Johan Björkegren Professor of Systems Medicine
We are delighted to share the news that Johan Björkegren, a key collaborator in the MIRACLE project, has been appointed Professor of Systems Medicine at the Department of Medicine, Huddinge (MedH), Karolinska Institutet. Following his 2013 Tenure Professorship in Genetics and Genomic Sciences at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, his Karolinska professorship is an important milestone and recognition of his work in Sweden and the EU.
Johan Björkegren’s work is internationally recognized for advancing systems medicine through large-scale multi‑omics data, with a particular focus on cardiovascular, inflammatory, and metabolic diseases. His leadership in developing the STARNET study – an unparalleled multi‑omics resource spanning nearly 2,000 patients – continues to shape precision medicine and deepen our understanding of complex disease networks.
As part of MIRACLE, Johan Björkegren contributes unique expertise in network-based modeling and cross‑tissue molecular analysis, strengthening our efforts to transform the diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment of cardiometabolic and related diseases.
Johan Björkegren
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MIRACLE and Leducq AtheroGEN at the 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘀𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 in Stockholm
On 3 – 5 September 2025, MIRACLE consortium met with US-based Leducq Foundation AtheroGEN network in Stockholm. Together the two teams held a 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘀𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲. Lots of great science presented:
- 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 & 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗔𝗗 – from GWAS to single-cell insights, causal networks, and proteome-driven discoveries.
- 𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲-𝗖𝗲𝗹𝗹 & 𝗦𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰𝘀 – mapping vascular cell states, plaque heterogeneity, and sex-specific disease mechanisms.
- 𝗕𝗶𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀 & 𝗗𝗶𝗮𝗴𝗻𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 – from cfDNA methylation and plasma profiling to sex-differentiated immune responses.
The fruitful collaboration with the AtheronGEN network continues!
MIRACLE and AtheroGEN members in Stockholm
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New Partner Announcement: University of Aveiro joins MIRACLE
The University of Aveiro has joined the MIRACLE research project as a new partner. Professor Rosario Domingues’s research group at the University of Aveiro contributes strong expertise in the identification of new biomarkers, particularly through metabolomics methods, and participates in advancing the development of novel risk assessment approaches.
Rosario Domingues: “We are excited to join the MIRACLE consortium, bringing our expertise in lipidomics within multiomics approaches to develop precise tools for cardiovascular risk prediction and personalized care. Supported by the Hop-On Facility funding, this collaboration with leading partners offers a unique opportunity to strengthen European research and will bring innovative, personalized solutions for cardiovascular health.”
Read the news on the University of Eastern Finland website.
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MIRACLE General Assembly meeting in Utrecht
The MIRACLE team spend two inspiring days at the General Assembly meeting in Utrecht on 26 – 27 September 2024. One year of the project is behind and it was good time to reflect on the work done and discuss the next steps.
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MIRACLE in LinkedIn
You can now find MIRACLE in LinkedIn – do follow us!
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MIRACLE Kick-off meeting
The MIRACLE Kick-off meeting took place in Helsinki on 20 – 21 November 2023.
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EIC Pathfinder Challenge funding for MIRACLE
The MIRACLE partners secured esteemed funding from the Horizon Europe – European Innovation Council, EIC, for an innovative consortium project aiming to improve the identification and risk assessment of one of the world’s deadliest diseases – atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD).
“We are so excited to collaborate with our partners, and together make strides in cardiovascular disease prediction and treatment,” says professor Minna Kaikkonen-Määttä who acts as the coordinator of the project.
See UEF news / 26 June 2023
