Gustaf Edgren

Associate professor and Research group leader, Resident physician in epidemiology and hematology at Karolinska Institutet and the Karolinska University Hospital

Membership period 2017–2022

Each year more than 100,000 Swedish patients receive a transfusion with blood drawn from one of Sweden’s many volunteer blood donors. Fortunately, transfusion safety has improved tremendously since the 1980’s when many patients were infected with HIV and other viruses through blood products. However, much work remains. Together with colleagues around the world, I study the full spectrum of transfusion safety, from health effects of donating blood to transfusion-transmitted infections and immunological effects of transfusions. There is so much that we don’t know!

I also work as a resident physician in hematology, where I conduct more clinically oriented research focused on blood diseases and how these should be treated.

BILDER

1. Photo: Johan Wingborg/YAS 2. Transdisciplinary speed date at the September meeting 2018, from the left : Johanna Rosén (thin film physics) och Katarina Wadstein MacLeod (art history), Gustaf Edgren (epidemiology) och Sara Strandberg (particle physics). Photo: Johan Wingborg/YAS 3. The jury for the L'Oréal Unesco For Women in Science-prize with support from the Young Academy of Sweden 2018, from the left: Gustaf Edgren, Beatrice Fahlkvist, Mia Lindskog, Sara Strandberg, Maria Tenje and the Academy's Chair for 2017–2018 Kristian Pietras. Photo: Emma Burendahl

Gustaf Edgren Foto: Johan Wingborg/SUA

Click for press photo. Photo: Johan Wingborg/YAS

IN BRIEF

Born: 1981
Family: My wife Karin and our two children, Nils (born 2014) and Hanna (born 2016).
Interests: Easy! Food, drink, and nature.
Other: I usually say that being a scientist is the best job in the world. I do exactly what I want and I am allowed to be driven by my own curiosity which suits me perfectly. Jag brukar säga att forskning är världens bästa jobb. Jag gör precis vad jag vill och får drivas helt av min egen nyfikenhet vilket passar mig perfekt.

“The main reason for my memership in the Young Academy of Sweden is the opportunity to influence Swedish research policy. Simultaneously I am driven by a concern about the growing contempt for science in society – all knowledge seems to have been relativized into opinions, no matter how well researched it is – and as a scientist I realize I can . Den huvudsakliga anledningen att jag är med i Sveriges unga akademi är att ha möjlighet att vara med och påverka svensk forskningspolitik. Samtidigt drivs jag också av en oro för det växande vetenskapsföraktet i samhället – all kunskap tycks ha relativiserats till åsikter, oavsett hur välunderbyggda de är – och som forskare inser jag att jag kanebidra till att försöka vända denna utveckling.”

Sveriges unga akademi
Lilla Frescativägen 4A
SE 114 18 Stockholm