Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (MEDFAK)

Pain relief through artificial touch in new research project

Can a garment made from smart textiles relieve long-term pain? This is what researchers in neuroscience, materials science, pain research, textile science and biomechanics are seeking to find out in a new interdisciplinary research project.

Shedding light on sex differences in human disease

Researchers made an unexpected discovery while investigating genetically unique women. Their insights advance our understanding of our most enigmatic chromosome, the X chromosome.

How the nervous system distinguishes social touch

Two types of neurons in the skin may be particularly important for how the brain interprets social contact between people. Knowledge of how the nervous system processes social touch is important in order to develop ways to restore sensation.

Discovery about pain signalling may contribute to better treatment

LiU researchers have pinpointed the exact location of a specific protein fine-tuning the strength of pain signals. The knowledge can be used to develop drugs for chronic pain that are more effective and have fewer side effects.

LiU receives SEK 232 million from the Swedish Research Council

The Swedish Research Council has now decided on the allocation of research grants in four areas. At Linköping University, the area of natural and engineering sciences is to receive the most funding.

A researcher is working together with a test subject.

Our sense of touch consists of 16 unique types of nerve cells

No less than 16 different types of nerve cells have been identified by scientists in a new study on the human sense of touch. Comparisons between humans, mice and macaques show both similarities and significant differences.

Body weight important in pregnancy – regardless of country of birth

Overweight is a major contributor to complications during pregnancy and childbirth – this applies to both women born in Sweden and women who have moved here, something that has not been well researched so far.

Four female medical students enjoying the sun, study location Jönköping.

The medical programme at LiU wins award for student engagement

The medical programme at Linköping University (LiU) has won an international accreditation for student engagement and participation in shaping the programme.

Person (Peter Larsson) infront of a microscope.

Existing drug can repair ion channel linked to epilepsy

Mutated variants of a particular ion channel cause difficult-to-treat epilepsy. A study published in the journal Nature now shows that a commonly used anaesthetic drug, propofol, can restore the function of this ion channel.

Nerve damage from cancer treatment can be predicted

Many women treated for breast cancer using taxanes, a type of cytostatic drug, often experience side effects in the nervous system. Researchers at LiU have developed a tool that can predict the risk level for each individual.

Closeup of small pieces of liver in a petri dish.

A liver biopsy may predict spread of pancreatic cancer

Microscopic changes in the liver can be used to predict spread of pancreatic cancer. The discovery may provide new ways of predicting the course of the disease and preventing pancreatic cancer from spreading to other organs.

Cell culture flask under a microscope in a lab.

They grow nose tissue in the lab

LiU researchers are among the first in the world to have grown human nasal tissue from stem cells. It is used to study how different viruses infect the airways.

Two researchers study a computer screeen and a magnetic resonance tomograph is seen through a window pane.

Disturbed blood flow can damage the aorta

Abnormal blood flow in the aorta is linked to inflammation and breakdown of the vessel wall in conditions where the aorta is dilated. These findings by LiU researchers can contribute to better diagnosis.

He heals skin and shares his knowledge

Ahmed Elserafy spends his days researching skin and stem cells and how they can be used in the treatment of burns and wounds that do not heal properly. Over the last few years, he has also written a popular science book – in Arabic.

Orchestra standing outside holding their instruments over the head

Academic Celebration with space journey and Harry Potter

This year’s Academic Celebration at Linköping University will take place on 31 May and 1 June. The Celebration will feature lectures by honorary doctors, including astronaut Marcus Wandt, and an Academic Gala Concert with a children’s world theme.

Healthcare interpreters important for heart attack aftercare

After a heart attack, foreign-born people are less likely to attend a relapse-preventing Heart School than native-born patients. But with access to a professional interpreter, participation increases, according to a new study.

Man framing an illustration of a heart with his hands.

“I want to learn as much as possible about how the body works.”

Tino Ebbers receives the 2024 Onkel Adam Prize for his outstanding research at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at LiU. His research is at the intersection of medicine and technology and focuses on diseases of the heart and blood vessels.

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.

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.

Photo illustrating the app that analyses a birth mark.

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.

Liqourice in a bowl with liquorice roots next to it.

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.

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.

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.

Four people at a table look towards the camera

“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.