Karolinska Institutet, founded in 1810, is Sweden’s only university especially focusing on biomedical sciences. Within Sweden, KI is responsible for some 40% of all medical research in universities and colleges and for about 12% of research education. There are more than 600 research units in some 30 departments, comprising some 2800 research staff, of which 57% are women, and about 2500 postgraduate students. KI is responsible for awarding the annual Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology. Research at KI has a strong European dimension, with around 400 contracts within EU Framework Programmes. Of these contracts, about 100 are or have been coordinated from KI. The Institute of Environmental Medicine (IEM or IMM in Swedish), a department at KI, is an interdisciplinary research organisation and an expert voice within the field of environmental medicine with about 200 employees. There are several research groups in toxicology, environmental medicine and epidemiology working at IEM. Present research activities are focused on cell signalling in response to stress induced by DNA damage and factors interacting with this signalling. Presently the group has grants from the Swedish Animal Welfare Agency and is supported by National Institute for Work Environment in Sweden. The group has several national or international collaborations, and is currently involved in other EU framework applications.

Johan Högberg, Principal Investigator (PI), is a full professor in toxicology at KI. He is chairman of the Swedish Criteria Group, which is a standing committee comprising 10 -15 experts in industrial medicine, toxicology occupational hygiene etc. The group publishes criteria documents and consensus reports in Swedish and English that are used by the Swedish Work Environment Authority and for issuing legally binding occupation exposure limits (OELs) in Sweden.