Research career rocketing
Cecilie Kyrø’s research career took off in the wake of her participation in a joint Nordic food research centre, an initiative financed by NordForsk. What is your educational background? – I studied Food Science and just completed my Ph.D. in Health Sciences. When did you decide to become a researcher? – I had no clear plans of becoming a researcher. I was pursuing my Master’s degree and thinking about which subject I wanted to specialise in when I was given the opportunity to write my Master’s thesis at the Danish Cancer Society. Anne Tjønneland, head of the Diet, Genes and Environment unit, and Senior Scientist Anja Olsen took me under their wings. They believed in me and were excellent supervisors for my research. I took part in the Nordic Centre of Excellence Nordic Health – Wholegrain Food (NCoE HELGA) research initiative, where I analysed data culled from a large Nordic population survey which showed, among other things, consumption levels of wholegrain foods for the various Nordic populations. How long have you been interested in cancer research? – I’ve always been interested in natural sciences. I also like that what I’m working on can make a difference in the world. I remember hearing about cancer when I was a child, and it seemed like no one had any
real explanation for why some people get the disease while others don’t. How did your career in research develop at NCoE HELGA? – During my time at NCoE HELGA, I became more and more interested in finding links between disease and food intake. In addition, my supervisors were pleased with my work and I was offered a Ph.D. fellowship at the centre. I defended my Ph.D. thesis in August 2013. My thesis focused on how the intake of wholegrain foods lowers the risk of colorectal cancer. How did you feel about the Nordic aspect of NCoE HELGA? – During my research I had the opportunity to study at the Department of Community Medicine at UiT The Arctic University of Norway as well as at the Department of Food Science at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Uppsala. Both places gave me a lot of new insight, and I learned a lot about international research cooperation. What are you doing now? – I have just embarked on my postdoctoral research. I am still investigating the connection between wholegrain foods and cancer. After the NCoE HELGA concluded its period as a Nordic Centre of Excellence in 2012, we secured research funding from the World Cancer Research Fund and the project was expanded to encompass Denmark, Norway, Sweden and seven other European countries. Our research is part of a large-scale project called the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), one of the
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world’s largest population surveys. Once that work is finished I’ll move on to another project where I’ll be investigating whether dietary determinants can have a positive impact on people with chronic illnesses. There is evidence to suggest that wholegrain foods have a positive effect on women with breast cancer. What about NCoE HELGA did you appreciate the most? – I have benefitted greatly from the Nordic and international cooperation we had under the NCoE HELGA and I have made important contacts in Tromsø, Uppsala and The Netherlands as well. I was also entrusted with a great deal of responsibility very early on. I was able to step in as a project manager for a period of time and take part in drawing up an annual report and coordinating meetings. The experience boosted my confidence and helped me develop both as a person and as a researcher. What are you going to do after you have completed your post-doctorate? – I have not made any plans about what I’m going to do after I finish my post doc. But, then again, I never planned to become a researcher either; it just happened. I used to think that researchers just sat in their offices, working on their own. Now I know that research means being part of an incredibly creative and dynamic environment. At the moment I’m really happy to be a researcher.