Annika Karlsson

Annika Karlsson is a Senior Lecturer and Docent at the Karolinska Institutet, affiliated with the Department of Laboratory Medicine. Her academic career spans clinical virology, immunology, and HIV/SARS-CoV-2 research, with leadership roles since 2005.

• PhD in Clinical Virology (2000, KI)
• Postdoctoral Fellow at Gladstone Institutes (2001-2005)
• Associate Professor (Docent) in Clinical Virology (2009, KI)

Her research focuses on virus-specific T cell responses across demographics, including pregnancy, pediatrics, aging, and cancer. She investigates how genetic variability in viruses and hosts shapes immunopathogenesis, with funding from the Swedish Research Council, Centrum for Innovative Medicine, and other foundations.

Recent publications highlight her work on cross-reactive T cell immunity between common cold coronaviruses and SARS-CoV-2, immune exhaustion mechanisms in HIV, and T cell dynamics in immunocompromised populations.

Scientific Awards include the Sven Gard Stipend (2001), Gladstone Institute's Mentored Scientist Award (2003), and recognition from the Swedish Physicians Against AIDS Research Foundation.

As a educational leader, she organizes the Biomedical Laboratory Science Level-C program and served on KI's educational board (2016-2022). Her team collaborates internationally with experts in bioinformatics, virology, and immunology.