Originally from Australia, I completed my PhD in the field of neuroscience at the University of Western Australia. This was followed by postdoctoral studies at the Karolinska Institute, Sweden, where I switched from studying neuronal cell death to neuronal birth. During the later stages of my postdoctoral period I started a side project looking at fat cell turnover in human adipose tissue. This project developed in to several more projects and now the major interest of my research group is fat and the healthy and pathological function of mature human fat cells.

Contact: kirsty.spalding@ki.se

I have a Bachelor of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology at KI. I have been working in the Spalding group as a lab manager since 2012. Between 1993 and 2012 I was working as a research scientist at AstraZeneca R&D, CNS and Pain. I have 3 years experience at a Clinical Immunology lab at Huddinge hospital as a laboratory technician. I have many administrative tasks in the group, but also contribute to various scientific project. 

Contact: lena.appelsved@ki.se

After completing my PhD in Paris about blood interactions with biomaterials, I have worked in different institutes (Harvard, KTH) in the field of tissue engineering and proteomics. Before joining the group in August 2024, I worked at Uppsala University in the division of Biomedical Engineering, focusing on microfluidics and organ on chips. My current interest in the group is applying different imaging techniques to explore the biology of adipose tissue.

Contact: laurent.barbe@ki.se

I completed my PhD in epigenetics in Hong Kong. I am interested in adipocyte senescence and the potential epigenetic mechanisms governing the process.  

Contact: yi.ching.esther.wan@ki.se

After completing my PhD in cell biology exploring new components of TGFβ signaling in adipocyte, I joined Kirsty Spalding’s group. Here my post-doctoral research focuses on the alterations of signaling pathways leading to the establishment of adipocyte senescence. 

Contact: jeremy.dufau@ki.se

Having focused on therapy-induced senescence and its reversal in Glioblastoma during my PhD at TMC-ACTREC in India, I joined Kirsty's group in 2025 with a keen interest in exploring physiological senescence in adipocytes and its potential relevance to immune surveillance in cancer.

Contact: madhura.ketkar@ki.se

After two years of delving into stem cell-derived pancreatic cells as an Institutional Fellow at Harvard University, my focus has shifted to insulin signaling in adipose tissue.

Contact: benjamin.dedic@ki.se

I graduated with a Master's degree in Translational Physiology and Pharmacology from Karolinska Institutet in summer 2024. I then joined Kirsty Spalding's laboratory as a research assistant, where I began working with primary adipocytes and gained valuable experience studying human adipose tissue. In August 2025, I started my Ph.D. studies in the Spalding lab. My research project focuses on adipocyte senescence and its connection to breast cancer. Through my work, I aim to bridge critical knowledge gaps in the field. I believe this endeavor is facilitated by the Spalding Lab’s distinctive focus on primary human tissue, thereby strengthening translational relevance.

Contact: caroline.lang.2@ki.se 

I have a master’s degree in molecular biology from Stockholm university. I did my thesis project in the Spalding Lab where I tried to understand why adipocytes in the omental depot have lower levels of senescence than adipocytes in the subcutaneous depot, within the same individual. After graduating I stayed on as  a research assitant and now continue this work as a doctoral student.

Contact: leo.westerberg@ki.se

After completing a master’s degree in medical epigenomics at the Radboud University, I am currently working as a doctoral student in Kirsty’s group. My main project falls into three parts: 1) mapping the amount of brown fat in adult humans, 2) understanding the browning potential of white fat cells using an array of molecular biology tools, and 3) understanding what senescence in adipocytes actually means through single cell sequencing methods. I am also the go to person in the lab for all things computational. I often supervise students and am involved in student representation at several levels of Karolinska Institutet.

Contact: niels.kramer@ki.se

After completing my Bachelor’s degree in Medical Biotechnology at the University of Milan, I am currently pursuing a Research Master in Biomedical Sciences at Maastricht University, specializing in Nutrition and Metabolism.

In September 2025, I joined Kirsty Spalding’s group as a Master’s student intern, where I will be exploring the role of adipocyte senescence in obesity.