Through my practical experience as a therapist, I developed a profound interest in scientific work within the physiotherapy profession. Research or/and working as a lecturer became a future goal of mine. So in 2015, I enrolled in a Master’s program at the European University of Applied Science in Rostock, Germany, and soon after even got my first chance for teaching with a temporary assignment lecturing about methods in the sense of ‚Evidence based practice‘ for physiotherapists.

Shortly after, I took a new job at Linköpings University in Sweden. Here I got the opportunity to link graduate work with my actual research engagement. Equipped with the academic skills for qualitative and quantitative research methods – foremost the analysis and evaluation of scientific papers – I got involved with a research project at the Institute for Medicine and Health, specifically an ongoing study aiming at examining the effects of acupuncture on neurotoxic side effects following chemotherapy when diagnosed with colon or breast cancer. The project is situated at the department for physiotherapy of the University Linköping and with specialisation on oncology rehab. My responsibilities include coordinating the logistics and execution, incl. timeline, of the study. Its clinical intervention phase was chosen to be carried out at different locations all over the Southeast of Sweden, such as Lund, Växjö, Linköping, as well as Västervik and Norrköping. Another part of my work is the neuro-functional examination of ca. 80% of the participants before getting acupuncture treatment or placebo-treatment (base-line), as well as carrying out a significant portion of the acupuncture-therapies in Lund (intervention phase).

For me, the most interesting part of a complementary approach in research is the basic understanding of neurophysiological mechanisms and the observation of the subjective interpretation of discomfort within pain perception during the actual investigated intervention. Thus I chose to continue with a specific part of pain research as the main topic for my Master’s thesis – focusing especially on the profession’s understanding of and access to evidence-based diagnostics of pain in health care, as well as on the holistic understanding of developing pain and subacute pain in particular.

In the future, and in this spirit of interdisciplinary cooperation, I am looking forward to work with you – who is interested in workshops, lectures or guest introductions on related topics – held by a dedicated and curious therapist and junior researcher – in your practice, at your conference or within your further education program for therapists or other medical staff. Simply get in touch