Research

For the past 20 years, I have conducted specialized research on functional disorders and health anxiety in children and adolescents. Additionally, I have an interest in pediatric liaison psychiatry and comorbid mental and physical disorders in this age group. My work involves epidemiological research and clinical treatment projects in these areas, including the development and testing of specialized psychological treatments in various formats (group therapy, internet-based programs with and without therapist support). In recent years, I have also focused on experimental studies of factors influencing symptom perception.

Commissioned

I have participated in assessment work for various research councils, including the Independent Research Fund Denmark, the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia, the Irish Research Council, and the Icelandic Research Fund. I was previously a member of the advisory research committee for TrygFonden and am currently a board member of Fru C. Hermansens Mindelegat. Additionally, I serve as a member of the PhD scholarship committee at Aarhus University and the Danish LudomaniKomité. I have been involved in the working group under the Danish Health Authority regarding the organisation of functional disorders in children and adolescents in the Danish specialty plan.

Cooperation and dissemination

I collaborate both clinically and in research with various medical specialties and departments, including pediatrics, cardiac surgery, and departments specializing in functional disorders. Additionally, I have research collaborations with the Clinical Epidemiology Department at Aarhus University Hospital (AUH) and the Institute of Public Health and the Center of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience at AU. I serve as the Principal Investigator in the Copenhagen Child Cohort CCC2000. Furthermore, I am a member of EURONET-SOMA, a European research network in functional disorders, and a partner in ETUDE, a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovation Training Network (ITN) supported by the EU Horizon 2020 Program.

Teaching

I am a trained specialist in child and adolescent psychiatry, with expertise as a supervisor in cognitive behavioral therapy for children and adolescents. I have many years of experience in both pre- and postgraduate teaching within the specialty. Specifically, I have extensive experience in teaching about functional disorders and health anxiety in children and adolescents, as well as in the use of psychological treatments. I teach at various levels, including medical school, specialty-specific courses for training specialist doctors or clinical psychologists, DASEFU's specialist course in functional disorders, as well as guest lectures at educational institutions, internal courses at hospital departments, and more. Additionally, I mentor postdocs and PhD students, supervise research year student, medical students in research courses, bachelor's and master's theses. I do assessment tasks for PhD dissertations and serve as an examiner for psychiatry exams at Aarhus University.