Medical students presented their degree projects
For the penultimate time, medical students at the University of Gothenburg presented their degree projects in the form of posters – and this year's edition offered an impressive breadth of topics, commitment, and scientific acumen.
A total of over 130 theses were presented during the poster exhibition at Sahlgrenska Academy. The poster exhibition is a recurring and popular feature of the medical program. It offers students an opportunity to delve deeper into a subject, try out their scientific skills, and communicate their research visually.
However, this is the penultimate time this form of examination will be held; from June 2026, an oral examination will instead become central to the new medical program.
The degree projects covered a wide range of topics, from molecular genetic therapies for hereditary diseases to studies on acceptance therapy and CBT as a complement to medication for migraine.
Awarded for their work
Four prize winners were announced during the day:
- The Course Management Award went to Hannah Sundvall (poster no. 20) for her work on the link between pain and suicide or self-harm among male construction workers. The results showed that pain is common in this occupational group and linked to an increased risk of self-harm – but also that social support in the workplace can reduce the risks.
- The students' choice was Hanna Asp (poster no. 105), who presented findings showing that moderate alcohol consumption, being married, and having an office job can prolong life – but also increase the risk of heart attack. The study was based on long-term data from the Coeur study, which has followed Volvo employees since 1993.
- The Gothenburg Medical Society Prize was awarded to Robin Brusbo (poster no. 72), whose work showed how oscillometry—a method for measuring lung function—can detect reduced lung capacity in welders exposed to welding fumes.
- The Global Health Prize went to Marina Brandt (poster no. 4), who conducted her study in Zanzibar. She showed that uncontrolled blood pressure after stroke was common, but that the social inequality in treatment outcomes seen in other parts of the world was not as clear here – something that may indicate a societal shift towards greater equality.
International thesis projects
Several students had completed their thesis projects abroad. Jakob Björklund spent the spring in South Africa, where he studied emergency surgery for colorectal cancer. His results showed that the risk of death tripled for patients undergoing emergency surgery, and that complications increased by 60 percent.
“The conditions for surgery were completely different in South Africa, and that is something I will take with me,” says Jakob, whose work is now on its way to scientific publication.
Marina Brandt also sees her work in Zanzibar as a milestone:
“Before I left, I took the elective course in global health, which I would highly recommend,” she says. “Neurology is an area I can see myself specializing in in the future.”
