Eric K. Fernström Foundation

Each year, the Eric K. Fernström Foundation awards a Nordic prize to a medical researcher from one of the Nordic countries, as well as local prizes to young researchers at medical faculties in Sweden. The Nordic Prize has currently a prize sum of SEK 500,000.

The award ceremonies mark the festive conclusion of the public arrangement "Forskningens dag" at the Faculty of Medicine, Lund university. 

The Faculty of Medicine at Lund University has collaborated with the Foundation since 1978, when honorary doctor of medicine Eric K. Fernström established the Eric K. Fernström Foundation through a donation.

The Fernström prizes

Each year, the Eric K. Fernström Foundation awards a prize to a medical researcher from one of the Nordic countries. The Nordic Prize currently has a prize sum of SEK 600,000 and is thus one of the largest of its kind.

Every year, the Eric K. Fernström Foundation also awards local Swedish Prizes to young, particularly promising and successful researchers at medical faculties in Sweden.

The prizes are awarded at "Forskningens dag", which is a joint and public arrangement between the Faculty of Medicine at Lund University and the regional health care organisation Region Skåne.

Nordic Prize award 2025

Kaj Blennow, professor at University of Gothenburg, was awarded the Fernström Nordic Prize 2025.

Prize motivation: "For his work on biomarkers for neurodegenerative diseases in general and Alzheimer's disease in particular. Through his work, he has laid the foundation for reliable diagnostics and prognosis in these conditions and provided fundamental baselines for the development of disease-modifying therapies for these conditions, not only at the specialized care level but also in primary care."

Read about Kaj Blennow's findings and research