Henrik Zetterberg

At a glance

• Physician and professor of neurochemistry at the University of Gothenburg, linked to the Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory at Sahlgrenska University Hospital, and also active at University College London.
• One of the most-cited researchers in the world on biomarkers: proteins in spinal fluid and blood that reveal what is happening in the brain.
• Played a key role in developing blood tests for Alzheimer’s, such as p-tau217, and now studies how they perform in everyday clinical practice.
• Co-authored a 2026 Science review on the ‘turning point’ in Alzheimer’s disease: when does silent build-up become brain damage?
• Also works on markers of brain injury, for instance after concussions in contact sports.
• Relevant to longevity because Alzheimer’s starts years before the first symptoms; reliable blood tests make early detection and better prevention studies possible. A positive test is not a diagnosis on its own, though.