This text has been translated from Norwegian with the assistance of GPT UiO.
– What preoccupies you at the moment?
– We're launching a new project this autumn investigating the use of research in healthcare, and we've just conducted interviews with strong candidates for a doctoral position. Unfortunately, we can only hire one of them!
– Additionally, we are working on a book about new perspectives on the societal impact of research, and I plan to make significant progress while spending the whole of September in a writing apartment on a farm outside Gothenburg. I have a sabbatical this year, so I'm trying to catch up on topics I haven't had the time for during many busy years with large projects.
– If you were to explain to an eight-year-old what you do at work using three short sentences, what would you say?
– I investigate how people discover entirely new things. Then I try to figure out what it takes for these discoveries to benefit people and society. Innovation, research, and inventions are some of the words we use – perhaps you've heard of them before?
– What motivates you in your job?
– Research and innovation are crucial activities for understanding how society changes, even though we usually discuss them only as something entirely positive or something that requires more funding. I am motivated to discuss these topics in different ways, work with empirical data, and collaborate with organizations struggling with research and innovation in practice.
– Moreover, I enjoy working with others and find it more fulfilling than sitting alone in front of a computer. The most satisfying aspects of the job are those where one can be a bit creative, whether it's related to giving lectures or teaching, as much as it is to the research itself.
– If you were to become something different, what would it be?
– When I was 14, I dreamed of becoming a chef, but that ship has probably sailed. Still, I would likely be drawn to careers with a lot of teamwork and perhaps with shorter and more logical deadlines than those we face in academia.
– What do you do to completely unwind?
– I enjoy cooking and dining at good restaurants. I like travelling to new places. I play in a band that creates original music and occasionally performs concerts. I read and listen to a lot of books. I'm fond of some types of video games and look forward to Witcher 4, even though it might be a long wait.