SciLifeLab Group Leader Tove Fall awarded the Göran Gustafsson Prize
The Göran Gustafsson Prize is awarded to five researchers under 45, recognizing them as leaders in their field in Sweden. Each of the five winners receives 7.5 million SEK: 300,000 as a personal award and 7.2 million for their research over three years. SciLifeLab Group Leader Tove Fall (Uppsala University) is one of five to receive the prize.
This year, two of the five winners have an affiliation with SciLifeLab. Tove Fall is a SciLifeLab Group Leader, and Ville Kaila is currently leading a WASP and DDLS joint research project.
Tove Fall awarded the Göran Gustafsson Prize in Medicine
SciLifeLab Group Leader Tove Fall (UU) receives the prize for her research on metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. Her work explores how gut bacteria may influence the risk of heart disease.
Her team uses DNA technology and Swedish biobanks to study how gut bacteria change over time. By comparing old samples from people who later developed heart disease with those who stayed healthy, they hope to find connections. They also examine oral bacteria and check artery health using scans and medical records.
“The prize confirms that our research is important. It also allows me to strengthen my team and continue this work,” Tove Fall says.
Ville Kaila awarded the Göran Gustafsson Prize in Chemistry
Ville Kaila (Stockholm University) receives the prize for his research on how proteins transport electrical charges in cells, an important process for energy conversion in living organisms. His team uses both calculations and lab experiments to study how these proteins work, which could also help explain certain mitochondrial diseases.
“The prize is fantastic news for us. Beyond the generous grant, it is a great honor to receive this recognition,” says Kaila.
Ville Kaila is also leading a WASP and DDLS joint research project called “Machine-Learning how our Cells Capture Energy – Data-Driven Studies of Membrane Protein Function, Evolution, and Disease”. In this project, they use machine learning together with biochemical data to explore how proteins help cells produce energy. It also investigates how these systems evolved and how genetic mutations linked to diseases can change their function.
About the Göran Gustafsson Prize
Swedish universities nominate candidates for the Göran Gustafsson Prize. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences reviews the nominations, and the winners are chosen by the Göran Gustafsson Foundation for Natural Sciences and Medical Research. Established in 1991, the foundation was created in 1989 following a donation from entrepreneur Göran Gustafsson (1919–2003). The prize is awarded to researchers under 45 who plan to conduct most of their research in Sweden.
You can find the press release about the five winners at kva.se (in Swedish)
Tove Fall photo taken by Mikael Wallerstedt.
