Background: I have a professional background as a registered nurse, hold a docent position in sociology, and was appointed professor with a specialization in food sociology in the autumn of 2018. Since 2022, I have served as Head of Department.
Research and Doctoral Supervision I earned my PhD in 2000 with the dissertation "Looking Good. A study of gendered body ideals among young people." Over the years, my main research interests have revolved around areas such as medical sociology, the sociology of the body, gender, youth, health, and the social and cultural aspects of food and meals. I have been involved in several interdisciplinary projects with researchers from physiotherapy, nursing, and general medicine. These projects have focused on gender-based experiences and expressions of health and illness, including stress and depression, as well as on young people with disabilities and their views on the body.
I am also interested in cultural aspects of health and illness, including media representations of depression and gender. Together with researchers at the Department of Sociology, I have participated in the research project Endosisters – information work and social support in a digitally embodied patient movement. In the ongoing project The Complex Everyday Food Practices of Elite Sports Students, I collaborate with a doctoral student and researchers from the department and from pedagogy to study the knowledge and competencies related to food and health among students and teachers at elite sports high schools.
Doctoral Supervision: Currently, I serve as principal and co-supervisor for three different doctoral projects at the department. I am the principal supervisor for Julia Carrillo Ocampo – Sustainable Gastronomy, and for Veronica Abnersson’s project – Vegan/Green Gastronomy. I am also co-supervisor for Ida Davidsson in the project The Complex Everyday Food Practices of Elite Sports Students.
Teaching: In recent years, my teaching has primarily focused on qualitative methods, supervision, and examination of undergraduate and advanced-level theses. In 2015, I was appointed Merited Teacher, and in 2016, Excellent Teacher.
Leadership Roles: Between 2008–2015, I served as Head of the Department of Sociology, and from autumn 2018 to 2019, I was Director of the Restaurant School at Umeå University. Since 2022, I have been Head of the Department of Food and Meal Science.
Collaboration: Over the years, I have collaborated with researchers from various departments as well as with organizations outside academia. Since 2019, I have been involved in a collaborative project with Maja Beskow School in Umeå. In 2020, I was elected as a member of Måltidsakademin, and since spring 2023, I have served as deputy board member of the Gastronomiska Stiftelsen.