معرفی
Helena Karlström is a Senior Lecturer and Docent at Karolinska Institutet's Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society (NVS). As Head of the Division of Neurogeriatrics, she leads a research group focused on CADASIL (Cerebral Autosomal-Dominant Arteriopathy with Subcortical Infarcts and Leukoencephalopathy), the most common familial small vessel disease leading to strokes and dementia. Her work bridges molecular mechanisms of Notch3 signaling and protein misfolding with therapeutic development, including immunotherapy strategies for CADASIL and Alzheimer's disease. She is actively involved in teaching at master's and doctoral levels, course leadership, and institutional committees for research education and leadership development.
- Senior Lecturer, Karolinska Institutet (2023–)
- Doctor of Philosophy, Karolinska Institutet (2002)
- Docent, Karolinska Institutet (2011)
Karlström's research examines molecular pathways in CADASIL and Alzheimer's disease, particularly Notch3 dysfunction, gamma-secretase activity modulation, and protein aggregation mechanisms. Her team investigates how Notch3 mutations cause vascular pathology and explores immune-based clearance strategies for misfolded proteins. Recent work includes developing microvascular isolation methods for neurovascular niche characterization and identifying biomarkers for disease progression. Key projects span from basic molecular studies to translational vaccine development for neurodegenerative disorders.
Recent publications highlight her interdisciplinary approach:
- Active immunotherapy targeting Notch3 deposits in CADASIL mouse models (2023)
- Molecular chaperone BRICHOS inhibition of NOTCH3 aggregation (2022)
- Gamma-secretase modulator selectivity studies (2022)
- Investigations into NOTCH3 mutation effects on signaling (2021)
- ER-mitochondria contact regulation of amyloid-beta (2016)
Scientific awards include:
- WennerGren postdoctoral fellowship (2004-2005)
- Soroptimist International Prize (2005)
- Ostermans postdoctoral fellowship (2006-2007)
- Riksbankens Jubileumsfond Erik Rönneberg stipend (2009-2012)
As a mentor, Karlström has directly supervised four PhD students and co-supervised numerous others, while also teaching over 25 undergraduate and master's students since 2007. She leads leadership development programs for research group leaders and contributes to international educational initiatives. Her grants include €250,000 from the Dutch Brain Foundation and SEK 3.6 million from the European Joint Programme – Rare Diseases (EJP-RD) for CADASIL research.
Karlström's laboratory at BioClinicum J9:20 is part of the NVS Department's neurogeriatrics division, which includes 65 employees and 12 research groups. Her team collaborates with international clinicians and researchers through the EJP-RD consortium and maintains expertise in mouse modeling, protein biochemistry, and neurovascular research methods.
