Two SciLifeLab researchers appointed SSF Future Research Leaders
Two SciLifeLab researchers, Laura Carroll (DDLS Fellow, Umeå University) and Emil Marklund (SciLifeLab Fellow, Stockholm University), have been appointed Future Research Leaders by the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research (SSF). The prestigious FFL-9 program includes a SEK 15 million grant over five years, along with advanced leadership training designed to shape Sweden’s next generation of research leaders.
The SSF Future Research Leaders (FFL-9) program supports promising early-career researchers who combine scientific excellence with leadership potential and societal engagement. Appointed researchers are expected to lead research environments that extend beyond their immediate groups and work towards impactful implementation of their results.
Receiving two of the 16 FFL-9 awards highlights SciLifeLab’s strong research environment and commitment to nurturing emerging leaders in life science.
Laura Carroll, DDLS Fellow at Umeå University
“I feel so incredibly fortunate to be given this opportunity! The funding will be crucial for continuing to develop single-cell methods in the microbiome space — we actually just put out a preprint with our initial method yesterday, and with the SSF grant, we can now expand upon it,” says Laura Carroll.
Laura Carroll’s project will explore the potential of maximizing microbiome resolution using single-cell genomics.
Emil Marklund, SciLifeLab Fellow based at Stockholm University
“I am deeply honored to receive this grant and want to give a big shout-out to my amazing team, whose hard work made this achievement possible. This funding will enable us to pursue groundbreaking research in molecular recognition among biological macromolecules. I am also thrilled to participate in this prestigious, long-running leadership program, which has fostered some of Sweden’s most distinguished researchers,” says Emil Marklund.
In his project, Marklund will investigate how the amino acid sequence of proteins governs binding and other molecular functions, using large-scale quantitative analysis of protein mutants.
This year’s selected projects span a broad range of research fields, including single-cell genomics, soft robotics for cardiovascular monitoring, quantum systems for secure communication, and anode-free lithium batteries for drones and aircraft.
