Tanja Kirkegaard

Tanja Kirkegaard is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication and Psychology at Aalborg University, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities. Her research focuses on enhancing employee and leader well-being through organizational interventions, particularly in the domains of stress prevention and leadership development.

• Ph.D. in Stress as a sociocultural phenomenon
• M.Sc. in Psychology, Aarhus University
• B.A. in Philosophy and History, Aarhus University

Her research interests center on work and organizational psychology, with emphasis on psychosocial work environments, stress management, coping mechanisms, burnout prevention, and mentalization-based leadership training. She investigates how professional cultures shape acceptable stress responses and evaluates organizational strategies for improving mental health.

Her recent publications highlight a strong focus on multilevel interventions, collective coping, and the impact of leadership on psychological safety and sickness absence. Themes across her work include process evaluation of stress prevention programs, qualitative case studies of workplace dynamics, and the implementation of organizational change for improved well-being.

She has been actively involved in multiple research projects as principal investigator or key participant, including studies on leadership mentalization, cross-organizational stress prevention, and management of short-term sickness absence.

• Mentalisering blandt ledere (2024–2027)
• Tværorganisatorisk forebyggelse af stress
• Afdækning og håndtering af drypvis sygefravær
• Matterhorn - Ledelse af trivsel
• Arbejdsgruppe Master i Trivsel

Tanja Kirkegaard regularly contributes to public discourse through media appearances and podcasts on psychological safety, leadership, and workplace well-being, demonstrating a commitment to translating research into practice.