Rudbeck Laboratory celebrates 25 years of scientific impact

Friday 4 February, 2000 is forever granted a prominent place in Uppsala University's annals. This was the date Ulf Pettersson, Professor of Medical genetics, declared the Rudbeck Laboratory officially inaugurated. In front of 150 specially invited guests, among them former Vice-Chancellor Bo Sundqvist and Minister for Education Thomas Östros, Professor Pettersson described the unique opportunities for interdisciplinary research the new facility enabled. To his vision, Pettersson added a dream of creating an abode of knowledge and cultural meetings. Today, exactly a quarter of a century later, Swedish science celebrates its most successful 25 year old – and once again the Rudbeck Hall is booked to capacity.

“I am convinced that Ulf Pettersson would agree that the Rudbeck Laboratory is experiencing exactly the fantastic development he envisioned. Our activities continue to play a vital part in advancing the boundaries of translational research, and we hope that today's anniversary program will give colleagues, partners and benefactors a perspective on how much their work actually generates,” says Peetra Magnusson, Director and Research leader.

The Rudbeck Laboratory, named after Olof Rudbeck that once discovered the lymphatic system, is today one of Uppsala's largest workplaces with more than 500 employees. The premises combine internationally leading research, biobanks, infrastructures and high quality care. Scientific successes follow one another, and funders know that they will get return on investment: In 2024 alone, laboratory activities were granted SEK 700 million in external funding.

“We operate in a dynamic environment that attracts significantly more people than those who have their primary workplace in our premises. The fact that we have issued well over 1,000 access cards says a lot about the laboratory's importance as a scientific hub in Uppsala Science Park. And I am impressed by the colleagues who have today accepted the challenge to summarize 25 years of progress in their respective disciplines in fifteen minutes each,” states Facilities manager Henrik Ortsäter.

The audience at the Rudbeck Hall are treated to a series of internationally acclaimed success stories: Dag Sehlin reports on the work behind the world's first drug able to slow Alzheimer's disease. Anna Dimberg presents ongoing progress at the research environment for vascular biology, which is increasingly fortifying its place at the absolute frontline of science. Louise Granlund and Maria João Pereira take the auditorium on a journey through diabetes research and care, while Lars Rönnblom and Olof Eriksson tell us about the multifaceted subject of inflammation. Inger Sundström Poromaa reports from ongoing studies focusing on the prediction and treatment of preeclampsia, and Magnus Essand guides us along the trail of cancer research from 2000 to the present day.

“When I first came to the Rudbeck laboratory following a postdoc at the NCI in Bethesda, Thomas Tötterman and Angelica Loskog were just opening the door to immunotherapy as a potential oncological treatment. Today, it is one of the most important tracks in cancer research with its own program in Uppsala. Here, we work with a focus on CAR T cells, a field we were the first in Europe to implement with Gunilla Enblad leading the successful treatment of patients diagnosed with incurable lymphoma. Next, we hope to establish a dedicated production facility for CAR T cells and other ATMP products in Uppsala, which would undoubtedly pave the way for further progress.”

How much would Bo Sundqvist and Thomas Östros recognize in today's Rudbeck Laboratory? In fact, some things remain intact. Possibly refined: In the front row we see Jörgen Carlsson, Kenneth Nilsson – here to speak about the creation of the Rudbeck Laboratory – Thomas Tötterman, Lena Claesson-Welsh, Bengt Westermark and Per Westermark, who were all here on that winter day 25 years ago. Other things would definitely surprise, not least the 2017 extension with new buildings R3 and R4 that almost doubled the laboratory's capacity. And the question is inevitable. What can future visitors expect from the laboratory's 50th anniversary?

“The Rudbeck Laboratory is already an outstanding example of how an environment at the intersection of research, education and hospital clinics can help bring ideas all the way to application. In our facilities, new interdisciplinary conversations are constantly happening, which was the intention already at the architect's table. The future looks bright and the Rudbeck Laboratory has what it takes to continue to be a cornerstone in the translational ecosystem. Through expanded collaborations, modern infrastructure and AI, we increase the opportunities for future breakthroughs,” states Karin Forsberg Nilsson, Dean of Uppsala University's Faculty of Medicine.

And this is where we leave the newly 25-year-old. On the threshold between Rudbeck Hall and the Lennart Nilsson meeting area, named after the master photographer who was involved in the early decoration of the building. At the border between the scientific dialogue and the music of pianist Klas Ljungberg at the waiting mingle. Everyone is here. The only ones missing are the universal genius Rudbeck and his art-loving research colleague Ulf Pettersson. It's a shame, they would have appreciated how their scientific legacy lives on.

text: Magnus Alsne, photo: Mikael Wallerstedt