COVID-19 – a societal challenge that demands action

Coronavirus spurred research across disciplines

As the corona pandemic swept across the world, virologists and protein chemists rapidly joined forces and started to collaborate. Together they were able to develop ways to test the immune response after infection, and help the healthcare system.

Researchers critical to flawed Covid-19-models

Reports from Imperial College regarding the spread and the effects of Covid-19 had considerable policy impacts in several European countries. But the models that informed the reports have considerable flaws, according to LiU-researchers.

New contact lens might be used for treatment of covid-19

Mehrdad Rafat, senior lecturer at the Department of Biomedical Engineering (IMT), is hoping that their bioengineered lens can join the forces against the corona virus.

OECD countries’ politicians follow each other

The more democratic a country is, the greater the probability that its politicians decide in the same way as in neighbouring countries, without further analysis, according to a study on decision-making during the beginning of the Corona crisis.

New research into the acceptance of physical distancing

Physical distancing is important to slow the spread of the coronavirus. A new research project will study the provisions relating to physical distancing and how they have been complied with by the public in Denmark and Sweden.

The corona crisis changes the industry

The corona crisis will fundamentally change manufacturing industry. Digitalisation will be accelerated, business models changed, and servitisation increase. While the crisis brings huge difficulties, it also brings opportunities.

Better equipped for the next pandemic

Sometimes Andreas Wladis and his colleagues at the Centre for Teaching and Research in Disaster Medicine and Traumatology feel like annoying alarmists. Getting the responsible parties to listen in time, that’s not easy.

LiU scientists working on test of immune response in COVID-19

LiU scientists are working intensely to develop two different analysis methods for the immune response that follows infection by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. One of the tests is now being used by the medical care services in Region Östergötland.

The coronavirus shines a spotlight on health equality

Certain groups of migrants have been hit particularly hard by the coronavirus, and people have started to question why. Anna Bredström, who conducts research into ethnicity, has examined health equality.

“Today, we refuse to accept sickness and death”

People have combated recurrent epidemics through the ages in different ways. And COVID-19 demonstrates how vulnerable we still are. Historian Hans Nilsson describes the changing ways in which society has dealt with threats to health.

In the thick of things – coronavirus research

The current pandemic has brought virus research into the spotlight. Many clinically relevant questions need to be answered. Virologist Lennart Svensson is sure of one thing: this is not the last time we will see a coronavirus outbreak.

A digital workshop brings a global perspective to the crisis

It started as a meeting in the coffee room (which was starting to feel rather empty), and ended with a workshop with participants from three continents. The coronacrisis is forcing the development of new research and new ways of collaborating.

Social consequences of elderly isolation

When the elderly are subject to social and physical distancing it has consequences – both for the individual and for society. This is the conclusion of researchers at Linköping University.

Decision-making during an emergency

It is a tradition in Swedish society to always have a plan ready to use in different situations. When an emergency arises with a very high speed, there is a risk that the Swedish approach to decision-making can be undermined.

Volunteers vital during the pandemic

A pandemic is one of the most difficult emergencies a country can face. There is no way to cope with it without taking volunteers to help. It’s important that society nurtures this commitment and organises it in an effective way.

The coronacrisis: New ways to work and meet

The process of digitalisation, in its different forms, of both working life and social interaction is now taking a huge leap forward. The transition is faster, broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined. How much of this will be permanent?

The corona crisis brings difficult choices

As head of the National Centre for Priority Setting in Health Care at Linköping University, Lars Sandman is working intensively with colleagues on questions that concern prioritising in corona-centred healthcare.

Trapping the corona virus

Lennart Svensson, professor of molecular virology at Linköping University, has his eye set on testing a method on the new coronavirus that is currently spreading major anxiety around the world.

Two champions for children become honorary doctors

Indian principal Seetha Murty has worked with children’s and young people’s learning throughout her professional life. American professor Cindy W. Christian has devoted her career to developing the care of abused children.

A single atom layer of gold – LiU researchers create goldene

For the first time, scientists have managed to create sheets of gold only a single atom layer thick. According to the researchers from LiU this has given the gold new properties that can make it suitable for use in various applications.

Ten million donation for research position in electronic medicine

The Stig Wadström Foundation is donating around SEK ten million to LiU, to fund a research position in electronic medicine. The researcher chosen for this position is Xenophon Strakosas at the Laboratory of Organic Electronics in Norrköping.

Developing artificial intelligence that benefits society

How can artificial intelligence improve, for example, health care and local and national public transport? A research group at LiU is working to develop AI for the benefit of society.

Jan-Ingvar Jönsson new president of ECIU

Linköping University’s Vice-Chancellor Jan-Ingvar Jönsson has been appointed new president of the European network for innovative universities in Europe, ECIU.

Breakthrough for next-generation digital displays

Researchers at LiU have developed a digital display screen where the LEDs themselves react to touch, light, fingerprints and the user’s pulse, among other things. Their results could be the start of a whole new generation of digital displays.

Autism and ADHD are linked to disturbed gut flora very early in life

Disturbed gut flora during the first years of life is associated with diagnoses such as autism and ADHD later in life. This is according to a study led by researchers at the University of Florida and LiU and published in the journal Cell.

Passionate about teaching – now she receives largest teacher award

Helen Winzell grew up in a home where both parents were teachers. To follow in their footsteps was not on her agenda – until the day she substituted for her mother. Passionate about teaching since then, she now receives Ingemars Lärarpris.

Digitalisation challenges the Swedish social model

Municipalities and other authorities are increasingly required to digitalise. What are the implications for how we build a digital society for all? These are questions that a new interdisciplinary research environment at LiU will look at.

Two new Wallenberg Scholars at LiU

Researchers Feng Gao and Daniel Västfjäll at LiU have been appointed as new Wallenberg Scholars. In addition, six LiU researchers will have their  scholar periods extended. Each researcher receives between SEK 18 and 20 million for five years.

Objective: finding creative solutions to real problems

ECIU University, the virtual university, is celebrating its fifth birthday. In the university, LiU students have the opportunity to work in international and multidisciplinary groups with the objective of finding creative solutions to real problems.

Collaboration on teacher shortages in rural Norrland

Rural northern municipalities suffer from a major shortage of qualified teachers. But from the autumn, LiU will be offering single-subject courses remotely at local learning centres aimed at people who are thinking about a teaching career.

New perspectives on the Crusades

In the book Tempelherreorden (“The Knights Templar”), church historian Kjell O Lejon has summarised his research on the period of the Crusades. He believes the book is important for understanding contemporary world-wide conflicts.

AI-based app can help physicians find skin melanoma

A mobile app that uses AI to analyse images of suspected skin lesions can diagnose melanoma with very high precision. This is shown in a study led from Linköping University where the app has been tested in primary care.

Lasse – the teacher who is always seeking to improve

He came to Linköping as a student in the early 1980s. Some 40 years later, Lasse Alfredsson is still at LiU. A teacher with a drive to constantly seek to improve remains. And his reward, students’ Aha! moments, is hard to beat.

Optimizing of snow removal in cities

Researchers at the Mathematics Department of Linköping University have developed a mathematical model on how snow removal can be optimized in Swedish cities.

He put his studies on hold to set up a chain of unmanned food shops

Edvin Johansson put his studies on the Master of Science in Industrial Engineering and Management programme on hold to set up AutoMat, a chain of unmanned food shops. Now he is back on campus with his largest shop so far.

A new world of 2D material is opening up

Materials that are incredibly thin exhibit unique properties that make them appealing for energy storage, catalysis and water purification. LiU-researchers have developed a method that enables the synthesis of hundreds of new 2D materials.

Small amounts of liquorice raise blood pressure

It is known that large amounts of liquorice cause high blood pressure. A study from LiU now shows that even small amounts of liquorice raise blood pressure. The individuals who react most strongly also show signs of strain on the heart.

He guides his students to top jobs

LiU students are doing well in the Swedish CFA Research Challenge. Year after year, victory goes to Linköping University. Winning the competition is a shortcut to top jobs with major banks and accounting firms. What is the secret to this success?

With pain as a driving force – from refugee to professor

After a childhood marked by displacement, Bijar Ghafouri came to a place where she could stay. “In Sweden I got the opportunity to study what I wanted. Age or gender didn’t matter,” she says. Today, she is a professor researching long-term pain.

International master’s students meet to discuss children’s issues

On the Master's Programme in Child Studies, students from different parts of the world participate remotely. During an intensive week on campus, they gather to exchange experiences and strengthen their sense of community.

The signs that reveal migration policies

Who has access to the meeting rooms? Who leaves when others enter? Who is talking to whom? This may reveal how the winds are blowing in migration policy at an international summit. And researchers from LiU are moving in the crowd to observe.

The academic sleuth – facing death threats and ingratitude

Lonni Besançon devotes evenings and weekends to rarely appreciated sanitation work. By exposing shortcomings in scientific articles, he has made a lot of enemies. It has gone so far that death threats have become commonplace for him.

New research programme looking for solutions for dementia care

By 2050, the number of older people diagnosed with dementia in Sweden may have doubled compared to today. Providing care to everyone will be a big challenge. A new research programme will be launched at LiU to find solutions for the future.

An astronaut and a Nobel laureate are new honorary doctors at LiU

The Swedish astronaut Marcus Wandt and the Austrian quantum physicist and Nobel laureate Anton Zeilinger have been appointed honorary doctors at the Faculty of Science and Engineering at Linköping University.

New knowledge hub for the digitalisation of agriculture at LiU

The Swedish Board of Agriculture has appointed Linköping University to host a new national knowledge hub for digitalisation in agriculture. The project spans over 3 years and has a budget of SEK 20 million.

Professor Mattias Lindahl is contributing to a global ISO standard

There are hundreds of definitions of circular economy in the world, which leads to confusion. A new ISO standard with a definition widely accepted and disseminated will remedy the situation.

Better neutron mirrors can reveal the inner secrets of matter

An improved neutron mirror has been developed by researchers at LiU by coating a silicon plate with extremely thin layers of iron and silicon mixed with boron carbide. It paves the way for better studies of materials.

Lack of guidelines on care for children subjected to sexual abuse

Only half of 34 surveyed European countries have national guidelines on how to provide health care and treatment to children who have been subjected to sexual abuse. This is shown in a study led by researchers at Barnafrid at Linköping University.

Researchers overestimate their own honesty

The average researcher thinks they are better than their colleagues at following good research practice. They also think that their own research field is better than other fields. This is shown in a new study at Linköping University.

Their project must stand up to a space trip

The students from LiU were given a dream assignment: develop a pressure-resistant device. A device that contains an experiment. And is to be launched into space.

Physical fitness in adolescence linked to less atherosclerosis later

Men who were physically fit when they were young had a lower risk of atherosclerosis almost 40 years later. These findings suggest that atherosclerosis is one of the mechanisms behind the link between physical fitness and cardiovascular disease.

Bosnian refugees managed well despite uncertainty

Two batches of refugees escaped the war in Bosnia to come to Sweden. One was quickly given permanent residency while the other had to spend several years in uncertainty. Researchers at LiU have now investigated what happened to them.

Students disassemble Ikea products

This is part of a research project in which LiU students get to collaborate with the Swedish furniture giant. The students document possibility of repairing, replacing and reusing.

Innovative semiconductor research from LiU to Silicon Valley

LiU alumnus and doctoral student Ivan Martinovic swapped Swedish winter for a warmer climate and headed for Silicon Valley.  He represents the LEAD company Polar Light Technologies in Berkeley SkyDeck’s sought-after accelerator programme.

The astronomer who turned his eyes towards Earth

Magnus Gålfalk was ten years old when he became fascinated with space. His doctoral thesis was about how stars are formed. But now he is doing climate research at Linköping University instead.

Skiing becomes pure mechanics in his research

How do a skier's movements work? Which technique is the best? Biomechanics researcher Joakim Holmberg has studied this. Using mathematical calculations, he was able to follow how the force was distributed for each push of the ski poles.

Boosted nano material to secure hip implant

Cellular biologist Anna Fahlgren has  teamed up with materials scientist Emma Björk. Together, they will use nano materials that may contribute to a better healing process and faster recovery for the patient.

“Got further than I could have imagined”

LiU’s interdisciplinary investment in e-health is here to stay. In a course, students from the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences are working together with students from the Faculty of Science and Engineering to develop digital solutions.

Studying whether a robot can awaken children’s interest in reading

Researchers at Linköping University are studying whether a reading robot can increase fourth graders’ interest in reading. The interdisciplinary project brings together researchers in technology, cognition and pedagogy.

Housing promise for new graduates in Norrköping

Norrköping is first in Sweden to guarantee newly graduated students housing after their degree. It has been launched to make it easier for newly graduated students from Campus Norrköping to stay, work and live in Norrköping.

How to shift gears in a molecular motor

Scientists have long strived to develop artificial molecular motors that can convert energy into directed motion. Researchers at LiU have now presented a solution to a challenging problem: a “molecular gear”.

Post-COVID syndrome made researchers combine different perspectives

In a large research project, researchers are working across disciplines to understand post-COVID from several different aspects. At the same time, they are researching the interdisciplinary process itself.

Biogas in Brazil - a resource not being used

Brazil has a significant capacity for biogas production from organic waste that has not yet been realised. Hanna Zanatta has studied several societal aspects that affect the introduction of biogas systems.

New sustainable method for creating organic semiconductors

Researchers at LiU have developed a new, more environmentally friendly way to create conductive inks for use in organic electronics. The findings pave the way for future sustainable technology.

From the lab to a commercial product – a long and difficult road

Researchers at Linköping University are working to create the material for the solar cells of the future. The goal is to produce a commercially viable product. An interdisciplinary research project is to try to find out what it takes.

The business model that can boost carpooling

Would you sell your car and join a carpool instead? LiU researcher Brenda Nansubuga has studied several sharing services. She concludes that services that combine different modes of transport are easier to make profitable.

New web portal for better student health

Studenthälsa.se is now being launched – a web portal that will help all students in Sweden to improve their well-being. Linköping University is managing the coordination of the content of the site.

Major investment in new equipment for materials research

The Wallenberg Initiative Materials Science for Sustainability, WISE, donates SEK 44 million to Linköping University for new scientific equipment that will contribute to cutting-edge materials research.

Severe MS predicted using machine learning

A combination of only 11 proteins can predict long-term disability outcomes in multiple sclerosis (MS) for different individuals. The proteins could be used to tailor treatments to the individual based on the expected severity of the disease.

The canaries of climate transition

Lysekil, Luleå and Slite. Three locations where the demands for transition to a fossil-free society have upended people’s lives. For several years now, researchers from Linköping University have studied the residents’ stories.

Study on extremely preterm infants provides important knowledge

Infants born extremely prematurely need to get enrichment as an addition to breast milk. But does it make any difference whether the enrichment is made from breast milk or cow’s milk when it comes to the risk of severe complications in children?

Electronic “soil” enhances crop growth

Barley seedlings grow on average 50% more when their root system is stimulated electrically through a new cultivation substrate.  LiU-researchers have developed an electrically conductive “soil” for hydroponics.

New master's programme for a better future

With its new master's programme Ethics, Science and Policy, Linköping University wants to make a difference in the world by teaching students to drive change, influence politics and thus improve society.

Researchers will help us keep our new year’s resolutions

Last year, Professor Gerhard Andersson’s new year’s resolution was to skateboard regularly. He is now launching a research study to investigate what can make us keep the promises we made for the new year.

Aerogel can become the key to future terahertz technologies

Researchers at LiU have shown that the transmission of terahertz light through an aerogel made of cellulose and a conducting polymer can be tuned. This is an important step to unlock more applications for terahertz waves.

The engine caught fire - but the students won the prize

Despite a number of setbacks, LiU master's students won a title in the big SAE Aero Design aviation competition in Brazil. LiU is now investing in recurring student projects aimed at competing with small, remote-controlled aircraft.

LiU research one of the biggest breakthroughs of the year

The magazine Physics World has named LiU research one of the year’s major breakthroughs in physics. In their study, carried out at the Laboratory of Organic Electronics, the researchers showed that soft electrodes can be grown in living tissue.

Where to place lifesaving bleeding control first aid equipment

Where should bleeding control equipment be located to save as many lives as possible? Researchers have found the answer to this through computer simulations of a bomb exploding in a shopping centre.

The art of printing a hip bone

Being able to 3D print various products may change processes in various areas, from the manufacturing industry to healthcare.

Fredrik Heintz - member of the government’s new AI Commission

The Swedish government is appointing an AI Commission to strengthen Swedish competitiveness and develop the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in Sweden. One of the members is LiU professor Fredrik Heintz.

Advanced MRI technology detects changes in the brain after COVID-19

Researchers at LiU have examined the brains of 16 patients previously hospitalised for COVID-19 with persisting symptoms. Their findings can bring insights into the underlying mechanisms of persisting neurological problems after COVID-19.

Three proposals from researchers to meet EU climate goals

The ability to meet EU climate goals is enhanced by investing in new technologies that remove CO₂ from the atmosphere. Although it is currently unprofitable, there are ways to change that. This is concluded in an article by researchers from LiU.

Wood materials make for reliable organic solar cells

Lignin can be used to create stable and environmentally friendly organic solar cells. Researchers at LiU and KTH have now shown that untreated kraft lignin can be used to improve organic solar cells further.

How the Nobel Prize became a world prize in literature

The Nobel Prize – including in literature – is awarded in December every year. Researcher Jacob Habinek at Linköping University has analysed how the Nobel Prize became a world prize.

Young adults with disabilities and researchers design an app together

Young adults with intellectual disabilities are involved in designing a digital tool that will help them feel better. According to researcher Ulrika Müssener, it goes without saying that users should be asked what they need and want.

He has a key to solving the semiconductor shortage

The semiconductor shortage is becoming increasingly urgent. Linköping University conducts materials research in close collaboration with industry, with a view to increasing the semiconductor production rate in Europe.

Two new Wallenberg Academy Fellows at LiU

Researchers Olaf Hartig and Alexander Gillett have been appointed Wallenberg Academy Fellows at LiU. The five-year grants are intended to make it possible for young researchers to make important scientific breakthroughs.

9.5 million for research on service innovations

LiU have received 9.5 million SEK from the Marianne and Marcus Wallenberg Foundation. The research grant will be used to examine how companies can utilise digital technology and data to create new and useful services

Linköping is Europe's most innovative city – thanks largely to LiU

Linköping is the first Swedish city to win one of the European Commission’s European Capital of Innovation Awards (iCapital). LiU has played an important part in this success in many ways.

Developing soft electronic devices mimicking the brain

Simone Fabiano, senior associate professor at the Laboratory of Organic Electronics, has been granted SEK 23 million from the ERC to develop a new type of soft electronic device inspired by the human brain.

The temperature is rising ahead of this year’s climate summit

Her passport is already on her desk. Maria Jernnäs at Tema M - Environmental Change is ready to leave for this year’s climate summit in Dubai. But despite the increasingly acute climate threat, she does not think negotiations will be easy.

Digital threads built on AI in a new research project

Linköping University, Volvo Construction Equipment, Bosch Thermoteknik, Mälardalen University, and Addiva are joining forces to advance resource efficiency and promote a circular economy in the Swedish manufacturing industry.

Internship at the centre of world politics

Nugzari Batsikadze is a master’s student at LiU on an internship at the Swedish Embassy in Washington. His duties include sitting in on hearings in the Senate, for example, when the head of Microsoft answers questions about the future of AI.

Learning to read in times of alternative facts

Teaching children to read and write has always been a major task for our schools, but developments in society require a new, broader view of what this means, according to researcher Ulrika Bodén at LiU.

Reducing construction transport movements in cities

Construction transport in cities creates major disruption. This can be greatly reduced. But it requires better planning and management at an early stage in construction projects.

New lab, but still the same

Following a fire, the lab at TEMAM has been under restoration since 2020. Now that it is finished, most of it looks the same as before, as nobody could think of any changes they would like to make to the premises.

Studying how reuse can be good business

Taking over things that someone else has used can also be business. This is what Marianna Lena Kambanou studies in her research.

A professor drawn to thorny issues

An doctoral student position was what brought Tünde Puskas to Sweden. She is now a professor whose motivation is researching areas no one has looked into before – such as how integration, religion and death are dealt with in pre-school context.

Emotions often defeat sense in healthcare priority setting

Emotions tend to get the upper hand in healthcare decisions. This is shown in a Linköping University study. The results may explain why effective use of healthcare resources is so slow in the making, according to the researchers.

Developing a reliable ChatGPT for European languages

Reliable, open and sustainable – those are the qualities aimed for in a ChatGPT for European languages including Swedish. The project is carried out in collaboration with organisations from Germany, Iceland, Denmark, Norway and the Netherlands.

Continued funding for textile muscles

Edwin Jager (IFM) along with his co-applicant Nils-Krister Persson (Swedish School of Textiles) recently received the exciting news of continued funding for their project "Textile muscles for augmenting garments" from the Erling-Perssons Foundation.

Development of new trainer aircraft takes off with new collaboration

Eight students from Washington State University (WSU) have landed at LiU. They are the first intakes in the new four-way collaboration between LiU, WSU and aircraft manufacturers Saab and Boeing.

LiU invests in five new test laboratories

Cybersecurity and AI in education are two focus areas in LiU new test laboratory initiative. A total of SEK 40 million goes to initiatives supporting LiU’s ambition to think freely and innovate in the area of education and research.

Collaboration to combat juvenile delinquency against all odds

Collaboration is seen as an important tool for public agencies tasked with helping young people at risk of being drawn into crime. But collaboration partners way too often end up being disappointed with each other and with the meagre results.

New research to improve chances for children from disadvantaged areas

What are the consequences of growing up in a disadvantaged area? And what measures could improve young people’s chances? These are issues that a new research project at LiU will investigate, with the aim of providing tangible advice to policy makers.

A step towards AI-based precision medicine

AI which finds patterns in complex biological data could eventually contribute to the development of individually tailored healthcare. Researchers have developed an AI-based method applicable to various medical and biological issues.

Gulls spread dangerous bacteria around the world

Gulls can sometimes be a nuisance for people who want to enjoy a picnic or an ice cream. They can also be carriers of genes that make bacteria resistant to antibiotics. This is shown by the research led by Jonas Bonnedahl.

Different income groups increasingly isolated from each other

People with the same level of income increasingly live in the same kind of areas. This is shown in new research from Linköping University, where changes in income segregation in Sweden have been investigated for almost 30 years.

Antiviral drugs could preserve capacity to produce insulin in type 1 diabetes patients

Antiviral drug treatment could preserve the remaining capacity to release insulin in children recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, according to a new study by Scandinavian researchers.

Hans’s part-time retirement on hold following request from the Bonnier family

Not everyone suddenly gets an email from Carl-Johan Bonnier with an invitation to a meeting at Bonnier’s head office in Stockholm. But this happened to Professor Hans Sjögren.

Immune system ageing can be revealed by CT scan

Thymus may play a bigger role in the immune system of adults than was previously believed. With age, the glandular tissue in the thymus is replaced by fat, but the rate at which this happens is linked to sex, age and lifestyle factors.

Solar cell material can assist self-driving cars in the dark

Material used in organic solar cells can be used as light sensors in electronics. This is shown by researchers at LiU who have developed a type of sensor able to detect circularly polarised red light. Their study is published in Nature Photonics.

New network with a focus on women's health

Researcher Lisa Guntram gets funding to launch a network dedicated to exploring and confronting the marginalisation of women's health. This will be the world's first research network on women's health with a focus on social sciences and humanities.

SciLifeLab establishes a new research site at LiU

Technology, expertise, methods and initiatives can be coordinated more within and between higher education institutions. Linköping University is now one of four new sites in the Swedish research infrastructure SciLifeLab.

SEK 13 million for research into solving murders using AI

Was it murder, poisoning or was the death maybe caused by disease? Researchers have now been granted SEK 13 million from the Swedish Research Council to develop a methodology to solve crimes using detailed analyses and artificial intelligence.

Agnes and Emma awarded for their thesis

Civil engineers Agnes Karlén and Emma Torstensson received an award of SEK 30,000, for their master's thesis on composite materials .

Pioneering safe chemotherapy methods for treating infections

Antibiotic resistant bacteria are a threat to human lives, and yet the development of new drugs is slow. A group of proven cancer drugs could possibly be the solution. A new class of antibiotics is now being developed by researchers at LiU.

Quantum communication tested on a large scale

So-called quantum encryption will ensure the security of sensitive information – but this new technology has to be tested outside the lab environment. LiU is therefore taking part in a project studying secure communication channels of the future.