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 600,000.

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 local prizes currently have a prize sum of SEK 100,000 each.

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

Nordic Prize award 2026

Lars Björck, professor, was awarded the Fernström Nordic Prize 2026.

Prize motivation: Lars Björck is awarded the prize “for his groundbreaking research into how disease-causing bacteria interact with and evade the human immune system, with discoveries that have provided fundamental insights into microbial pathogenesis while also leading to significant biotechnological tools and new therapeutic opportunities.”

Read about Lars Björck's findings and research