The Faculty of Health, Science and Technology

News

• 2026-09-08

  Collaboration in Focus as the Knowledge Foundation Visits Karlstad University

  On 7 September, representatives from the Knowledge Foundation (KK-stiftelsen) visited Karlstad University to gain deeper insight into how the university collaborates with industry in research and education. During the visit, several projects were presented in which the university and companies work together to develop new knowledge and strengthen Sweden’s competitiveness.

  Throughout the day, the representatives from the Knowledge Foundation met researchers and academic staff from the Pro2Be research environment and the Department of Computer Science. The aim was to gain a better understanding of how the university works with research, education and skills development in partnership with companies and organisations.

• 2026-09-03

  The Internet's Phone Directory Reveals More Than You Think

  When you enter a web address into your browser and arrive at the correct website a second later, a process takes place that most people never notice. Behind the scenes, one of the internet's most important systems is at work: DNS, the Domain Name System. In his doctoral thesis, computer scientist Jonathan Magnusson investigates how effectively today's DNS infrastructure protects users' privacy and what shortcomings still remain.

  DNS is often described as the internet's address book. The system translates domain names, such as kau.se, into the IP addresses that computers use to communicate with one another. Without DNS, the internet would be far more difficult to use. At the same time, every DNS lookup involves information about the websites a user wants to visit being passed through several different servers.

• 2026-09-02

  Urban living-condition challenges extend far beyond megacities

  When urban challenges are discussed on the global stage, the spotlight often falls on megacities such as Mumbai, Lagos and Nairobi. However, a new study led by researchers at Karlstad University reveals that a substantial share of people living in disadvantaged urban environments are found in much smaller cities.

  "The most important finding is that more than one-third of the people we identified live in small and medium-sized cities," says Sai Ganesh Veeravalli, PhD student in Risk and Environmental Studies/Geomatics at Karlstad University and lead author of the study.

• 2026-09-01

  Mathematics paving the way for smarter designs

  I juni disputerade Mario Setta vid Karlstads universitet med sin doktorsavhandling i matematik: Boundary-Aware and Multiscale Methods for Topology Optimization. Hans forskning handlar om att utveckla och förbättra metoder för topologioptimering.

  What is topology and why did you choose this topic?

  "My thesis focuses on how topology optimization can be improved, that is how computers can be used to find an optimal shape for a structure so that it is as efficient as possible while using as little material as possible. Among other things, I investigated how to account for very small details and different material layers. This is becoming increasingly important as technical products become smaller and as advanced shapes can be manufactured using 3D printing, where objects are built layer by layer."

• 2026-08-31

  Smart heat pumps could reduce household energy use

  What if your heat pump knew when you were about to take a shower or use large amounts of hot water? It could then produce hot water at the right time instead of heating unnecessarily. This idea lies at the heart of the research conducted by industrial PhD student Manal Rahal at Thermia, where machine learning is being used to make heat pumps smarter and more energy efficient.

  Today, many heat pumps are controlled using fixed rules and pre-set threshold values. The problem is that they do not take into account the fact that household hot water consumption varies over time. A family that showers early in the morning has different needs from a household where most people shower late in the evening. When a heat pump fails to understand these patterns, it can result either in unnecessary energy consumption or an insufficient supply of hot water when it is needed most.

• 2026-08-31

  Daniel Olsson new dean of the Faculty of Health, Science and Technology

  With a background as a researcher, senior lecturer and Head of Department, Daniel Olsson is taking on the role of leading the Faculty of Health, Science and Technology. For Daniel Olsson, leadership is about creating the conditions that enable others to succeed.

  "I enjoy working with development and leadership issues. When the opportunity to become Dean arose, I saw it as a choice between research and leadership, and leadership won," says Daniel Olsson.