A new book from our Business History Publishing dives into 100 years of Swedish medical research – and the importance of private research contributions.
The Swedish Society for Medical Research (Svenska Sällskapet för Medicinsk Forskning, SSMF) was founded in 1919 and has for the past hundred years been an important bridge between curious researchers and new medical discoveries. Thousands of young researchers have SSMF to thank for improved chances to succeed in their quest for new break-throughs, work that eventually leads to better care and more efficient medicines.
While most donor organizations focus on research into one specific disease, SSMF finances research to almost all areas. Financial contributors do have the option to select an area they want to support, but that is more the exception than the rule. Regardless, it is always the quality of the research that governs who ultimately receives funds from SSMF. Many of the researchers whose careers started with financial support from SSMF have become international celebrities in their fields, and even if they haven’t all been awarded a Nobel Prize, their work is behind many medical successes.
The book Research for Life, SSMF 1919-2019 shares the organization’s 100-year history. We meet the collaborators, researchers and donors who made it all possible – and continue to do so. The book contains newly written texts by Sara Johansson, Jan Gradvall, Björn Garenberg, Natalie von der Lehr, Tove Lifvendahl, professor Mats Ulfendahl and docent Olof Ljungberg.
