Erik Walum gets the BEMF award 2008

This year the recipient of the Björn Ekwall Memorial Foundation award is Professor Erik Walum (Biovitrum AB, Sweden). Erik Walum had a fundamental role in the early days of the MEIC project.

 

The award was handed out at the banquet of ESTIV2008 Congress, at Djurönäset, Stockholm, Sweden. The Congress was organized by European Society of Toxicology in Vitro (ESTIV) together with the SSCT and with Expertrådet AB.

Erik Walum was born 1945, in Karlstad, Sweden. He obtained his PhD in animal physiology at University of Gothenburg in 1976 and became later associate professor (1979) and full professor (1995) in neurotoxicology at the Department for Neurochemistry and Neurotoxicology at Stockholm University. Since 1996 he was a senior scientist at Swedish pharmaceutical and biotech companies. At present he is the Director of Science Communication, at Biovitrum AB, Sweden.

Professor Walum’s research has covered three main basic areas:

(1) nerve-glia cooperation

(2) neuronal differentiation and the influence of toxic substances

(3) neuronal degeneration and protection

 

He developed theories how to use alternative methods in testing for systemic and neuronal toxicity. His research group at Stockholm university has developed several in vitro methods which have been approved internationally. Professor Erik Walum has published more than 150 original and review articles and he has significantly contributed to the acceptance of alternative methods through his commitment in national and international expert committees (see also motivation for the Björn Ekwall Memorial Award at the BEMF home page, http://www.ssct.net/prizewinner2008.html).