The 2026 Rudbeck Medals will be awarded to professors Kerstin Sahlin, Mia Phillipson and Giuliano Di Baldassarre. They will all receive their medals at the University’s anniversary celebrations on 7 October 2026.

Mia Phillipson

Mia Phillipson is Professor of Physiology at the Department of Medical Cell Biology. She is receiving the medal for her pioneering work in the field of immune system physiology. Through a unique combination of fundamental mechanism studies, technological innovation and clinical relevance, she has significantly altered our understanding of the role of the immune system in tissue repair, inflammation and vascular function.

Her pioneering work on the use of genetically modified lactic acid bacteria for the local production of bioactive substances directly in tissue is ground-breaking. It represents an entirely new way to control the immune response and wound healing locally, and has great therapeutic potential. Her activities are thus an example of how cutting-edge academic research can be translated into concrete applications in medicine.

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The Linnaeus Medal to Johan Sundström

In addition, the Linnaeus Medal will be awarded to Professor Johan Sundström. Uppsala University’s Linnaeus Medal was awarded for the first time in connection with the Tercentenary of the birth of Carl Linnaeus on 23 May 1707. It is conferred in gold “for truly outstanding scientific achievement, especially in the Linnaean subject areas but also for meritorious furtherance of the legacy of Linnaeus or Uppsala University”.

Johan Sundström holds the Linnaeus professorship in clinical epidemiology at the Department of Medical Sciences and is clinically active as a specialist at the Cardiology Clinic, Uppsala University Hospital. His research ranges broadly, encompassing epidemiological studies in large national and international cohorts as well as randomised trials.

He has systematically gathered large cohorts by successfully pursuing national and international collaborations. Sundström’s randomised trials are characterised by great creativity and innovative methodologies. An example is the ongoing study U-SCREEN-HF – a home-based screening system for heart failure. His research has had a significant influence on all modern clinical guidelines for the treatment of high blood pressure. His paradigm-breaking work will have a major impact on clinical healthcare as well as future clinical precision medicine research on complex diseases.