Jessica Hemberg

Jessica Hemberg is an Associate Professor and Senior University Lecturer in Health Sciences at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University in Vaasa, Finland. She has been working at the university since 2015 and received the title of Associate Professor in Care Science in 2019. Hemberg serves as subject manager for pedagogical studies for teachers in health sciences didactics and for leadership in care and social care.

Her educational background includes a PhD (awarded in 2015), with clinical experience in the healthcare industry and previous work as a care teacher at Novia University of Applied Sciences. She has specialized in online learning, occupational healthcare, psychology, higher education pedagogy, and educational leadership.

Hemberg's research focuses on health promotion and deepening the understanding of health and suffering across different age groups, ethical and existential issues in healthcare, and ethical leadership. Her key research areas include loneliness, home care, school health care, healthcare collaboration, and youth wellbeing, contributing to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.

Hemberg has published over 270 scientific articles in internationally recognized journals, with significant publication output in recent years. Her research shows consistent focus on understanding loneliness, particularly among adolescents, and ethical dimensions of healthcare, with notable publications on compassion, ethical sensitivity, and person-centered care.

• Per Brahe Prize 2022 (12,000 euros)
• Best poster award May 2025
• Top downloaded international article in the journal "JOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING" 2024
• The experience of suffering among patients with cancer illness award August 2024

Hemberg is actively involved in mentoring and advising, serving on examination committees for doctoral theses. She has led multiple significant research projects including studies on loneliness and wellbeing among young people in Swedish Finland, ethical stress in elderly care, and multi-professional collaboration in school health contexts. Her work is supported by various foundations and government agencies, demonstrating its societal relevance and impact.

Hemberg is also active in media engagement, frequently contributing to public discourse on healthcare, loneliness, and ethical issues in nursing and care settings. Her research has been referenced in policy sources and picked up by multiple news outlets, showing its practical relevance to contemporary societal challenges.