Photo: Annika Moberg/SUA
Cancer is in its essence a disease of miscommunication. It is well known that the failure of tumor cells to communicate correctly internally is caused by genetic events leading to excessive cell growth. In addition, and perhaps equally important for the etiology of cancer, the malignant cell engages in external communication with multiple cell types populating its micro- and macroenvironment. We subscribe to the view that a tumor should be considered as a communicating organ in its own right, comprising multiple cell types that collectively evolve into a clinically manifested and deadly disease. With this proposition follows that decisive treatment benefit can only be achieved by targeting multiple, but distinct, cell types and signaling pathways that collectively sustain malignant growth. Our work is performed through an integrated set of experiments bridging basic biology, pre-clinical studies and molecular oncology with the ultimate aim of guiding the design of future clinical studies in cancer patients.
I was the Academy’s Chair 2017–2018.
Born: 1974
Family: I live in the rural countryside of Skåne in the small village of Räng Sand with my wife Christina and our daughters Thea, Stina and Fanny.
Interests: My free time is spent with my family and as much as possible in nature.
Other: I have lived and guest researched in San Francisco, a city that has it all, and where I would gladly travel to again…and again…and again. I was the second professor ever to be recruited for my position at Lund University according to the Rector’s appointment procedure.
My commitment to the conditions of young researchers began early when I saw that many of my classmates chose to opt out of a research career in favor of other professions that were perceived as socially safer. The exclusion of research talent has since, for various reasons, some of which are purely structural, continued among colleagues throughout my time as a PhD student, postdoc, and research assistant. I was therefore very happy when I saw that the Young Academy of Sweden had been established, as it means that there is now a channel through which the conditions of young researchers can be addressed, so that important decisions can be influenced in favor of the future generation of Swedish research. I think it’s fantastic and inspiring to be part of and contribute to such an important and positive force within Swedish research.
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