From left: Anna Wallenbeck, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science at SLU; Sophie Stenbeck, Chair of the Stenbeck family foundations; Elin Hernlund, clinical veterinarian and researcher at the Department of Animal Biosciences at SLU; and Johan Bröjer, Professor at the Department of Clinical Sciences at SLU. Photo: Eva-Stina Lindell, SLU.
SLU launches Stenbeck One Health Lab to connect clinical expertise with research
News published:
09/06/2026
The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) is launching Stenbeck One Health Lab, a new initiative to strengthen the link between clinical practice, research and education in comparative medicine. Funded by three Stenbeck family foundations, the lab is part of SLU’s work within One Health.
SLU is the only university in Sweden offering veterinary medicine, and it has a strong track record bringing together animals, people and the environment. Its One Health work spans animal health, food safety, antibiotic resistance and zoonotic diseases. These are all areas of increasing importance as the connections between humans, animals and ecosystems grow stronger. The Stenbeck foundations are supporting the lab with a donation of SEK 20 million over five years.
‘The Stenbeck One Health Lab is an important strategic initiative for SLU. It enhances our capacity to bring together the clinical activities at our University Animal Hospital (UDS) with both preclinical and clinical research in ways that can accelerate the development of new knowledge and novel treatments. By working comparatively – studying disease in animals in a manner that also generates new knowledge and treatments for humans – we can contribute to addressing some of the major health challenges of our time. This is an area in which SLU is uniquely positioned to make a meaningful difference,’ says SLU Vice-Chancellor Maria Knutson Wedel.
Based in Uppsala, UDS is Sweden’s only university veterinary hospital. It is also a national hub for clinical research and practical training for veterinarians and veterinary nurses. With research, clinical care and teaching under one roof, UDS is well placed to turn discoveries into practical benefits for animals and humans alike.
‘We want to support research that improves health outcomes for young people and helps prevent serious disease in the long term. We have long supported work that benefits both animals and people, not least through studies of diseases in horses that can shed light on conditions such as diabetes. With the Stenbeck One Health Lab, we want to speed up the flow of knowledge between species and help prompt new breakthroughs – something we believe has real potential,’ says Sophie Stenbeck.
The Stenbeck One Health Lab is one of several initiatives that will help drive One Health forward and strengthen SLU’s profile in Sweden and internationally. The aim is to build a strong, internationally attractive research environment that opens up new scientific partnerships and builds on UDS’s significant strengths.
The Stenbeck family has several foundations, both in Sweden and abroad, chaired by Sophie Stenbeck. Photo: Eva-Stina Lindell, SLU.
Facts: Stenbeck One Health Lab
The lab is funded by a donation of around SEK 20 million from the Stenbeck foundations over five years. As part of SLU’s One Health initiative, it will strengthen the links between clinical practice, research and education.
The Stenbeck foundations
The Stenbeck family runs several foundations in Sweden and internationally, all chaired by Sophie Stenbeck. The donation to SLU comes from the Swedish Stenbeck Foundation together with the US-based Max Stenbeck Charitable Fund and Sophie Stenbeck Family Foundation. The foundations support a range of causes, including the health and welfare of children, young people and animals, as well as medical innovation and research. The Max Stenbeck Charitable Fund has previously supported equine research at SLU that is opening up new possibilities for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in children, while also helping to significantly reduce the incidence of laminitis, a painful and often fatal hoof disease in horses.
