Henrik Rönnberg

As a veterinarian and researcher, I am passionate about combining clinical practice with teaching and research. I established the oncology specialty clinic at the University Animal Hospital (UDS) and today lead a team dedicated to improving the quality of life for our patients and their owners.

My research is rooted in clinical questions and spans from biomarkers and immunology to clinical trials and novel therapeutic strategies. An important element is the comparative perspective: dogs develop cancer spontaneously, just like humans, and their tumors mirror the biological complexity and disease progression in a way that laboratory models rarely can. This makes the dog a unique model for understanding cancer and for testing new therapies in a natural biological environment – a model that can help more drugs succeed in human medicine as well.

I also have long-standing experience in academic leadership. For several years, I have served both as Deputy Dean and Vice Dean at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, with responsibilities for clinical collaboration, doctoral education, and gender equality/equal opportunities. These roles have allowed me to contribute to the development of the faculty’s education, research, and work environment. At present, I am not part of the faculty leadership, but I continue to engage in strategic issues, particularly in education and comparative oncology.

* Veterinary oncology with a focus on dogs and cats
* Translational oncology and the One Health perspective
* Clinical trials of new cancer therapies
* Biomarkers and molecular mechanisms in cancer diseases
* Innovative technologies such as 3D-printed medicines and liquid biopsy
* Pharmacology and drug development in a veterinary medical context

I have been teaching in the veterinary program and the veterinary nursing program for more than 28 years, focusing on internal medicine, oncology, and pharmacology. I supervise theses and PhD students and consider it a key task to build students’ knowledge base and confidence, stimulate curiosity, and develop their scientific mindset.

Since 2025, I also serve as Liaison Officer for EAEVE at SLU, responsible for ensuring that the veterinary program remains accredited by both EAEVE and AVBC. Thanks to this assignment, SLU’s veterinary students are now eligible to work directly after graduation also in Australia and New Zealand.

I am proud of this responsibility and work closely with the EAEVE team, teachers, and students at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science to develop a veterinary program that reflects society’s needs for competence and ensures that all students achieve First-Day Competence.
Read more here: SLU Veterinary Program Accreditation. https://www.slu.se/en/study/programmes-courses/bachelors-programmes/veterinar/accreditation-eaeve/

* Clinical collaboration through the oncology specialty clinic at UDS
* Partnerships with Karolinska Institutet, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, Uppsala University, and the University of Helsinki
* Collaboration with the pharmaceutical industry and regulatory authorities (EMA, FDA-CVM)
* Lectures for dog breed clubs, veterinary associations, and the general public
* Active in One Health and translational medicine initiatives
* International networks in comparative oncology, where canine cancers serve as models for human cancer, including pediatric tumors
* Member of the Expert Committee for Dogs and Cats (ESK) within the Swedish Veterinary Association, responsible for the Step-1 specialization of veterinarians in this field