Ambassador Visits KI’s COVID-19 Testing Facilities

Judith Gough, British Ambassador to Sweden, visited the Karolinska Institute (KI) in Solna to understand more about the COVID-19 research being led by Lars Engstrand at KI and SciLifeLab in collaboration with KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, which has primary funding from Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation.

KI’s president, Ole Petter Ottersen, greeted Judith Gough and Michael Moody, Head of Science and Innovation at the embassy and thanked them for their interest in KI’s work to increase COVID-19 testing capacity and improve test safety and efficiency.

During the visit Judith Gough commented: “This is a good opportunity to see what KI and Lars Engstrand's team are working on. The coronavirus pandemic underlines the importance of scientific exchange, and Sweden and the UK have a track record of delivering innovative science together.”

The British government aims to connect researchers and research institutions in Sweden with British researchers and educational institutions in order to increase and strengthen the countries’ scientific collaborations.

“KI has been actively working to deepen its cooperation with the UK. In January, we organised a seminar at the Swedish Embassy in London where we hosted talks on research funding. Now new opportunities are being created said KI President Ole Petter Ottersen.

KI has collaborated with numerous British universities in several areas, including University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, University College London, King's College London and Imperial College London, among others.