Faculty of Pharmacy inaugurates new Professors Christian Benedict, Hanna Karlsson and Elin Svensson

In mid-November, Uppsala University invites you to traditional inaugural lectures. On Tuesday 11 November, our Faculty of Pharmacy's new Professors Hanna Karlsson and Elin Svensson will take the podium in Hall IX to present their research. On Friday 14 November, Christian Benedict accepts the honorary assignment to lecture at the ceremonial Inauguration of Professors in the Uppsala University Grand Auditorium.

“That our relatively small faculty inaugurates three new Professors for the third year in a row is a definitely an important proof of strength. As Christian, Hanna and Elin all conduct high quality research in very important areas, I also want to take this opportunity to recommend everyone with an interest in science to attend these lectures,” states Mathias Hallberg, Dean at the Faculty of Pharmacy.

First to take the podium is Hanna Karlsson, new Professor of Toxicology, who will give the lecture Small particles - Big questions • What do nanoparticles and microplastics do to our cells? In August, Hanna was recruited from Karolinska Institute to explore particles in all shapes, sizes and structures. Hanna's scientific ambition is to increase our knowledge of why some of them are dangerous. Her goal is to help humans remain healthy despite potential toxic particles.

“After many years at Karolinska Institute, it is inspiring to experience Uppsala and all the possibilities of a broad university. My first months at the Faculty of Pharmacy have been intense and, above all, fun with a warm welcome from my new colleagues. Now I am starting to feel at home and ready to start both my own research and to contribute to the important projects underway here where toxicology can add value,” says Hanna Karlsson.

Elin Svensson, new Professor of Pharmacometrics, will lecture with a focus on Using equations - From data to better tuberculosis treatment. In her research, Elin Svensson uses mathematical models and clinical data to optimise the effect of drug treatments. Her results have spawned several recommendations for new dosing strategies, which have since been implemented in the WHO global guidelines. In 2023, Elin Svensson was awarded Uppsala University's prestigious Oscar Prize, after establishing herself as “a leading force globally within tuberculosis research".

“The fact that available treatments are both insufficient, very long and cause severe adverse effects contributes to tuberculosis still being our deadliest infectious disease. In my presentation, I will talk about how we in a number of low- and middle-income countries apply mathematical models to make a life-changing difference for some of the world's most vulnerable patient groups,” states Elin Svensson.

Friday 14 November, we meet Christian Benedict, new Professor of Pharmacology who will answer the question Why do we sleep? Christian joined the Faculty of Pharmacy in 2022 and has – with numerous highly publicized studies and valuable contributions to our faculty's scientific outreach – been a key factor in Uppsala University's current pole position in research focusing on how insufficient sleep can affect our brain health in the short and long term.

“I can only confirm that the Faculty of Pharmacy is a powerful environment in which to grow as an academic. That I am now entrusted to lecture at Uppsala University's Inauguration of Professors is a great honor, and I will do my very best to provide a comprehensible summary of both my team’s and others' scientific progress, supplemented by a song snippet or two with a German accent,” says Christian Benedict.

Text: Magnus Alsne, photo: Mikael Wallerstedt a o