water. One floats, the other sinks. Magic! Sara Magnusson wanted her Experimentfabrik to make children curious. But they must also be able to read, so today she’s measuring reading ability.

Speaker of the Riksdag is Alumnus of the Year

Speaker of the Riksdag Andreas Norlén managed to form a new government after last autumn's chaotic election.

They are Alumni of the Year 2019

Andreas Norlén, Speaker of the Riksdag, made a historic contribution to ensuring that Sweden gained a new government. Sara Magnusson inspires young people to become engineers. These two are Alumni of the Year at Linköping University.

Monkeys like alcohol at low concentrations

Fruit-eating monkeys show a preference for concentrations of alcohol found in fermenting fruit, but they do not seem to use alcohol as a source of supplementary calories, according to a new study.

Countries see opportunities in climate measures

Researchers at LiU have investigated the ways in which countries describe climate change and the measures for addressing it: Is it a threat or an opportunity?

Pay a digital deposit on a coffee mug in Studenthuset

A digital coffee mug. The small start-up loop-it was founded by some master’s engineering students with the aid of LiU Innovation, and their eco-friendly idea has now been launched in Studenthuset.

Sharpened criticism for research misconduct

Two previous LiU researchers are guilty of research misconduct. The faculty board of the Faculty of Science and Engineering has severely criticised two previous researchers for significant deficiencies in their handling of research data.

Does local food increase cancer risk in glassworks areas?

There is no clear link between cancer incidence and locally produced food from an area with a history of glass manufacture with contaminated soil, according to a new study from, among others, Linköping University.

More operations are scheduled if doctor is well rested

Researchers have investigated how orthopaedic surgeons make decisions regarding surgery. The results show that a patient who meets the surgeon at the end of his or her shift is less likely to be scheduled for surgery.

Machine learning will improve knowledge of inequalities in society

Researchers at the Institute for Analytical Sociology have been awarded SEK 13 million to use machine learning to provide in-depth knowledge about inequalities in society. “The Swedish population registers are a gold mine”, says Maria Brandén.

Welcome indoors, solar cells

Swedish and Chinese scientists have developed organic solar cells optimised to convert ambient indoor light to electricity. The power they produce is low, but enough to feed the millions of products that the internet of things will bring online.

A laboratory full of bright ideas

New ideas are always popping up and being tested in the Laboratory of Organic Electronics. Many have led to world-leading breakthroughs. The research focusses on storing energy in paper, coupling biology with electronics, and electronic plants.

A fish in the service of science

Which treatment will benefit this patient best? Which substances are most promising for pharmaceuticals companies to develop? These are questions that scientists at Linköping University are seeking to answer with the aid of the tiny zebrafish embryo.

LiU alumnus, Christer Gilén want to give something back

Christer Gilén has set up two prizes for engineering students at his alma mater. The objective of his donation is to encourage student essays or projects that can lead to applications in the private or public sectors.

Helen Dannetun chooses not seek extension in vice-chancellor post

Helen Dannetun will not apply for an extension as vice-chancellor for Linköping University when her current contract expires at the end of June 2020.

Slow progress in Bangladesh's textile industry

The working conditions and safety of employees in the textile industry in Bangladesh have improved. But the differences between factories are large and the shortcomings are many. The multinational companies also have a complex role.

Wow – what a week!

Music, talks, guided tours and an experiment workshop. An intense and highly popular opening week for Studenthuset is over, and the building can now be said to be well and truly open.

“Important to encourage university teachers”

At the Commencement Ceremony in the spring of 2020, Sweden’s largest award for teachers will be presented for the first time. The award, which is to go to a teacher at Linköping University, was founded by Professor Emeritus Ingemar Ingemarsson.

Prestigious ERC grant to Sara Liin

LiU researcher Sara Liin has been awarded an ERC Starting Grant for 2019 by the European Research Council in stiff competition with other applicants. She receives EUR 1.5 million for a project to investigate disturbances in heart rhythm.

Major successes for multidisciplinary research at LiU

The Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research has granted SEK 200 million for research in the interface between technology and medicine. LiU scientists are principle investigator in three of the six projects, and co-applicant in a fourth.

50 years of systems development

The Department of Electrical Engineering at LiU celebrates its 50th birthday. “We are proud of our long tradition of excellent research, top-quality education and close collaboration”, said Jan-Åke Larsson, head of department.

Spreading light over quantum computers

Scientists at Linköping University have managed to simulate quantum computer properties in a classical computer. “Our results should be highly significant in determining how to build quantum computers”, says Professor Jan-Åke Larsson.

Studenthuset is opened

For a while, it seemed that one of the star guests to the opening was not going to turn up. But then, from the roof of Studenthuset a university architect came abseiling down the façade to join the opening ceremony, to the cheers of the public.

Sustainability first out in Studenthuset celebrations

A few hours before the official opening of Studenthuset, the first seminar was held in the Lövverket lecture arena. Invited speaker was Ken Webster, a world-leading expert in the circular economy.

Coming soon – the Kalas event

Thursday 5 September is the date. This year we have artists Petter and Thomas Stenström, with comedian Marcus Thapper as master of ceremonies.

New medication may improve effects of treatment for PTSD

A medication that boosts the body’s own cannabis-like substances, shows promise to help the brain un-learn fear memories when these are no longer meaningful. This according to an early-stage, experimental study on healthy volunteers at LiU.

How blood sugar levels affect risks in type 1 diabetes

A major new study on the association between blood glucose levels and risks of organ impairment in people with type 1 diabetes can make a vital contribution to diabetes care, in the researchers’ view.

LiU researchers participate in search for MH370

In March 2014, a Malaysian airplane appeared to completely disappear when flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Satellite data suggested that it crashed into the Indian Ocean. Researchers from LiU are helping in the search for the plane.

The right dose to the right person

Malin Lindqvist Appell develops tools to tailor the treatment of leukaemia and inflammatory bowel disease. Serious adverse drug reactions can now be avoided using a blood sample to determine who can take a lower dose of a thiopurine drug.

A week of celebrations to open Studenthuset

Linköping University will celebrate the opening of Studenthuset with a full festival week, starting with an opening ceremony on 30 August and ending with the Kalas event to welcome new students at Campus Valla on 5 September.

Here the research is in the walls

Moisture is a problem that can be both expensive and difficult for property owners. LiU’s Studenthuset has 750 built-in sensors that detect moisture at an early stage. The technology is based on LiU-based research into printed electronics.

Old furniture gets new life in Studenthuset

Sustainability and good environmental practices have been guiding principles for Studenthuset since it was in the conceptual phase. Close to 1,500 pieces of furniture have got a new design and a new life in Studenthuset.

”Lönnspringare” take shape

A portion of the floor space on level 3 of Studenthuset is made up of a large chessboard. The chess pieces have been designed and built over the summer by two LiU students. They call their concept Lönnspringare.

Genetic risk is associated with differences in gut microbiome

Children with a high genetic risk of developing type 1 diabetes have different gut microbiomes than children with a low risk, according to a new study.

Digital twins – an aid to tailor medication to individual patients

Advanced computer models of diseases can be used to improve diagnosis and treatment. The goal is to develop the models to “digital twins” of individual patients. Those twins may help to computationally identify and try the best medication.

Autonomous vehicles learn to find the best path

Kristoffer Bergman, doctoral student in Automatic Control, describes in his licentiate thesis methods to enable autonomous vehicles find the fastest or most energy-efficient path from starting point to a destination, even if obstacles are in the way.

Flying vehicles find their own path

Flying vehicles, manned and unmanned, are today equipped with large numbers of sensors. The vehicles are still controlled manually, but WASP doctoral student Per Boström-Rost shows in his licentiate thesis how the control can be made more autonomous.

Andreas Nobel celebrates eco-friendly wood

Nothing beats wood for the manufacture of furniture, says Andreas Nobel, newly inaugurated professor of furniture design at Malmstens Linköping University.

LiU’s Tetralith ranks 74th in TOP500 list

Two supercomputers in Sweden are among the world’s most powerful supercomputers. The 2019 TOP500 list is dominated by the United States and China, but Sweden also appears, with Tetralith at National Supercomputer Centre, NSC, and Beskow at KTH.

Self-injuring young girls overestimate negative feedback in social media simulation

Adolescent girls who self-injure feel that they receive more negative feedback than they actually receive, and are more sensitive to thumbs down responses, compared to other girls. These are the findings presented by Irene Perini, researcher at CSAN.

Alumni of the Year: species under threat and safe perinatal care

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A passion for protecting biological diversity

Care for the newly delivered gives Alumna of the Year award

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