Brita Gjerstad

Brita Gjerstad is an Associate Professor in the Department of Social Sciences at the University of Stavanger, Faculty of Social Sciences. She is actively engaged in research on welfare technology, care ethics, domestic violence prevention, migration, and municipal public services. Her work bridges social work, public policy, and ethical implications of technological integration in healthcare.

Research Interests: Her research focuses on the societal and ethical dimensions of welfare technologies, particularly in elder care and municipal health services. She explores themes such as solidarity, trust, co-governance, gender equality, and the experiences of family caregivers and healthcare professionals. Her work often employs qualitative and policy analysis methods, contributing to both academic discourse and practical improvements in public services.

Publication Trends: Over the past decade, her publications show a clear shift toward technology-mediated care, ethics, and social integration. From early work on traffic safety and migration, she has evolved into a leading voice on welfare technology and care ethics in Norway, with recent publications in journals like BMC Health Services Research and Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences. Her collaborative work reflects transdisciplinary engagement across sociology, healthcare, and public administration.

Scientific Contributions: While no formal awards are listed, her extensive publication record in high-impact journals and edited volumes, along with leadership in research projects like Caring Futures, underscores her scholarly impact.

Advising and Grants: Although no students are explicitly named, her role as associate professor and involvement in funded research projects suggest active supervision and grant acquisition. She has contributed to numerous NORCE-led and university-based studies, indicating strong project leadership and collaboration.

Labs and Teams: She is a key member of the Caring Futures research project, which investigates technology-mediated care practices and develops theory on ethics of care. She collaborates extensively with researchers at the University of Stavanger and NORCE Norwegian Research Centre, particularly on issues of domestic violence, migration, and welfare innovation.