Universen number 4 2019

A MAGAZINE FOR EMPLOYEES AT UPPSALA UNIVERSITY

NO. 4 2019 50TH ISSUE

More and more researchers are understanding how data management plans help them to plan research projects and keep things in order.

Sverker Holmgren, Project Manager of the University-wide FAIRdriktning project, PAGE 4

Research support with precision THE ÅNGSTRÖM WORKSHOP. Welding is under way here at Sweden’s largest university-based mechanical workshop, where focus lies on precision and accuracy.

PAGE 10

Decommissioning of the Svedberg lab PAGE 7 Network promoting women’s careers PAGE 9 Hard Christmas gift tips PAGE 15

CONTENTS LEADER UNIVERSITY MANAGEMENT

Pierre Fredriksson, Workshop Engineer, works with a mirror holder for a spectrometer to be used at the European XFEL research facility in Schenefeld, Germany.

4 Focus on research data 5 ABC of research data 6 The value of collabora tion 7 Decommissioning of the Svedberg labora tory

Karin Brocki is the initiator of "The Female Research Network" at the Department of Psychology.

PHOTO: MIKAEL WALLERSTEDT

NEWS

Fritjof Fagerlund, Department of Earth Sciences, runs to and from work every day.

PHOTO: MIKAEL WALLERSTEDT

PHOTO: MIKAEL WALLERSTEDT

MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH

8 Better discussions without screens 9 Network promoting women’s careers

AT WORK 10 The forefront of research progressed by precision

RESEARCH 12 Nobel Prize in Physics linked to the University 13 Conflicts about water can become a platform for peace

FINALLY

PROFILE

The researchers will only need to turn to one place for help with issues and needs linked to research data.

16 Fritjof Fagerlund

JOHAN DIXELIUS, PAGE 4

14 Bibliometrics are not everything 15 Hard Christmas gift tips

UPPSALA UNIVERSITY IS A full-scale University with internationally leading research in a broad range of disciplines. Through intradisciplinary excellence we attract research funding, awards and distinctions and interest from the wider world. This disciplinary cutting-edge research also represents a goldmine for the development of new interdisciplinary programmes and research projects. To solve the social challen­ ges of today’s society, expertise from numerous disciplines is required. And our students need to prepare themselves for the complex challenges of tomorrow. The University, in all its breadth, has enormous strength and potential in this regard.

IT IS THEREFORE PLEASING to see all of the initiatives being taken by the disciplinary domains together, and our aim is to support this “It is often trend. We know that interdisciplinary collaboration is in the space not without its complicabetween the tions, but the climate of coltwo that really laboration is positive and yields results. Many excitnew ideas are ing environments are now found.” springing up across the University. Multidisciplinary humanities and social sciences are sprouting at CIRCUS, while medicine meets technology at Medtech Science and Innovation – a collaboration in which Uppsala University Hospital is also participating. Uppsala University Sustainability Initiative, UUSI, is producing expertise through its breadth of research into sustainable development, and at the Antiobiotics Centre doctoral students from all disciplinary domains can be found.

MORE PROJECTS ARE ALSO under development, both within research and teaching. For example, intensive work is being carried out on the application for a European University together with eight partner universities. The overall theme is sustainable cities, and there are a number of relevant, exciting and interdisciplinary proposals being discussed within this field.

Intradisciplinary excellence and multidisciplinary research can strengthen each other, as it is often in the space between the two that really new ideas are found. So let us overcome the obstacles together and take advantage of the entire University’s full potential!

Eva Åkesson, Vice-Chancellor Anders Malmberg, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Caroline Sjöberg, University Director

EDITOR: Anders Berndt EMAIL: universen@uadm.uu.se ADDRESS: Universen, Uppsala universitet, Box 256, 751 05, Uppsala VISITING ADDRESS: Dag Hammarskjölds väg 7 PHONE: 018-471 18 96 PUBLISHER: Urban Lindberg LAYOUT: Content Innovation, www.ci.se PRINT AND PAPER: Multifine 70 g. V-TAB Västerås. CHANGE OF ADDRESS: Notify your HR officer. Other subscribers send a written notification to the editorial office. TEXT AND PHOTO: Texts are stored electronically at Universen. Some texts are also published on the internet. Anyone who sends texts or photos to Universen is deemed to consent to storage/ publication. Universen is not responsible for unsolicited material. ISSN 0346-3664 2

UNIVERSEN 4— 2019

IN BRIEF PHOTO: BRITA NORDHOLM

Climate measures n The Vice-Chancellor has ear-

marked SEK 2 million for climate measures at the University. More information about how to apply for the funds will be announced when the details are settled. The University’s environmental plan will also be revised in light of an inquiry that showed that the existing environmental plan is not sufficient to fulfil current national and international climate goals.

“Uppsala University conducts research and education that makes a strong contribution to sustainable development in Sweden and the world, and this is where we can do the most good. But it goes without saying that we must also work on our own carbon footprint and the environmental plan should stimulate these efforts,” says Vice-Chancellor Åkesson.

A major investment is now being made to cover more of the University’s buildings with solar cells.

Solar cells to be installed on campus roofs Solar cells will be installed on several roofs on the University campus in order to produce more renewable energy. This is an initiative under the cooperation agreement that Akademiska Hus and Uppsala University entered into earlier this year.

The agreement between Uppsala Uni-

versity and Akademiska Hus commits the parties to jointly develop specific projects that will improve the University’s physical environment while focusing on making the campus more sustainable.

The solar cell modules now being installed will be installed on the roofs of the University’s premises at Blåsenhus, Ekonomikum and Building 16 in the English Park Campus, as well as Cam-

Silk diploma n In 1857 this diploma made of silk was

presented to Thore Fries. This is one of two silk diplomas preserved at the University. Formally it is a Master’s diploma, but it is comparable to today’s doctoral diploma. Nowadays the doctoral diploma is made of paper of a special quality.

The word diploma comes from Greek and originally meant “double-folded paper”. An interesting fact is that the doctoral diploma issued by Uppsala University today is the only double-folded doctoral diploma in Sweden.

Thore Fries went on to become Borg-

stömianus Professor of Botany and Practical Economy. In 1893 he was elected Vice-Chancellor of Uppsala University, the same year that Alfred Nobel was named an honorary doctor of that University.

Fries conducted research into lichens and seed plants, took part in expeditions to Spetsbergen and Greenland and travelled widely in Europe and Sweden.

During his travels he collected plants that now form a valuable part of the University’s botanical collections.

Anders Berndt

pus 1477. The modules will generate around 420,000 kWh and enable the spaces contained in the four buildings to be partially supplied with environmentally friendly solar energy.

“The solar cells are a first step in the major joint investment in sustainability that the University and Akademiska Hus are undertaking together. Other actions on the way focus on sustainable mobility and the development of the green environments around our buildings,” says Vice-Chancellor Eva Åkesson.

THE SOLAR CELLS WILL be installed between November 2019 and October 2020, with the starting date varying from building to building. According to the plan, all the installations will be operational by the end of 2020.

Anneli Waara

53%

of students in Sweden opt to study in their home region. Three years after graduating, 61 per cent still live in the same region they chose to study in. This was shown by the statistical analysis “Student mobility within Sweden” (in Swedish) produced by the Swedish Higher Education Authority.

Electoral College complete n The 65 members of the Electoral

College have now all been appointed. The Electoral College serves as the consultative assembly during the procedure for proposing a ViceChancellor and appointing a Deputy Vice-Chancellor. 36 of the members were appointed through elections at the disciplinary domains, while 18 are students and 11 are selected by nomination among other employees. Staff associations are permitted to appoint four individuals.

New Open Access agreement with Elsevier n Researchers and students at Upp-

sala University can once again read Elsevier’s 2,000 scholarly and scientific journals. As of the New Year, researchers will also be able to publish with Open Access at no extra cost in Elsevier’s journals.

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NEWS FAIR is a key term within the field of managing research data, as well as its central principle.

FAIR is an English acronym for findability, accessibility, interoperability, and reusability.

The term FAIR was launched in the Netherlands in 2014 at a research workshop and later resulted in 15 FAIR principles published in 2016. The principles represent a guide for enhancing opportunities for reusing research data.

“FAIR should help researchers understand and reuse research data from other researchers’ projects,” explains Sverker Holmgren, Professor at the Department of Information Technology and Project Manager of the University-wide FAIRdriktning project.

THE FAIR PRINCIPLES STATE that data should be reusable for both humans and machines.

“This means that not only research data but also metadata should be interpretable by machines, for example the data management plan,” notes Niclas Jareborg, Data Manager at National Bioinformatics Infrastructure Sweden (NBIS), hosted by Uppsala University.

Accessible in this case should be interpreted to mean that data are as accessible as possible, given data protection requirements and other such requirements.

Research data can take many different types and formats, for example measurements and experiments, fieldwork observations, survey responses, interviews, films, images and texts.

“In this context data should be understood to be any information of significance for the results of a research project. It is not relevant what form it takes or how the data is stored, the data management plan requirements cover all data in research projects regardless of what they are or how they are stored,” explains Johan Dixelius, Research Consultant at the Research Support Division of the University Administration.

However, to ensure they are made accessible and comply with the FAIR principles effectively, research data need to be in digital form.

Anders Berndt

Swedish Research Council’s report “Kriterier för FAIR forskningsdata” (in Swedish) www.vr.se The article “The FAIR Guiding Principles for scientific data management and stewardship” published in Scientific Data 15 March 2016: www.nature.com 4

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Some of the people who currently form the embryo of a data office that helps researchers with issue linked to research data. From left: Hans Liss, Marcus Lundberg, Christer Lagvik, Johan Dixelius, Håkan Drufva and Tom Sjöström.

PHOTO: MIKAEL WALLERSTEDT

What is FAIR?

Focus on research data Digital data is becoming increasingly important within research.

To help researchers, the University has launched a project named FAIRdriktning that aims to establish a data office that could help with issues linked to the management of research data, including data management plans.

FAIRdriktning was launched in the spring of 2019 to build up a support structure at the University to help researchers manage data management plan requirements from more and more financiers. FAIR is a central principle of managing research data.

“From an international perspective we are a little behind on these issues at Uppsala University – many other higher education institutions are better prepared at this point,” notes Sverker Holm­ gren, Professor at the Department of Information Technology and project manager of the University-wide project FAIRdriktning.

RELEVANT INFORMATION IS collected through the project on Medarbetarportalen relating to the management of research data, to help researchers gain an overview more easily. The project will also produce proposals for a data office

that will serve as the entry point for researchers looking for support.

“The researchers will only need to turn to one place for help with issues and needs linked to research data,” explains Johan Dixelius, research consul­ tant at the Research Support Division.

THERE IS ALREADY AN embryo of a data office at the University. It does not constitute a division within the University Administration, but brings together skills from other divisions when needed.

“As it stands, it is reasonable to assume that the data office will become some type of University-wide organisation in the future that brings together skills where necessary but does not constitute an independent division. It will likely also be supplemented with researchspecific support, which is a model that other higher education institutions have opted for,” adds Dixelius.

THE PROJECT EXPECTS TO present

”We already have a functioning operation that anyone can contact to get help.”

Sverker Holmgren

a pro-

posal for a long-term data office solution soon, and intends to establish such an office over the next year, following a decision about implementation.

“However, we already have a functioning operation that anyone can contact to get help,” notes Holmgren.

As more and more financiers are already making demands for data management plans, the project is working simultaneously to provide support for work on research management plans.

To make things easier for researchers, Uppsala University has a subscription to DMP Online, a tool for managing data management plans.

“The data management plan should be a living document that is continuously updated, and this tool manages versions and facilitates sharing the plan with a head of department, for example,” says Dixelius.

HOLMGREN EMPHASISES THAT even if the data management plan may feel like yet another administrative duty, it can also provide support during research planning and the research itself.

“More and more researchers are understanding how data management plans help them to plan research projects and keep things in order,” adds Holmgren.

Anders Berndt

The guide below can be a good start when getting under way with data management plans within research projects.

What is a data management plan?

A data management plan contains responses to questions about the management of research data. For example, the Swedish Research Council’s template contains the question: “How will the material be documented and described with accompanying metadata on the structure, standards and format for descriptions of the content, collection methods, etc?” By making an assessment of the need for storage volume and calculation requirements, the researcher obtains budget documentation that enables them to apply for data management funding in their application.

In this context data should be understood to be any information of significance for the results of a research project. It is not relevant what form it takes or how the data is stored, the data management plan requirements cover all data in research projects regardless of what they are or how they are stored.

The idea is for the data management plan to help the researchers comply with the FAIR principles.

What is FAIR? This is a key term within the field of managing research data, as well as its central principle. FAIR is an English acronym for findability, accessibility, interoperability, and reusability.

When should the plan be drawn up?

It is a good habit to get started on the data management plan at the same time as planning a research project. The funding bodies’ requirements vary in terms of when and how the plan should be produced, but the plan can also serve as support when planning a research project.

Also remember that the data management plan should be a living document; as the planning and research project progress, updates to the plan will be needed.

Who produces the plan?

The data management plan is produced by the researchers who are applying for funds with support from the data office being set up at the University.

What support is available?

INFORMATION ON THE STAFF PORTAL

When producing a data management plan, it is best to begin on the Staff Portal under “Research”, where there is updated information, support and contact details.

DATA OFFICE

The data office can help you with questions specific to your case. This could, for example, involve questions relating to legal affairs, security, ethics, IT/ storage, archiving or publication. Contact the data office via dataoffice@uu.se.

TEMPLATES

There are both templates and tools to help you produce data management plans. Uppsala University has a subscription to DMP Online – a tool for managing data management plans. You can use a European template as a basis on DMP Online, or there is also a template based on a proposal by the Swedish Research Council. Everyone can log in to DMP Online using their usual Uppsala University log-in details.

Some funding bodies also supply their own templates, and there is a proprietary tool for projects linked to SciLifeLab.

How long does it take to write a plan?

This obviously depends on a range of factors, but it is a good idea to be under way in good time in order to get help and advice from the data office and others. In its recommendations, the data office writes that it can take several weeks to produce a good data management plan.

Anders Berndt

PHOTO: ANDERS BERNDT

Quick guide: data management plan

Bengt Persson and Niclas Jareborg work on operational support for research data in the field of Life Sciences.

Operational support with Life Sciences For several years now, National Bioinformatics Infrastructure Sweden (NBIS), which is hosted by Uppsala University, has been developing the knowledge and infrastructure to help researchers within Life Sciences on issues linked to data management.

“Our aim is to enable researchers within Life Sciences to make their research data available to other researchers,” says Bengt Persson, Director of NBIS.

BY MAKING RESEARCH DATA available, researchers can both complement their own research and carry out meta analyses.

“There is a lot of data in the fields of cancer and diabetes research, for example, and it is possible to conduct studies to find the connection between disease and genetics by using data from many researchers. It is also possible to find usable control groups,” adds Persson.

Combining data from different studies to produce a broader statistical basis is another advantage.

Researchers have not traditionally always shared data with each other, however.

“Researchers are now responsible for making research data usable and accessible for other researchers.

This forces researchers to keep their data in order and offers new opportunities for research into the same material,” explains Niclas Jareborg, Data Manager at NBIS. BOTH MEN CAN SEE that the need for experts and advice is here to stay.

“Often we need people with different skills to read the researchers’ needs, and they do not always understand each other’s languages.

This is where those of us who offer advice can be extremely useful,” adds Jareborg.

NBIS IS PARTICIPATING IN an EU data management project.

“To create a network for those whose work involves offering advice on research data in the field of biological information.”

Anders Berndt

UNIVERSEN 4 — 2019

5

NEWS PHOTO: MIKAEL WALLERSTEDT

Some of the people in Elisabetta Dejana´s research group. From left Maria Globisch, Hua Huang, Max Arce and Peetra Magnusson.

At the computer Elisabetta Dejana.

The value of collaboration Five years ago, Uppsala University received a grant from the Swedish Research Council to recruit Elisabetta Dejana, a top international researcher in the field of vascular biology. Universen met with the research group to hear how it all went.

In 2014 Uppsala University announced something that, in the world of sport, would have been classed as a major signing: Elisabetta Dejana, a world-leading researcher in the field of vascular biology, had been recruited part-time from Milan. The initiative was made possible thanks to SEK 145 million from the Swedish Research Council. Today, the ten-year collaboration has reached the halfway mark and it is time for an initial evaluation.

“It is impossible to overestimate the significance of Elisabetta Dejana for our research environment. Her generosity and commitment adds value far beyond the purely scientific aspects, 6

UNIVERSEN 4— 2019

and many of us hold her up as a professional role model,” says Karin Forsberg Nilsson, Head of the Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology.

A number of top researchers work at the Rudbeck Laboratory, and their results gain widespread international attention. Neighbours along the corridor include Lena Claesson Welsh, Cancer Researcher of the Year 2017, and Christer Betsholtz, recipient of the Anders Jahre Medical Prize. The attractiveness appears to be self-reinforcing, as this last year has seen the addition of leading lymphatic researcher, Taija Mäkinen, and rising star Kaska Koltowska who shortly thereafter was appointed Wallenberg Academy Fellow.

“Uppsala University is bringing

“I feel a responsibility to help others at the department.”

Elisabetta Dejana

together a notable concentration of excellent researchers in the field of vascular biology, and I was able to quickly and easily establish scientific collaborations. Today we are working together in an open and productive environment in which everyone is free to interact between the groups and create new connections,” adds Dejana.

ANNA DIMBERG IS ONE of the successful researchers pursuing a close collaboration with Dejana.

“It is a fantastic benefit for me as a researcher to be able to take advantage of Elisabetta’s expertise and network.

It has opened international doors, and several people in my group have visited her laboratory in Italy. Elisabetta is contributing techniques and expertise to our next study, and I am convinced of our chances for success,” says Dimberg.

“THE GRANT THAT BROUGHT me to Uppsa-

la was incredibly generous. That is why I feel a responsibility to help others at the department, which we do by way of investments in new technology, scientific forums and space for younger colleagues to realise their full potential,” explains Dejana.

With five years at Uppsala University left, her vision is clear: to illustrate the value of scientific collaboration between groups and countries.

Magnus Alsne

Degree outcome on violence Violence perpetrated by men against women in close relationships is a serious social problem. This field of know­ ledge has therefore been introduced as a degree outcome for certain professional courses that involve contact with people exposed to violence.

The programmes affected by this new national degree outcome are those training students to become physiotherapists, legal experts, doctors, psychologists, nurses, social workers and dentists. As of 2019 this level of knowledge will also be required for the dental hygienist programme.

THE NATIONAL CENTRE FOR Knowledge on Men’s Violence Against Women, or NCK, has developed a higher education teaching training course that aims to help programme directors implement the degree outcome. During the autumn the course has been given to some 100 programme directors from higher education institutions across the country, but there are more who want to take the course.

NCK is a national knowledge and resource centre at Uppsala University tasked by the government with raising awareness of the violence perpetrated by men against women and violence in close relationships.

“It is a major social problem that causes a lot of suffering and costs a lot of money. We know from NCK’s “Violence and Health” report from 2014 that 65 per cent of all women and 28 per cent of all men have been exposed to sexual violence, including sexual humiliation,” notes Ulla Albért, Director of Education at NCK. THE COURSE IS AIMED at programme directors and focuses on how the degree outcome can be implemented in their programmes.

“The knowledge required depends on the profession and the duties they have. Nurses and legal experts, for example, have different needs.”

Examples are given during the course of how the degree outcome can be broken down and implemented.

“Each programme or higher education institution has to design its own courses. We have been offering our expertise and experience for more than twenty years in this area.”

If you want to learn about this field, NCK has been offering several courses at Bachelor’s level for many years, including one worth 15 credits for professionals.

Anders Berndt

PHOTO: MIKAEL WALLERSTEDT

The cyclotron accelerated particles and, once they reached the right level of energy, directed them into the beamlines for experiments or the treatment of patients. The concrete block surrounding the cyclotron absorbed emitted radiation.

Decommissioning leads to development A major decommissioning has been under way at the Svedberg Laboratory over the past few years, with the decision being taken in 2016 to decommission the research cyclotron and other activities. As part of this decommissioning, new methods are being developed to manage the dismantling and decontamination of radioactive environments.

cles with a great variation in energy,” explains Elin Hellbeck, Director of the The Svedberg Laboratory.

Flexibility is one of the issues with the decommissioning process, however.

“We have to examine everything on the premises as well as the premises themselves to see whether there is any radioactive activity, and if so, what kind of radiation it is,” explains Elke Passoth, Senior Research Engineer.

We are four storeys below the English Park Campus in the The Svedberg Laboratory. It was here that the first cancer patient in the world was treated with proton radiotherapy in November 1957 – a treatment now used across the globe.

At the core of the laboratory is a cyclotron that accelerates particles using electromagnetic fields.

“This is a highly flexible research cyclotron able to produce different parti-

ONCE THE PREMISES ARE decontaminated, measurements are taken and the results approved by the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority before the premises can be used for other purposes. Decommissioning a research cyclotron is not something they do every day, so part of the decommissioning process involves developing methods.

“We are constantly developing new methods that could be useful, includ-

ing for decommissioning other radiation laboratories or nuclear power plants,” adds Hellbeck.

A decision is taken on how each part should be handled based on the measurements. The large majority give off no radiation and can be treated as normal waste and recycled. A lot of the material has been reused, the lead from the radiochemistry laboratory has, for example, been used at the Ångström Laboratory and Uppsala University Hospital.

A small amount shows higher radio­ active activity but can be sent away and treated through decontamination or melting. Highly radioactive material will be stored in the parts of the premises that are also highly radioactive. The cyclotron and the room in which it is placed will only be able to be dismantled 20 years from now, once the radiation has abated.

Anders Berndt

Elke Passoth, Senior Research Engineer, and Elin Hellbeck, Director, in one of the former experiment rooms next to the cyclotron room.

One of the doors used to protect against emitted radiation near the cyclotron.

The door weights some ten tonnes.

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7

Pelle Lindé, IT Strategist.

ILLUSTRATION: ISTOCKPHOTO

The discussions at law seminars have improved since the introduction of screen-free seminars.

New digital meeting tool As an employee or student of Uppsala University, you now have the opportunity to connect to Uppsala University’s new e-meeting service Zoom.

Previous e-meeting services will soon be phased out.

Better seminars without screens Three semesters after parts of the law programme introduced screen-free seminars, teachers and students alike appear to agree about the positive effects of the initiative on the climate of discussion.

In the autumn semester of 2018, the law programme introduced screen-free seminars for the second and third semester of the course. The initiative was conceived in connection with a growing number of failing students and an aim to promote the climate of discussion in seminar situations. The Law Students’ Association wrote an official letter to the course coordinator complaining about a preparation process that is, in their view, incomplete.

“The faculty’s course committee then opted to give the course representatives the right to take their own decisions for the respective semester, and currently three out of the six bachelor semesters have screen-free seminars. I teach in the

”Research shows that computers used to assist note-taking during seminars are less good.”

Karolina Stenlund 8

UNIVERSEN 4— 2019

second semester, where we have opted to maintain the screen-free system, and I personally perceive a clear difference in attention, participation and engagement,” notes Joel Samuelsson, Professor at the Department of Law. A MAJOR SOURCE OF inspiration was Harvard University, which opted early on to remove technical aids during seminars. Karolina Stenlund, a doctoral student at the Department of Law who has studied at Harvard but now teaches on Uppsala University’s law programme has a firm view: “Computers are fantastic tools that can and should be used in teaching. They are needed for writing take-home exams and for interactive information and learning, all of which are core aspects of promoting in-depth learning. On the other hand, research shows that computers used to assist note-taking during seminars are less good, and since they also affect fellow students negatively, the choice between pen or keyboard cannot be left to the individual student. The limited time scheduled with teachers must be maximised qualitatively, which is best achieved during the legal discussions in which we have the opportunity to test our arguments and ideas.”

THE SCREEN-FREE SEMINARS were evaluated in early summer 2019 by students in the second semester of the law programme. The response was consistently positive in relation to the importance of the initiative for the quality of the seminars. In particular those studying at Campus Gotland were in agreement that more people had played an active part in the arguments, which in turn contributed to broadened views and greater understanding. The reviews were also overwhelmingly positive in Uppsala, although with a higher number of reservations on principle.

“The criticism expressed mainly reflects a frustration with not being able to decide their own study techniques – an opinion also shared by students who state a preference for pen and paper. The fact that this rather ideological attitude is geographically limited to Uppsala means that it can likely be traced back to the Law Students’ Association’s initial complaints about the preparation process. And of course we must always be careful about how initiatives such as these are implemented, though it has led to a positive effect on an important part of the law students’ skills training,” notes Samuelsson.

Magnus Alsne

Zoom is the name of Uppsala University’s new tool for e-meetings, electures and webinars. Since spring 2019, the service has formed part of SUNET’s range and is currently used at some forty universities and higher education institutions in the Nordic region.

“Zoom is a very high-quality tool. It has capacity for 300 participants in e-meetings, up to 500 participants in webinars, and although we haven’t begun launching on a wider scale, we expect 2,500 users at Uppsala University,” notes Pelle Lindé, IT Strategist at the University IT Services Division of the University Administration.

ZOOM WORKS ON ALL computers, browsers and mobile devices using iOS (Apple’s operating system) and Android. The service is compatible with Uppsala University’s video conferencing system and is also integrated with Outlook, which makes it easy to plan and keep future e-meetings in good order. As an employee or student of Uppsala University, you have access to a Pro licence, which gives you the opportunity to invite people who are not connected to the University to participate in e-meetings.

“The responses from those who already use the service have been exclusively positive in principle.

These have mostly come from teachers using Zoom in their teaching, and they particularly value all of the functions and opportunities offered by the tool.”

ON THE STAFF PORTAL you can find guides and user support for Zoom.

“We have staff on site in the experimental classroom in Blåsenhus on Wednesdays between 2 and 4 pm. All are very welcome, just pre-register the time you want to come via support-elarande@uadm. uu.se. We will soon start planning the phasing out of other e-meeting services and would therefore like to see everyone installing Zoom as soon as they have the opportunity,” adds Pelle Lindé.

Magnus Alsne

PHOTO: ANDERS BERNDT

NEWS

PHOTO: MIKAEL WALLERSTEDT

Some of the female researchers at the Department of Psychology who participate in "The Female Research Network".

Divided into three n The Department of Engineering Sciences is being reorganised as of the new year into three new departments: the department of materials science, the department of electrical engineering and the department of urban management and industrial engineering. As the department has grown rapidly, it has been perceived as increasingly inflexible and unclear. The reorganisation is also based on recommendations conveyed by the research evaluation of the international panel Q&R17.

Network promoting women’s careers The female researchers at the Department of Psychology have launched a network to support each other.

“It is clear that we fulfil an important function – it is valued at every level,” explains Karin Brocki, Professor in Psychology.

The situation at the Department of Psychology is identical to that of many other departments: a majority of women in undergraduate education, roughly as many women as men in doctoral education, but then something happens.

“We know from a survey conducted among doctoral students that women and men both want to stay and build careers within academia to the same extent,” says Karin Brocki, Professor of Psychology and the person behind the network. But the women are more pessimistic than the men when evaluating their chances of remaining in academia. The women also perceive that they get less support from their supervisors and have a less developed network within academia.”

TODAY THE DEPARTMENT of Psychology has two female professors out of a total of thirteen, but the department lacked any at all for a long time.

“We need female role models. I think that’s important for doctoral students in particular. When I took my doctorate there were three female professors and they were really important to me as mentors.”

In light of this, “The Female Research Network” was launched at the Department of Psychology for all women conducting research, regardless of academic seniority. The purpose of the network is to support and promote women in their academic careers. Both Karin Brocki and Emily Holmes, the other female profes-

Several similar associations/networks

n The Association of Female Researchers in Uppsala A meeting place for all female researchers in Uppsala.

n Network for Women in Philosophy The network was awarded Uppsala University’s Equal Opportunities Prize for 2018. From the award citation: “The network aims to combat the uneven distribution of legal gender among students and doctoral students in the field of philosophy at Uppsala University.”

sor at the department, are involved in the network. The network meets on the first Wednesday of each month.

“We have discussed topics such as each other’s research applications and given each other tips on how to improve our CVs. After all, it is important to promote yourself on a CV – something men are generally better at.”

They have also presented their research to each other in the network in an attempt to find potential collaborations. For inspiration, the network has invited female guests who have been able to talk about their careers.

“This formed part of our efforts to be more proactive and take the initiative ourselves to talk more about our exciting research results.”

DURING THE INTERVIEW Karin Brocki returns to the need for a critical mass.

“It takes courage to highlight these problems. It’s easy to think that things might get worse if you say something, which is why we need to support and help each other.”

Karin Brocki concludes by encouraging those who are interested in these issues to get in touch.

“We would love to collaborate with similar networks.”

Anders Berndt

SLU to take part in SciFest n SLU will now co-organise the science festival SciFest, meaning the festival will now be a joint matter for both Uppsala University and SLU. The next SciFest will take place on 5-7 March 2020.

Reports on skills provision n In the report “Future requirements for university graduates” (in Swedish) produced by the Swedish Higher Education Authority, future requirements for skills provision in 15 understaffed public-sector professions were studied, including primary-school teachers, specialist teachers, vocational teachers, specialist nurses and midwives. The report identifies a need to increase the number of new starters by some 9,000 students per year over the period 2023-2035.

Evaluation of widening participation n The Government has decided that the Swedish Higher Education Authority, in dialogue with the Swedish Council for Higher Education, is to evaluate higher education institutions’ efforts linked to widening participation. The evaluation will be produced by 1 March 2021 at the latest.

UNIVERSEN 4 — 2019

9

THE FOREFRONT OF RESEARCH PROGRESSED

BY PRECISION A faint but clear scent of oil or lubricant wafts through the air as we open the door of the Ångström Workshop. This is where various measurement instruments are made for use later on in research.

I even recognise some of the machines, but most of them are simply square boxes with windows and an operation panel.

THE ÅNGSTRÖM WORKSHOP IS Sweden’s largest university-based mechanical workshop, containing lathes, cutters, 3D printers, welders and ultrasonic cleaners. The entire workshop oozes a calm sense of professional pride. It is an El Dorado for those who love precision.

The various tools, i.e. the actual drill or cutter that cuts and processes the workpiece must be chosen carefully.

“It must be the right type of cutter – if the tool cuts too sharply then the surface can become uneven and the work will take longer. We have to find the right balance between cutting, cooling, time and precision requirements,” explains Pierre Fredriksson, Workshop Engineer.

The lubricant used for the more advanced machines consists of oil and water. It is reused once the metal and plastic remnants have been filtered out. All waste is sent for recycling, but not much is produced over a year as the workshop only makes individual specimens or prototypes. Much of the instrument makers’ time is spent on planning how to process the workpiece in order to successfully produce what the researcher needs.

The Ångström Workshop makes instruments and tools for research. It is a division within the Department of Physics and Astronomy, but works for anyone requiring its expertise.

“We do a lot for others outside Upp10

UNIVERSEN 4— 2019

sala University too. The PET Centre at Uppsala University Hospital, the Royal Institute of Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. And we make many of the measurement instruments for Max IV in Lund, as we have a collaboration agreement with them and many researchers at Uppsala are active there,” explains Lars-Erik Lindquist, Head of Workshop.

Lindquist also refers to projects for CERN and several major projects conducted for researchers outside Sweden.

Companies launched on the basis of research also get in touch to get help with producing instruments and prototypes.

THE REQUIREMENT FOR PRECISION is extreme in order to meet the need to progress the forefront of research one step further. The parts will often be used in a high vacuum, meaning the precision must be as high as possible.

“We are an important resource for the research projects we work on and we would love to develop the national basis by becoming a national infrastructure resource,” says Lindquist.

Many perhaps believe that the instrument makers stand in front of the lathe or the cutter all day long, but that is not the case. The major challenge of

”It’s a fun workplace.”

Emil Stenvi

the work is to translate the three-dimensional blueprints provided by the researchers and designers into a series of processes in the machines. This work is done sitting at the computer, and only when this is complete does the physical processing of the workpiece begin.

As the workshop produces measuring instruments and equipment for research, there are often new problems and challenges that need to be solved to help move the forefront of research another step forward.

“Despite the help from the computer programs, it can take quite a long time to plan the work, as the projects are often quite difficult. It is extremely important for everything to be completely right the entire way through, as the processes can often be highly time-consuming and would otherwise need to be redone,” explains Emil Stenvi, Instrument Maker.

ANOTHER WAY OF DESCRIBING the complexity is that the workshop has had to install fibre cables between the machines and the computers on which the instrument makers prepare the way they will process the workpiece to produce what the researchers require. Without fibre cables it took too long to convey the instructions to the machines.

“It’s a fun workplace. As we make individual parts instead of having an ongoing production, we do new things the whole time,” says Stenvi.

Anders Berndt

The Ångström Workshop also works on products used in healthcare, the best known of which are probably the implants for head injuries that are now undergoing further development at the company Oss­ dsign. The prototypes of those implants were produced at the Workshop.

PHOTO: MIKAEL WALLERSTEDT

AT WORK/ÅNGSTRÖM WORKSHOP

Merely grinding a surface can require repeating five times, with the workpiece being turned between the rounds.

“The workpiece bends a little when you grind it on one side, so we need to compensate for that,” explains Emil Stenvi, Instrument Maker.

This is a five-axis machine that can move every axis simultaneously. The lubricant consists of oil and water that is reused after filtration.

“We are an important resource for the research we work on and we would love to develop the national basis by becoming a national infrastructure resource,” says Lars-Erik Lindquist, Head of the Workshop.

UNIVERSEN 4 — 2019

11

RESEARCH

PHOTO: MIKAEL WALLERSTEDT

Nikolai Piskunov and Eric Stempels are collaborating closely with this year’s Nobel Laureate in Physics.

Nobel Laureates in Physics with close ties to Uppsala University This year’s Nobel Laureates in Physics, Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz, have been pursuing close collaborations with Uppsala University for a quarter of a century now, and the next collaboration is already on the starting block.

Twenty-four years after Michel Mayor and his then doctoral student Didier Queloz made their first discovery of an exoplanet, they have been awarded – alongside James Peebles – the Nobel Prize in Physics for 2019. Both Nikolai Piskunov and Eric Stempels, who work at the Department of Physics and Astronomy, have followed the importance of Mayor and Queloz’s pioneering discovery at close quarters. Nikolai met the two just days before they announced their results, but was unable to attend the historic presentation in Italy. Eric, who at that time was studying in the Nether12

UNIVERSEN 4— 2019

lands, clearly remembers how the entire Department of Astronomy started talking about exoplanets overnight.

“It caused a total paradigm shift within the entire field. Until then, every search had been fruitless and many people were discussing what it would mean if the universe actually did not contain any planets outside of our own solar system. Then they presented 51 Pegasi b, a gas giant comparable to Jupiter in an orbit around a sun-like star, and just fifty light-years away from Earth. Of course this challenged all of our existing conceptions!”

MICHEL MAYOR AND DIDIER Queloz

have visited Uppsala University on several occasions. Before the creation of the spectroscope that enabled the major discovery in 1995, they worked closely with Bengt Gustafsson, the well-known Uppsala Professor of Astronomy. In 2007 Mayor

returned to our city to be awarded the title of honorary doctor in the Grand Auditorium, and together with Didier Queloz and others, Nikolai and Eric are now preparing the European collaboration “The Terra Hunting Experiment.”

“Starting in 2021, we will study planets’ orbits around some forty smaller stars in our relatively immediate surroundings. The project will continue for ten years with the aim of obtaining important information for the search for celestial bodies with properties similar to our own Earth. We hope to have

”If we are able to identify ozone on another planet that will be a very strong indication of extraterrestrial life.”

Eric Stempels

a meeting of the entire consortium in Uppsala at some point next year,” explains Nikolai.

AS SOON AS THIS winter, however, Nikolai, Eric and several other researchers at Uppsala University hope to shift the boundaries of our knowledge about space. Together with scientists in Germany, they have constructed CRIRES+, an innovative technology that enables the study of planets’ atmospheres in other star systems by working in the infrared region.

“The instrument is ready for assembly in Chile, but political instability in that country has halted the process. If we are able to identify ozone on another planet using CRIRES+, that will be a very strong indication of extraterrestial life, which would be one of the most important scientific discoveries imaginable.”

Magnus Alsne

Funding for new cancer therapies

n Uppsala researchers receive SEK

PHOTO: ISTOCKPHOTO

13.5 million for the development of new immunotherapy treatments against brain tumours, leukaemia and lymphoma.

“For us, this is incredibly significant funding that involves SEK 4.5 million for preclinical development of new immunotherapy treatments for patients with brain tumours, as well as SEK 9 million with which we will develop a viral vector for producing CAR T-cells, before testing it in the treatment of around fifteen leukaemia and lymphoma patients,” explains Magnus Essand, Professor of Gene Therapy.

Difference in carbon footprint among inhalers n The carbon footprint is 20 times bigger if you use a spray than if you use a dry powder inhaler when treating asthma and COPD. “When choosing between spray and dry power inhalers, factors such as how easy it is for a patient to use one type or the other must be considered. However, we want to highlight the fact that there is a difference in carbon footprint as people consider which type of inhaler to use to treat asthma and COPD,” says Christer Janson, Professor of Lung, Allergy and Sleep Research at Uppsala University.

New ways of helping inactive young people n In collaboration with Heby mu-

nicipality, a development project is being launched to find new ways to help slightly older young people between the ages of 16 and 20 who have fallen by the wayside and neither go to school nor have a job.

“We will invest in new group activities that will be tested and then evaluated. All young people have a right to a meaningful life and a bright future. It is important that we can find positive ways to work with them,” explains Malin Eriksson, doctoral student at the Department of Psychology and the person behind the project.

New app makes life easier for pregnant Researchers from the Department of Women’s and Children’s Health and the Department of Information Technology are now launching the Mom2B app, which makes the period before and after birth easier while also collecting data with the aim of improving Swedish antenatal and postnatal care.

Using the new Mom2B app, the researchers will track 20,000 pregnant women and new mothers for up to one year following the birth. The study will provide new knowledge about the increased risk of psychological and physical illness linked to pregnancy and the period following the birth.

“We are looking for any woman who is pregnant or has given birth within the last three months, and hope that as many as possible are willing to contribute to the improvement of care,” explains Alkistis Skalkidou, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and the main person in charge of the study.

PARTICIPANTS IN THE STUDY will report how they feel and how the pregnancy is progressing via the app.

“Each week the participants will receive a number of questions to which they respond directly on their phone, each instance taking a few minutes to

complete. In exchange, they will get access to a tool that has been constructed to make both pregnancy and the period after birth easier,” adds Stavros Iliadis, Researcher at the Department of Women's and Children's Health.

THE DATA COLLECTION IS estimated to take two years.

The material will then contribute in the long term to better preventative measures along with earlier detection and treatment of pregnancy-related ill health, postpartum depression and premature birth.

“Mom2B is an entirely unique scientific tool for our country. It has been a long process getting the app the way we want it, but we are now ready to start a very exciting study of how physical and digital activities can signal changes in

Screenshots from the Mom2B app for pregnant women and new mothers.

health during and after pregnancy. If we succeed, we can see a strong chance of moving Swedish ante- and postnatal care a major and important step forward,” notes Iliadis.

Magnus Alsne

4 QUESTIONS TO LEGAL EXPERT LARA B. FOWLER,

PHOTO: ANDERS BERNDT

PHOTO: DAVID NAYLOR

RESEARCH

from Pennsylvania State University in the US, who until June 2020 is the Fulbright Visiting Researcher at the Department of Peace and Conflict Research.

"Conflicts about water can become a platform for peace" 1

What is your focus?

“Right now I am focusing on how we can collaborate in relation to limited water resources. I have a background in mediating complex issues concerning natural resources, for example water issues, and at the University of Pennsylvania I focus on legal issues relating to water and energy, as well as on negotiation and mediation.

2

Why Uppsala University?

“A lot of really interesting things are happening in terms of water in the Uppsala-Stockholm region, including research, stakeholder organisations and other players. Uppsala University and Sweden generally have a lot of projects involving international water research. Furthermore, the situation in the Baltic Sea is similar to the one we

have in Chesapeake Bay. For example, both have a major inflow of fresh water and low levels of water turnover with the surrounding sea or ocean, so I contacted Ashok Swain at the Department of Peace and Conflict Research at Uppsala University, which conducts research into water and conflicts.

3

What are you going to study?

“I will study examples where water problems have been managed successfully. How did they manage it? Why did they succeed, and what do successful solutions and processes look like?

4

What do you hope to take back with you to the US?

“I hope to highlight methods we can use to manage water in a sustain-

Lara B. Fowler is focused on collaboration surrounding limited water resources.

able way. Limited water resources can be a source of conflict, but if we can get people to work together to solve a problem, it often leads to knock-on effects in other areas. Water resources represent a vital issue for humanity, and so conflicts over water can serve as a platform for peace instead of the opposite.”

Anders Berndt

UNIVERSEN 4 — 2019

13

PHOTO: MIKAEL WALLERSTEDT

FINALLY NAMES IN THE NEWS n The book “Digitaliseringen och ar-

betsmiljön” (Digitalisation and the work environment) has been named HR Book 2019. The book was written by Bengt Sandblad, Professor of Human-Computer Interaction and Carl Åborg, Re­ searcher in Psychology, in collaboration with Jan Gulliksen, Ann Lantz and Åke Walldius, all researchers at KTH.

HI LARS TRANVIK,

n Patricia Lorenzoni, Assistant Profes-

sor at the Centre for Multidisciplinary Studies on Racism, and Afaf Doleeb, Master’s student in Peace and Conflict Studies, are sharing the University’s Martin Henriksson Holmdahl award for efforts to promote human rights and freedoms. Patricia Lorenzoni receives the award for her commitment to the status of the indigenous population in Brazil, and Afaf Doleeb for her dedication to progress towards peace in Sudan. n Ambuj Varshney, Post-doctoral Re-

Professor of Limnology, who was ranked seventh on Fokus magazine’s list of Sweden’s most cited researchers in the fields of environmental science and green biology.

Bibliometrics are not everything

searcher at the Department of Information Technology, has received the ABB Research Award for 2019 for his research into more sustainable Networked Embedded Systems and easier industrial data gathering.

ers’ questions, has been awarded sec­ ond prize at Prix Europa in the category Best European Radio Music Programme of the Year.

n Carl-Henrik Heldin, Professor of Mol­

17/12. Make your own Christmas mustard Make your own Christmas mustard in the pharmacy of The Museum of Medical History, 13:00–16:30.

ecular Cell Biology, has received the Anders Jahre Medical Prize for 2019, awarded by the University of Oslo. n Per-Ola Carlsson, Professor of Medi-

cal Cell Biology and in particular Exper­ imental Endocrinology, has been award­ ed the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation’s Johnny Ludvigsson Prize for Outstand­ ing Childhood Diabetes Research in the Nordic region. n The radio programme “Ask the Music

Professor”, in which Mattias Lundberg, Professor of Musicology, answers listen­

ON THE AGENDA

1/1. Tropical Greenhouse open on New Year’s Day Get your fill of light, warmth and greenery at the Tropical Greenhouse on New Year’s Day, 12:00–15:00.

5/1. Guided tour of Tropical Greenhouse Guided tour of Uppsala’s rainforest, 13:00–14:00.

1 How did it feel to see your name so high up the list?

14/1. One-page proposal ERC Consolidator Grant Get (and give) feedback on the first few pages of your ERC Consolidator Grant application. mp.uu.se/web/info/kalendarium 17–23/2. Half-term fun for kids During the winter half-term, many of the University’s museums will be hosting different activities. Take your kids, grandkids, nephews or nieces along and let yourself be inspired. www.kalendarium.uu.se 27/3. Conference on educational evaluations The purpose is to inspire, share results and experiences of educational evaluations across different fields and faculties and encourage peer exchange. mp.uu.se/web/info/kalendarium

PHFOTO: MIKAEL WALLERSTEDT

Uppsala Student of the Year

14

Carl Johan Casten Carlberg is Uppsala Student of the Year 2019.

UNIVERSEN 4— 2019

Carl Johan Casten Carlberg has received the Uppsala Student of the Year award for 2019. He is currently in the seventh semester of the Master Programme in Sociotechnical Systems Engineering, and alongside his studies he has been a major driver of the integration project Engineer to Engineer, as well as holding office in Snerike’s nation.

Why do you have such a passion for Engineer to Engineer?

“Because it is horrible when people have to suffer due to circumstances they cannot influence. In Engineer to Engineer we were able to help asylum seekers enter the labour market and achieve clear results in the form of happy people. It was fantastic! The group is also engagingly magical, which made each meeting fun.”

The Uppsala Student of the Year scholarship is awarded by the Anders Wall Foundation.

“Of course it was great, as was seeing a couple of my previous doctoral students and postdocs among the hundred most cited researchers.

The fact that the list contains several Uppsala University researchers can be seen as a confidence boost, as our research environment in the field is relatively small in national terms.

2 How do you explain your high ranking?

“As in most groups, some of our projects are cited more than others.

Particularly our studies of the role of inland water in the global carbon cycle are generating some international attention.”

3 What can this type of ranking lead to?

“As an individual researcher, it is an encouraging confirmation that what you are doing is relevant to other researchers. There is also a certain risk of monitoring bibliometrics too closely, however, which is not sufficient in itself when differentiating important research, distributing funds and appointing positions.”

4 Uppsala University’s highest ranking researcher on all of the seven list categories is a man…

“That is a disheartening testament to the fact that gender disparity is still pronounced within academia.

Behind many of the names are groups made up of numerous women, so hopefully the gap will be closed increasingly quickly from the bottom up, but the fact that so few women are at the forefront shows that there are obstacles left to remove.”

Magnus Alsne

” Major investments are needed for high-quality research and for the research infrastructure that is needed for implementation.

This is a key issue for the future” says Vice-Chancellor EVA ÅKESSON in connection with Uppsala University’s input to the government’s next research policy.

Book tips for Christmas Here are some book tips with a connection to the University for both young and old.

Hotet mot demokratin (The threat to democracy) by Erik Åsard, Professor Emeritus of North American Studies, together with Martin Gelin, DN’s correspondent in New York

Since the early 2000s, populist parties have made strong gains across the globe. These successes have often reshaped the political landscape of the countries in question and created new leading figures such as Viktor Orbán in Hungary, Rodrigo Duterte in the Philippines and Donald Trump in the US. The book is an incisive depiction of the rise of right-wing populism. How is liberal democracy in Europe and the US affected? Is right-wing populism a true threat to democracy?

Beowulf Den nordiska bakgrunden (The Nordic background) by Bo Gräslund, Professor Emeritus of Archaeology

The main story of Beowulf is quite simple. Beowulf is King of the Geats, and at the beginning of the poem he travels across the sea to the Danes to free them from a monster by the name of Grendel. Who wrote the poem? What is it about?

Where does the action take place? Contrary to the common view, the author thinks the poem was in fact originally Nordic and passed on orally, not the work of some Old English poet.

Fru Joredals knarkfabrik (Miss Joredal’s drugs’ factory) by Christer Rindebratt, Head of Unit at the University IT Services division

A mad and exciting crime comedy in which Sigurd, a retired IT specialist turned full-time hacker, discovers that his neighbour’s husband has been cloned. His wife is also forced to make drugs in the kitchen for a Mexican drug cartel. When Sigurd later hacks a Russian network, he gets the Swedish secret service, the police and the Mexican mafia after him.

Vad ska vi äta? - Om mat och etik (What should we eat?

On food and ethics) by Anna T Höglund, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences

As consumers, we need to have a certain ethical competence in order to handle issues such as how our food is produced, how it affects our health, our environment and our climate and how animals are treated within food production. The author gives the reader knowledge and practical aids by highlighting what we ought to think about when choosing food, as well as offering guidance before all of these decisions.

Svenska hjältinnor (Swedish heroines) by Anna Nordlund, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Education, together with Colette van Luik, Journalist

A captivating children’s

From a children's book on heroines to populism. The breadth is great among the university staff.

book (ages 9-12) about real women in Sweden who have achieved something special, stood up for their ideals or realised their dreams. This book offers one hundred inspiring stories about courageous champions of the right to vote, cool musicians, tough environmental activists, dedicated doctors, smart inventors and pioneering authors. There is an astronaut and even a pirate.

Så funkar hjärnan (How the brain works) by Klas Kullander, Professor at the Department of Neuroscience

A book for children (ages 6-9) about the infant brain.

Children’s brains undergo several different developmental stages and are formed based on the experiences they have. The author hopes the book will help children understand that their brains are particularly good at learning things, and that they get better and better the more they try, particularly when going to school or learning how to snowboard feels tough.

Carolina Rediviva – Själens läkehus (Carolina Rediviva – Sanctuary for the soul) Book of photographs by Magnus Hjalmarsson, photographer at Uppsala University Library

Uppsala University Library’s photographer, Magnus Hjalmarsson, has been documenting the renovation and activities at Carolina Rediviva for several years.

The result is a book of photographs with literary quotes that give us a glimpse of how the building and its activities have been perceived by authors and observers over the years. As an employee of Uppsala University, you have the chance to buy the book at a discounted price in Carolina’s shop throughout December.

Birgitta Sinder Wilén

UNIVERSEN 4 — 2019

15

Senior Lecturer at Department of Earth Sciences n Family: My partner and two young boys, a four-year-old and the youngest who is just under six months. n On a free day, ideally enjoys: A lie-in before eating breakfast and doing something fun with the family. n Reads: I don’t get to read much, but right now Homo Deus: A brief history of tomorrow by Yuval Noah Harari. n Hidden talent: I’m pretty good at cooking – ideally vegetarian if I get to pick. n What angers you a little: We are generally too selfish, we don’t take care of our planet. n What makes you happy: My family of course, also being out in nature and at our cottage on Åland; both my partner and I are from there.

Fritjof Fagerlund takes the opportunity to exercise every day by running to and from work.

“ I try to find a balance” Family man, ultra runner and researcher in several projects aiming to benefit both people and the environment. He has perfected the art of combining his life’s three major interests – including running to and from work.

FRITJOF FAGERLUND, SENIOR LECTURER at the Department of Earth Sciences, describes himself as a person with three major interests. First and foremost he is a family man, followed by a long-distance runner with several medals in the bag and last but not least, a researcher.

“I try to find a balance between these three interests, though of course I have scaled back on the running in favour of the family over the past year – obviously the children and my partner are a major part of my life. But I manage to run to and from work every day as well as several kilometres each Saturday and

Sunday; overall it adds up to some 150 km per week.

Running long distances makes me feel great!”

HIS INTEREST IN RUNNING began when Fritjof was a postdoc student in Colorado, where he met a group that inspired him to join a run to the Grand Canyon.

“It turned out to be a fantastic 16-hour run, with lots of breaks, and I knew then that I wanted to do more of it. I have an impression that academics are often good at long-distance running; perhaps it is linked to a general stamina and a feel for structure.”

Ultra running is everything that exceeds a marathon, that is, more than 42 kilometres. Fritjof has won Swedish Championship Gold in the 100 km road marathon and Ultravasan 90, Sweden’s biggest ultra marathon – the latter in a time of 6:01:56 – the third best time in the marathon’s 6-year history.

IN TERMS OF RESEARCH, Fritjof is primarily working on two different projects: the first attempting to find a way to stop the spread of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, and to remove them from land and water. PFAS have the ability to form slick surfaces resistant to water, grease and dirt, and are used in many products, including fire-extinguishing foams.

“It is a major challenge; the substances can be hazardous in very small concentrations and they are hard to destroy. Heating them to 1,000 degrees is one method, but obviously that doesn’t work out in nature.”

THE OTHER PROJECT INVOLVES storing carbon dioxide in bedrock as an alternative to emitting into the atmosphere. This is a method that could be used to a far greater extent during a transition period in which we increasingly convert to renewable energy.

“My wish would be that it became expensive to emit carbon dioxide, as then more companies and industries would reduce their emissions by way of carbon storage, for example. There are relatively few pioneering Swedish companies, but many companies across the globe need to be prepared to see a slightly lower economic benefit in favour of a major benefit for the planet.”

Birgitta Sinder Wilén

PHOTO: MIKAEL WALLERSTEDT

PROFILE /FRITJOF FAGERLUND