Karen Søgaard

Karen Søgaard is a Professor at the Institute of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, University of Southern Denmark, with affiliations to multiple research units including the Research Unit of Physical Activity and Health in Working Life, KI/Odense University Hospital's Occupational and Environmental Medicine unit, and the Center for Muscle and Joint Health. She holds a PhD in Human Physiology (University of Copenhagen) and MSc in Physical Exercise.

• Key Roles: Project coordination in EU initiatives (NEW project), leadership in FINALE research group, and active supervision of PhD/undergraduate researchers.
• Research Focus: Interdisciplinary work at the intersection of physical activity, musculoskeletal health, occupational biomechanics, and rehabilitation strategies.

Her scientific production spans 481 publications, with recent studies analyzing:

• Sex differences in neck pain through meta-analyses
• Workplace physical activity interventions
• Shoulder rehabilitation protocols
• Blue-collar worker pain medication trends
• Velocity-based firefighter performance monitoring

Scientific Recognition:

• Dronning Ingrid's Forskningspris (2022)
• ISB Fellow (2019)
• Steno Prisen (2016)

As educator, she supervises multiple PhD projects including Individualized Exercise Training in Elderly Rehabilitation and Physical Health in Offshore Wind Industry. Her international collaborations span institutions in Canada (University of Waterloo, Simon Fraser University), Australia (Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute), and Italy (Politecnico di Torino).