The Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS) within the Nordic EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine

The Nordic EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine was established in 2007 as a joint collaboration between the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and the Universities of Helsinki, Finland, Oslo, Norway and Umeå, Sweden and involves building of national sister institutions in the three countries. The partnership between EMBL, the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), the Centre for Molecular Medicine Norway (NCMM), the Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience (DANDRITE) and the Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS, www.mims.umu.se) is dedicated to the growing field of life sciences that investigates the molecular basis of disease and explores molecularly and genetically based treatments.

The Partnership provides access to scientific infrastructure, including databases, facilities and instrumentation, as well as to clinical materials and networks and training activities provided by the partners and adopts the EMBL model for international recruitment, staff turnover and scientific reviews.

The aim of MIMS is to strengthen Swedish research and enhance the dynamics in the field of molecular medicine, partly by promoting the career opportunities for young scientists. MIMS emerged from the Umeå Centre for Microbial Research (UCMR, www.ucmr.umu.se) that includes researchers active in the fields of molecular and clinical microbiology, molecular biology, chemistry and physics and is closely connected to the university hospital. The research groups have a pronounced international profile with many guest researchers and graduate students, as well as faculty members, from other countries. The groups work in modern laboratories with well-equipped common facilities establishing a basis for a creative and highly interactive environment. MIMS and UCMR are affiliated with both the Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Science and Technology and is closely connected to the university hospital (University Hospital of Umeå). 

In October 2018, Oliver Billker followed Bernt Eric Uhlin, founding director, as MIMS Director. 

Links:

• The European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL)
• The Nordic EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine
• Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM)
• Centre for Molecular Medicine Norway (NCMM)
• Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience (DANDRITE)
• Umeå Centre for Microbial Research (UCMR)