Carl Johan Fürst, MD, PhD

Professor of Palliative Medicine, Karolinska Insitutet

Mentor, International Palliative Care Leadership Development Initiative

Dr. Fürst chairs the national committee for palliative care guidelines and is founding member of the steering committee for the Swedish palliative care quality register. He was expert advisor to the Swedish government concerning palliative cancer care in the first national cancer strategy, 2009. He is a former board member of the European Association for Palliative Care (EAPC) and chaired the scientific committee of the EAPC Congress in Budapest 2007. He is a member of the EAPC Research Network and is the founding chairman of the Swedish National Council for Palliative Care (NRPV). He has published and spoken extensively in several aspects of palliative medicine, communication and symptom control.

He also holds a clinical position in palliative medicine at the palliative care services at Stockholms Sjukhem Foundation since 1992. Stockholms Sjukhem is one of the largest palliative care services in Sweden with in-patient beds as well as home care and other our patient facilities.

Dr. Fürst received his medical degree at Karolinska Insitutet in Stockholm in 1979 and got his licence to practice (legitimerad läkare) in 1981. He pursued residency training at the Karolinska Hospital and was approved specialist in oncology in 1986. He earned a PhD in oncology (epidemiology) at Karolinska Insitutet in 1989 and subsequently joined the faculty as associate professor in 1993. He was appointed head of the palliative care services at Stockholms Sjukhem Foundation in 1994 and has since held different leading positions at that institution. Dr. Fürst currently holds the academic rank of professor of palliative medicine, department of oncology-pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm Sweden.