Karl Ekwall

Karl Ekwall is a Professor at the Department of Medicine, Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet. He leads the research group 'Epigenetics - basic mechanisms and disease,' focusing on chromatin regulation in fission yeast and human cell lines. His work bridges basic research on epigenetic mechanisms (e.g., histone modifications, chromatin remodeling) with applied cancer epigenetics, particularly in leukemia. Key affiliations include the Swedish Epigenetics Network (founded in 2007) and collaborations with clinical research groups at KI.

Education:

• Doctor of Philosophy (Molecular Biology), Uppsala University, 1994
• Bachelor of Microbiology, Uppsala University, 1988

Research Interests: Ekwall's group investigates epigenetic control of cellular processes such as quiescence, differentiation, and disease. They study mechanisms like histone acetylation/methylation, nucleosome remodeling (via CHD1/INO80 complexes), and RNAi-directed silencing. Current projects include chromatin regulation in cancer and the role of SNF2 enzymes in blood cell differentiation.

Grants and Funding:

• Swedish Research Council grants for epigenetics and chromatin remodeling (2014-2024)
• Swedish Cancer Society funding for studies on chromatin enzymes and cancer therapy (2015-2024)

Awards:

• Göran Gustafsson Prize in Molecular Biology (2009)
• Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences Research Fellow (2007)

Advising and Lab: Ekwall mentors students, including Shengyuan Zeng (PhD student). His lab employs genome-wide chromatin analysis techniques and collaborates internationally (e.g., with Bordeaux University and Nagoya City University).