Karolinska Institutet honours Nelson Mandela, Sir Richard Doll, Margareta Wallenius-Kleberg and Reijo Vihko
This year's honorary doctors at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, are Nelson Mandela, Sir Richard Doll, Margareta Wallenius-Kleberg and Reijo Vihko, in recognition of their contributions to the educational, business or research activities conducted at the university. An honorary doctorate was awarded to Nelson Mandela for his efforts in the fight against the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Thanks to him, medical knowledge and the experimental know-how of health services have been transformed into affirmative action, believes the university. He has helped lift the stigma surrounding HIV and AIDS, and raised awareness of the action that needs to be taken to combat the disease. An honorary doctorate in medicine has been awarded to Sir Richard Doll for his unique contribution to the development of epidemiological methods and research. His work has included studies of smoking as a cause of disease and premature death. Considered one of the 20th century scientific giants in medical research, he has contributed greatly to the improvement of global human health. His contributions to epidemiological research include descriptive studies of global incidences of cancer; ecological analyses of external factors in relation to cancer clusters in different populations; pioneering studies of ionised radiation and chemical health hazards at work; the world's first statistical analyses of carcinogenesis as a multi-stage process; and the detailed quantification of avoidable causes of cancer. Margareta Wallenius-Kleberg, was also awarded an honorary doctorate in medicine as recognition of her generous donation used to build a unique interventional unit at Karolinska University Hospital, one of Sweden's largest highly specialised hospitals. The first purchase for this new unit will be a surgical robot that will allow surgeons to develop pioneering keyhole methods for surgical interventions on the prostate and the bladder. The robot will be welcomed by patients, as it is considerably less uncomfortable and distressing than existing techniques. The third honorary doctorate in medicine has been awarded to Reijo Vihko, former director general of the Academy of Finland (the Finnish Research Council organisation), for providing a powerful research policy voice in the Nordic region and internationally. Professor Vihko's research in clinical chemistry has touched on areas such as steroids in humans, steroid receptors, and the enzymes involved in steroid metabolism. Between 1971 and 2004, he held a professorship in clinical chemistry at Uleåborg University, where he established one of the Nordic region's most advanced clinical chemistry laboratories. Professor Vihko has actively stimulated research cooperation in the Nordic region and he has significantly contributed to international research organisations, societies, scientific journals, associations and committees. The conferment ceremony will take place in Stockholm City Hall on 13 May.
Countries
Sweden