Anna Dimberg awarded the Medicine Doctor Axel Hirsch Prize 2026
She is awarded the prize for her outstanding discoveries of tertiary lymphoid structures in brain tumours and their pivotal role in activating an effective immune response against cancer.
Photo: Mikael Wallerstedt
Anna Dimberg’s research focuses on the microenvironment of tumours, with a particular emphasis on tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS). These are lymph node-like aggregates of immune cells that can form in connection with chronic inflammation, for example in severe infections, autoimmunity, transplantation and cancer. Anna Dimberg is studying the role of TLS in cancer and how TLS and other niches with immune cells can be created therapeutically in tumours to increase the immune response and thus hopefully eliminate the cancer completely.
From the award citation:
Through a series of original and internationally acclaimed studies, culminating in a seminal publication in Cancer Cell in 2023, in which Anna Dimberg showed that tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) can be induced in glioma – an aggressive and treatment-resistant form of brain cancer – and that these structures enable local T-cell activation and enhanced anti-tumor immunity. The work challenges prevailing dogmas about the immunological uniqueness of the brain and establishes a completely new concept for how the tumour microenvironment and vascular structure can be reprogrammed for therapeutic benefit.
“I am extremely happy and honoured to receive this award. It is recognition for the entire research group and the exciting work we do together,” says Anna Dimberg.
The prize consists of a diploma and a monetary award will be presented during the autumn inauguration ceremony at Karolinska Institutet.