Olof Eriksson new Professor of Drug Development

Olof Eriksson was recruited to SciLifeLab and Uppsala University in 2017 and is today central in advancing the Faculty of Pharmacy's already strong position in positron emission tomography. Based at Uppsala Science Park's PET Center – a cutting-edge facility in one of the fastest growing disciplines of the biomedical sciences – the team identifies the appointment of Olof Eriksson as Professor of Drug Development as an opportunity to reach for even greater heights.

“Uppsala is a small city with a big University, a research hospital around the corner and a rapidly expanding pharmaceutical industry. In short: an extremely prolific environment that opens important doors across the world and attracts exciting projects to Uppsala. In our field, a lot is happening in our own backyard, and we're currently putting all our energy into further consolidating our team for a very interesting future,” says Olof Eriksson.

With successful research and an expanding machine park, the team's work enables imaging of previously invisible disease processes. They also identify PET biomarkers with potential to provide valuable contributions in the development of diagnostic tools, more effective choices of treatment and accelerated drug development.

“In the wake of the pandemic, we identified a biomarker in our immune cells, and will shortly present the outcome of a Phase-1 study. In parallel, we are preparing an upscaling in international collaboration to, if all goes according to plan, initiate the next phase already in 2025. Our areas of use include cancer and diseases of the liver, lungs, heart and pancreas, where we hope to enable diagnostics and follow-up without invasive procedures. A unique asset that would reduce the risk of complications and provide more accurate information on how individual patients respond to treatments,” says Olof Eriksson.

Text: Magnus Alsne, photo: Mikael Wallerstedt