معرفی
Maria Nyberg is an Associate Professor of Sociology specializing in Food and Meal Science at Kristianstad University, where she serves as Subject Representative for Food and Meal Science within the Faculty of Natural Sciences. She is also a Steering Group Coordinator for the Center for Food Health and Retail at Kristianstad University (FOHRK) and an active member of the Food and Meals in Everyday Life (MEAL) research group.
Her educational background includes a PhD in Sociology from Lund University (2009), with her thesis focusing on meal conditions in contemporary working life. She has maintained strong academic connections with Lund University and has collaborated with Örebro University as an assistant supervisor for doctoral students in the 'Successful ageing' national research school.
Dr. Nyberg's research centers on the social and cultural dimensions of food and meals, examining how meals are understood, expressed, and given meaning across different contexts. Her work emphasizes everyday meal practices, the norms surrounding eating, and how meal habits are created and recreated in various social settings. She employs primarily qualitative, ethnographically-inspired methods, often working within interdisciplinary research constellations.
Her recent publications demonstrate a growing focus on health-promoting approaches to meals across different population groups, with particular attention to communal cooking, public meal systems, and the intersection of food, health, and retail. The research shows increasing collaboration across Swedish and international institutions, with a notable emphasis on practical applications of meal science in public health contexts.
- External member of the scientific council for the Research Platform Health in Collaboration at Kristianstad University
- Member of research environments MEAL and Cyphisco
- Coordinator for FOHRK (Food, Health and Retail, Kristianstad University)
Dr. Nyberg has secured significant research funding, including support from Vinnova's 'Mobility for Growth' program and 'Marie Curie Academy Outgoing' between 2016-2018. Her current projects include 'Health-promoting meals within LSS - Food with multiple goals' (ongoing since 2020) and 'From words to action - the role of trade in the development of sustainable and healthy eating habits' (2023-2025). She has also supervised doctoral students and contributed to academic development projects focused on student language and writing skills.
Her research is organized through the MEAL (Food and Meals in Everyday Life) research group and FOHRK (Center for Food Health and Retail), where she plays a coordinating role. These environments facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration between sociology, nutrition science, public health, and retail studies to address contemporary challenges in food systems and meal practices.
