Mads Solberg

Mads Solberg is an Associate Professor and Deputy Head of Innovation at the Department of Health Sciences within the Ålesund Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at NTNU. His work bridges anthropology and cognitive science to study human-technology interactions in healthcare, particularly focusing on technoanthropology and distributed cognition frameworks. He holds an adjunct position at the University of Bergen's Department of Social Anthropology through the ASMOG project.

**Education**: PhD from University of Bergen (2017, studying marine science knowledge-making), MSc in management of forest conservation in Lebanon (2011). Previously worked as a professional chef before academia. Research interests include simulation-based education (PROSIM), welfare technology, healthcare robotics, and data-centric management in health organizations.

**Research Interests**: Explores distributed cognition theory to analyze healthcare systems, digital tools in emergencies (RAPIDE EU project), and the cognitive ecology shaped by technology and human collaboration. Recent projects include studies on nursing simulation feedback, social robotics in care facilities, and policy-driven data use in healthcare.

**Key Contributions**: Authored the prize-winning book *A Cognitive Ethnography of Knowledge and Material Culture* (2021), led studies on Pepper robot applications in care homes, and co-developed VR-based rehabilitation frameworks. His work appears in journals like *Philosophy & Technology*, *BMC Medical Education*, and *Journal of Health Organisation and Management*.

**Awards & Recognition**: Recipient of the 2021 Carol R. Ember Book Prize for advancing anthropological science. Active in EU consortia and national healthcare innovation initiatives, including collaborations with municipal healthcare systems in Norway.

**Teaching & Outreach**: Teaches courses like *HELA3900 Master's Thesis in Health Care Management* and *MH2000 Understanding Technology*. Engages in public lectures and media discussions about robotics in caregiving and healthcare innovation.