Find Academic Supervisors

Ann-Dorte Pedholt ChristensenView profile

Professor

• Gender Studies
• Masculinity Studies
• Intersectionality
• +7 more

Ann-Dorte Pedholt Christensen is a Professor of Sociology at Aalborg University’s Department of Sociology and Social Work, affiliated with The Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities. She leads research initiatives within CASTOR (sociological/criminological research on social differentiation) and MIX (Center for Displacement, Migration and Integration). Her research focuses on gender and masculinity studies through an intersectional lens, examining how gender interacts with class, ethnicity, generation, and migration. Key themes include citizenship, social movements, identity formation, military masculinities, and everyday life practices. She employs qualitative methods, notably the biographical narrative approach, collaborating with artists and municipal archives to bridge academic and public spheres. Christensen has coordinated AAU’s PhD program in Sociology and Social Work, served as head of the CASTOR research group, and contributed to editorial boards of international journals. Her work addresses UN SDGs related to gender equality and social inclusion. Recent projects include studies on migrant narratives (MultiAalborg), military family dynamics, and the evolving constructions of masculinity in Nordic contexts. Her publications span journals like Armed Forces and Society and Childhood , with book chapters in Palgrave handbooks. She actively engages in public discourse through media commentary and museum collaborations, addressing topics like gender equality backlash and refugee integration.

Miriam Bak McKennaView profile

Associate Professor

• International Law
• Decolonization
• Gender Studies
• +4 more

Miriam Bak McKenna is an Associate Professor in the Department of Social Sciences and Business at Roskilde University, Denmark. She is affiliated with the Global Political Sociology Centre , the Centre for Gender, Power and Diversity , and the Centre for Statecraft and International Order . Her work bridges socio-legal studies, decolonial theory, and feminist political economy. Education: PhD in International Law, University of Copenhagen (2015) Masters of Law (cand.jur), University of Copenhagen BA in Art History and LLB in Law, University of Western Australia Research Interests: History and theory of international law, with a focus on decolonization and self-determination Gender inequality, feminist materialism, and social reproduction theory Legal architecture and spatial politics of international institutions Global political economy and postcolonial critique Her monograph Reckoning with Empire: Self-Determination in International Law (2023) examines how self-determination concepts shape global transformations. Current projects include Legal Sightseeing , exploring architectural spaces of international law. Teaching: Courses include International Law for Social Sciences, Legal Methods, and Gender Studies modules. Professional Experience: Former lecturer/postdoc at Lund University Visiting fellowships at Cambridge University and University of Toronto Consultant for UNODC, Danish Institute of Human Rights, and others Research Contributions: Over 36 publications across law journals, edited volumes, and media commentary. Recent work addresses UNESCO’s architectural symbolism, Nordic legal internationalism, and gendered labor in transnational contexts. Advising & Grants: Four parental leave periods since 2015/16; no explicit grants mentioned. Active editorial roles for Feminist Legal Studies . Labs/Teams: Co-leads Legal Sightseeing , a transnational research project on legal architecture and spatial politics.

• Medical Anthropology
• Clinical Psychology
• Psychoanalysis
• +12 more

Gabriel Antonio Abarca Brown is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Medical Humanities at the Center for Culture and the Mind (CULTMIND) at the University of Copenhagen's Faculty of Humanities, where he works within the Department of English, Germanic and Romance Studies. As a medical anthropologist, clinical psychologist, and psychoanalyst, his research spans multiple disciplinary boundaries while maintaining a focus on Latin American contexts, particularly Chile. His educational background includes a PhD in Anthropology from King's College London's Department of Global Health and Social Medicine (awarded February 1, 2021) and an MA in Adult Clinical Psychology with specialization in Psychoanalysis from the University of Chile. His academic journey reflects his interdisciplinary approach to understanding mental health through both clinical and anthropological lenses. Abarca Brown's research interests focus on the history, politics, and practices of psychiatry and global mental health, particularly examining their impacts on subjectivity and everyday life in Latin America. His work critically engages with decolonial perspectives, intersectionality, and the relationship between neuroscience and society. He investigates how mental health systems interact with migration, race, gender, and cultural contexts, with a special emphasis on Haitian migration to Chile. His scholarship challenges neurocentric approaches while exploring how global mental health initiatives are implemented and transformed in local settings. His recent publications reveal a strong trend toward examining the intersection of neuroscience, migration, and mental health in Latin American contexts, particularly Chile. His work often employs ethnographic methods to explore how global mental health paradigms are translated and transformed in local settings. A significant portion of his research focuses on Haitian migration to Chile, examining how mental health services engage with migrant populations and how migrants navigate mental healthcare systems. His scholarship demonstrates a consistent commitment to decolonizing mental health approaches and amplifying Latin American perspectives within global mental health discourse. Honorable Mention - Revista Crítica de Ciências Sociais Prize from the Centre for Social Studies, University of Coimbra (2022) ANID BecasChile PhD scholarship (2015) Scholarship for Research Visit at the Social Medicine Institute UERJ-Brazil (August 2017) Beyond his academic appointments, Abarca Brown has served as an Advisor to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) and is a co-founder of the Platform for Social Research in Mental Health in Latin America (PLASMA). His external academic positions include Adjunct Researcher at Universidad Diego Portales and Visiting Professor at Universidad San Sebastián. He has lectured and conducted research at multiple institutions including the University of Santiago, University of Chile, King's College London, and the University of Copenhagen, demonstrating his strong regional and international academic networks. Abarca Brown is actively engaged with the Center for Culture and the Mind (CULTMIND) at the University of Copenhagen, where his postdoctoral fellowship is based. His work intersects with broader initiatives examining the relationship between culture, mind, and mental health. Through PLASMA, he contributes to building networks for mental health research across Latin America, fostering collaborative approaches that center regional perspectives and needs.

Kirsten F CaterView profile

Professor

• Human-Computer Interaction
• Virtual Reality
• Crowdsourcing
• +2 more

Professor Kirsten Cater is Professor of Human-Computer Interaction at the University of Bristol and Associate Pro Vice Chancellor (Education & Students). She directs research enhancing human-environment interactions through mobile/sensor technologies. Her pioneering work spans location-based experiences, VR applications, crowdsourced data collection, and tangible interfaces for elderly users. Current projects include VR for adolescent oncology and co-design methods for minoritized older adults. As Co-Director of the Pervasive Media Studio, she leads cross-sector innovation in pervasive computing. She founded the Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, creating interdisciplinary programs for developing 21st-century innovators. Her educational leadership includes developing the Temple Quarter Campus as Associate Dean for the Faculty of Engineering.

• Social Theory
• Methodology of Social Science
• Democracy Studies
• +4 more

Mikael Carleheden is an Associate Professor at the Department of Sociology, University of Copenhagen, within the Faculty of Social Sciences. He holds editorial roles including Main Editor of Acta Sociologica and membership on editorial boards of Distinktion and Utbildning & Demokrati . His academic career includes prior roles as Full Professor at University of Örebro (2008–2010), Head of PhD Program at University of Copenhagen (2010–2016), and Coordinator of CAPS (2015–2022). His research focuses on social theory methodology, structural transformation, civil society dynamics, and critiques of modernity. Education includes a PhD from Lund University (1996) and postdoctoral work at Columbia University (1997–1998). His teaching includes courses like Critical Theory: Capitalism, Democracy and Intersectionality and Sociological Diagnosis of Our Times . Research interests span theoretical methodological debates, freedom discourses in the Anthropocene, and societal pathologies. Collaborations include international networks like the European Sociological Association (ESA Research Network 29 Coordinator) and membership in Nordic and Danish Sociological Associations. Recent publications emphasize pluralizing theorizing methods, diagnosing contemporary societal crises, and rethinking modernity’s epochs.

• Social Psychology
• Cultural Psychology
• Political Psychology
• +4 more

Dr. Séamus A. Power is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Copenhagen's Faculty of Social Sciences. His research spans social, cultural, and political psychology with a focus on economic inequality, multiculturalism, and democracy in Western societies. Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences University of Copenhagen, Denmark Office: Øster Farimagsgade 2A, 1350 København K Dr. Power's educational background includes a postdoc and Ph.D. in Comparative Human Development from the University of Chicago, an M.Phil. from the University of Cambridge, and a B.Sc. from University College Cork. His research examines how people experience economic inequality in democracies, the limits of pluralism in Western liberal societies, and the Equality-Difference Paradox (the observation that countries with greater income equality tend to be less culturally diverse). His recent research output shows a strong focus on contemporary societal challenges, particularly examining Ukrainian refugees' mental health, multicultural attitudes in the United States, immigration policies in Denmark, and LGBTQ+ experiences in Danish society. His work often employs mixed methods approaches, reflecting his interest in the complementarity between ethnographic and experimental methodologies. 50+ research outputs including 37 journal articles Developed the SAGE and MOVE models of social psychological research Focus on methodological innovation in studying social phenomena Dr. Power has been active in public engagement, particularly through the KU Corona Diary project (2020-2021) which documented everyday experiences during the pandemic in Denmark. His work bridges academic research with practical implications for social policy and understanding contemporary societal challenges.

Henriette SteinerView profile

Professor

• Architectural History
• Landscape Architecture
• Urban Planning
• +5 more

Henriette Steiner serves as Professor and Head of Section in the Section for Landscape Architecture and Planning and Society within the Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management at the University of Copenhagen's Faculty of Science. She previously held research positions at ETH Zurich and visiting professorships at MIT, BOKU Vienna, and the University of Geneva, establishing her as a leading international scholar in architectural history and spatial justice. Her educational background includes a PhD in Architecture from the University of Cambridge (2008) following five years as a Research Associate at ETH Zurich. Key appointments demonstrate progressive leadership: co-founder of the Department's Diversity Committee, PhD Coordinator for Landscape Architecture, Head of Studies during the coronavirus pandemic, and current elected member of the Faculty of Science PhD Committee. Steiner's research critically examines how historical structures—morals, ethics, politics, and cultural practices—shape built environments, with urgent focus on climate change, inequality, and pandemic recovery. Her work champions interdisciplinary collaboration and inclusive methodologies , particularly through recovering women's contributions to Danish architecture 1925–1975. Recent trends reveal expanding scope from architectural philosophy ( Tower to Tower , 2020) to pandemic-era spatial analysis ( Touch in the Time of Corona , 2021) and equity-focused urban futures ( Just Cities , 2025). Senior Scholar Fellowship, American Society for Architectural Historians Carlsberg Foundation Monograph Fellowship Faculty of Science Award for Research Communication (2024) Diversity Award nomination, Danish Foundation for Entrepreneurship (2023) As an academic leader, Steiner co-founded the Intersect community fostering arts-humanities-social sciences-design collaboration, and co-leads two major grants: Stories from Sofiegården (Augustinus Foundation) documenting alternative Copenhagen living arrangements as cultural heritage, and Learning from Collaboration (Realdania) building future design practices. Her current Women in Danish Architecture 1925–1975 project (2020–2025) has produced the award-winning Untold Stories monograph and digital exhibitions reclaiming women's architectural legacy. Steiner directs the Section's research ecosystem through inclusive team structures like the Women in Danish Architecture collective—comprising architectural historians, communications specialists, and visual designers—who actively dismantle 'lone genius' narratives through collaborative knowledge production.

Anita MaškováView profile

Part-Time Lecturer

• Gender Studies
• Feminist Theory
• Cultural Studies
• +4 more

Anita Mašková serves as a Part-time Lecturer in the Department of Communication and Arts at Roskilde University, affiliated with the Centre for Gender, Power and Diversity. Her scholarly work critically examines gender representation through feminist and figural analysis, with concentrated focus on the pregnant body in contemporary Western cultural narratives. Mašková earned her PhD from Roskilde University in 2024 with the dissertation I FIGURERNES VOLD: En feministisk og figuranalytisk undersøgelse af graviditetskroppens ambivalente iscenesættelser i moderne vestlig kultur (The Violence of Figures: A feminist and figural analysis of the ambivalent stagings of the pregnant body in modern Western culture). Her research spans Gender Studies, Feminist Theory, and Cultural Studies, investigating how pregnancy and motherhood are represented across literature, visual arts, and media. She analyzes the political dimensions of maternal embodiment, exploring tensions between artistic expression and societal norms through frameworks of ambivalence, boundary figures, and violence in representation. Recent publications (2022-2025) reveal consistent thematic development around feminist figuration, demonstrating interdisciplinary methodology bridging literary analysis, art history, and gender theory. Her work increasingly engages with contemporary media discourse on surrogacy and reproductive politics, while maintaining rigorous academic analysis of cultural artifacts from Danish and international contexts. Mašková actively contributes to academic communities through conference presentations including the Copenhagen Photo Festival (2025) and media commentary in outlets like Politiken and Banat. Her institutional affiliation with the Centre for Gender, Power and Diversity situates her work within Roskilde University's interdisciplinary research ecosystem focused on power dynamics and social transformation.

Bolette BlaagaardView profile

Associate Professor

• Journalism Studies
• Postcolonial Theory
• Citizen Media
• +3 more

Bolette Blaagaard is an Associate Professor at Aalborg University's Department of Communication and Psychology, affiliated with The Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities. Her research focuses on intersections of journalism, digital media, citizenship, and postcolonial theory. She has authored books like Citizen Journalism as Conceptual Practice (2018) and co-edited volumes such as Postcolonial Publics: Art and Citizen Media in Europe (2023). Her work critiques colonial legacies in media representation and explores counterpublics through citizen media. Teaching includes courses on political communication, cultural studies, and media aesthetics. She leads projects like Views for all the people (2023–present) and Abortion in the Danish Kingdom (2022), emphasizing public discourse and social justice. Her recent articles analyze journalistic practices in Greenland through a postcolonial lens and examine transnational activism via Black Lives Matter. Public engagement includes media contributions on journalism ethics and colonial memory. She collaborates internationally, co-organizing conferences on postcolonial media and art. Her research bridges theoretical frameworks from postcolonialism and critical media studies to address contemporary societal challenges.

Poornima LuthraView profile

Associate Professor

• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
• Inclusive Leadership
• Human Bias
• +4 more

Poornima Luthra is a Teaching Associate Professor in the Department of Organization at Copenhagen Business School (CBS), where she leverages over fifteen years of teaching and practitioner research to transform talent management and leadership education. She teaches core courses including Global People Management – HRM & Leadership, HRM, Organisation and Leadership, and Labour Market Theory and Analysis at bachelor's and master's levels, while actively developing executive programs such as the CBS Summer School Foundation course on Leading for Talent Growth. Her research centers on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Inclusive Leadership, Human Bias, and Intersectionality, with critical explorations of Resistance and Fear of DEI and Sustainable Transformational Leadership. She bridges academic rigor with organizational practice to create immersive learning experiences that challenge conventional mindsets and foster tangible workplace change, emphasizing actionable strategies over theoretical abstraction. Analysis of her 15 most recent publications (2023-2025) reveals a concentrated focus on practical DEI implementation, bias mitigation frameworks, and inclusive leadership development. Key themes include active allyship behaviors, global DEI adaptation beyond American contexts, cognitive bias management, and systemic approaches to sustainable inclusion. Her work spans Harvard Business Review articles, multilingual books (English, Danish, Italian), and academic encyclopedia contributions, demonstrating both scholarly depth and real-world applicability. Luthra supervises master's theses and maintains extensive industry engagement through high-impact consulting. In 2024 alone, she delivered 35+ keynotes and workshops for global organizations including Novo Nordisk, Leo Pharma, KPMG, and UN agencies, addressing DEI challenges across sectors from pharmaceuticals to finance. Her external portfolio reflects significant demand for her expertise in translating academic insights into organizational transformation.

• Workplace studies
• Healthcare/Digital Health
• Welfare technology
• +11 more

Sisse Finken serves as a Lecturer in the Digitalisation, Democracy, and Governance unit at IT University of Copenhagen , specializing in the intersection of technology, society, and governance. Her work bridges theoretical frameworks from Science and Technology Studies (STS) with practical applications in public-sector digitalization, particularly through participatory design and action research methodologies. Her research interests span Workplace studies, Healthcare/Digital Health, Welfare technology, Displacements, Qualitative approaches, Ethnography, Design methods, Computer supported cooperative work (CSCW), Science and technology studies (STS), Feminist technology studies, and Digitalization processes . Finken approaches digital governance through critical lenses, examining power dynamics, representation, and inclusion in welfare technology implementations. Recent publications (2024) demonstrate her focus on action research in participatory design, gender and diversity in technology, and the philosophical dimensions of human-technology relations . Her work consistently emphasizes the importance of paying attention to context, stakeholders, and ethical implications in digital transformation processes. Finken has contributed to significant research projects including WaD: Welfare after Digitalization (2020-2023), examining video consultation systems and digital public services, and Bæredygtige innovationer gennem samskabelse (2016-2017) on sustainable innovation through co-creation. Her media contributions address critical issues like representation in inclusive digital welfare societies and principles for citizen-friendly digitalization . She maintains active scholarly engagement through publications, conference contributions, and collaborative research networks focused on ensuring democratic values in digital governance processes.

Fabio Heupel SantosView profile

Assistant Professor

• Migration Studies
• Border Studies
• Postcolonial Theory
• +7 more

Fabio Heupel Santos is a Tenure-Track Assistant Professor in Histories of Migration at the SAXO-Institute within the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Copenhagen, where he joined in January 2025. Previously, he served as Assistant Professor at the Institute for Latin American Studies, Freie Universität Berlin (2019-2024), and held visiting positions at UC Berkeley, Aarhus University, and the University of Vienna. His academic journey includes: Doctorate in Sociology, Freie Universität Berlin, summa cum laude (2019) Master of Arts in Sociology, Freie Universität Berlin (2015) Bachelor of Arts in European Ethnology (major) and Cultural History and Theory (minor), Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (2013) Santos specializes in border(lands), citizenship, belonging, inequality, and intersectionality, with regional expertise in Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe, and the United States. His research interweaves intimate local experiences with global structural forces, revealing how everyday realities are shaped by broader entanglements. This approach is exemplified in his book Bridging Fluid Borders: Entanglements in the French-Brazilian Borderland (Routledge, 2022), which examines the cross-border bridge between French Guiana and Brazil. His recent publications demonstrate a consistent focus on migration, border studies, and postcolonial theory, with particular attention to historical sociology and ethnographic methodologies. Santos is currently writing a second monograph reconstructing fugitive histories embedded in Fort Allen, a U.S. military base in Puerto Rico that served as a detention center for Haitian refugees in the 1980s. His scholarly contributions have been recognized with prestigious awards including the Rinus Penninx Best Paper Award (2025) and the Best Paper Award at the World Congress of the Association for Borderlands Studies (2018). Rinus Penninx Best Paper Award, IMISCOE Annual Conference (2025) Best Paper Award, World Congress of the Association for Borderlands Studies (2018) Best Paper Award, 58th Annual Meeting of the Association for Borderlands Studies (2017) Santos has secured significant research funding including a 12-month "History of Migration" Fellowship at UC Berkeley funded by VolkswagenStiftung (2023), and multiple Erasmus+ Program grants. He serves on the editorial board of Ensaios de Geografia and holds leadership positions including Secretary-Treasurer of RC56 (Historical Sociology) at the International Sociological Association. As an active participant in multiple research networks including the DFG-funded Scientific Network on Qualitative Social Research, Santos collaborates internationally across Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean, contributing to decolonial and postcolonial theoretical frameworks in migration studies.

Verena LenneisView profile

Associate Professor

• Health Disparities
• Ethnic Minorities and Sport Participation
• Participatory Research Methods (CBPR/PAR)
• +4 more

Verena Lenneis is an Associate Professor at the Department of Health Science and Technology, affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine and the Active Health Institute for Advanced Study in PBL at Aalborg University. Her research focuses on health disparities, ethnic minorities’ participation in sport and physical activity, and participatory research methods such as Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) and co-creation. She leads the Nordic project 'Healthy communities in ageing societies' funded by NordForsk, exploring participatory research with elderly immigrants and refugees. Additionally, she investigates digital technologies in sports and lifestyle sports. Educations: PhD in Sport Sociology (University of Copenhagen, 2013–2016) MA in Human and Social Sport Sciences (University of Copenhagen, 2011–2013) MA in Law (University of Vienna, 2004–2008) Bachelor in Sport Sciences (University of Vienna, 2008–2011) Research Interests: Lenneis explores how marginalized groups engage with physical activity and sport, emphasizing participatory approaches. Her work addresses cultural, political, and spatial barriers faced by minority communities, including Muslim women’s access to swimming programs and refugee integration through sports. She also examines the role of digital technologies in shaping sports culture and leisure practices. Projects & Grants: PI of 'HEALTHCOM: Healthy communities in ageing societies' (NordForsk, 2023–2026) Co-PI of 'Trivsel gennem fritidsfællesskaber' (Danish Refugee Council, 2021–2023) Media & Outreach: Lenneis frequently engages with media on topics like gender-segregated swimming debates and digital sports culture. She also contributes to policy discussions through her editorial roles and public lectures.

Sune Qvotrup JensenView profile

Professor

• Gender Studies
• Masculinity Studies
• Sociology of Emotions
• +4 more

Sune Qvotrup Jensen is a Professor at Aalborg University’s Department of Sociology and Social Work, affiliated with the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities. He is a leading scholar in gender studies, masculinity, and subcultural theory, with a focus on radicalization, intersectionality, and emotional sociology. His research bridges micro and macro sociological perspectives, addressing topics such as youth subcultures, Islamist radicalization, and social marginalization. He contributes to the MIX and CASTOR research centers, exploring migration, integration, and social control. Notably, he received the Teacher of the Year award (2014) from Aalborg University’s Faculty of Social Sciences. His projects include studies on norms around anger expression (ANGER project), social skills demands, and the intersection of ethnicity, gender, and crime. Key research areas include: gender and masculinity, subcultural theory, radicalization processes, intersectional sociology, and criminology. His work intersects with UN Sustainable Development Goals related to social inclusion and justice. Recent publications analyze subcultural anger in hip-hop, gender backlash among young men, and the role of religion in radicalization. He actively engages in public lectures and media discussions on topics like masculinity, gang culture, and social exclusion.

• Development Economics
• Measurement of Poverty and Inequality
• Applied Microeconometrics
• +4 more

David Garces Urzainqui is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Department of Economics, University of Copenhagen. His work focuses on development economics, poverty dynamics, and inequality measurement. Current Affiliation: Department of Economics, University of Copenhagen Research Group: Development Economics Research Group (DERG) Research Interests : Development Economics Poverty Dynamics and Vulnerability Applied Microeconometrics Social Networks and Spatial Inequality Tax Policy Impact Analysis Geospatial Poverty Mapping Recent Work Trends : His publications analyze poverty transitions in South Asia, tax reforms in Africa, and spatial inequality patterns using synthetic panel methods and geospatial techniques. Contact : dagu@econ.ku.dk