Letter from the head of Labmed #4
Dear colleagues at Labmed!
It been a turbulent past two years and then when the pandemic finally calms down (in Sweden at least), another terrible crisis breaks out. Despite this turbulent times the work at the department progressing in an excellent way. We have all been active in research, applying for funding, teaching and clinical duties. I must say that I am really impressed with the way that all of you involved in teaching made an elegant transition to digital teaching, and now back again to the “old-school” IRL teaching.
Also, I think its very exciting to see the process of selecting a new head of department that will start the first of January 2023. Thus, I think there are very exciting times ahead for all of us at the department in these challenging times.
I hope that all of you have a nice and relaxing summer!
Matti Sällberg
Head of Department of Laboratory Medicine
Education at Labmed
The spring semester is over and the corona pandemic has finally released its grip on education at KI. Most of us are happy to finally be able to meet on campus again, even though many digital adaptations remain and will be part of the "new normal". A systematic review is currently underway at KI to compile all lessons from the pandemic. Mixing on-site teaching with recorded lectures, zoom meetings, digital laborations and other digital elements has definitely increased the quality and variety of the education. The challenge now will be to continue to develop the various elements in the best way in the coming years.
I had the privilege of attending our biomedical laboratory science students' graduation lunch recently. I experienced a great enthusiasm to finally get into working life after three years of intensive, but fun studies. We wish all students good luck!
At Labmed, we continue to work on developing a new educational plan for the biomedical laboratory science program. In addition, the work on the new master's program in biomedical laboratory science is entering a new phase where the responsibility for giving the various courses will be announced. The applications received will be assessed and course responsibility will be distributed during the late autumn of 2022.
We will also begin the recruitment of two deputy programme directors for the master's program, where an advertisement will be published after the summer. The appointment is planned to start early 2023. Work on the new medical program will also continue under the leadership of Jonas Fuxe, who is the Labmed coordinator. The new pedagogical model "Team based learning" (TBL) will be introduced in all semesters of the new medical program. Recently, our pedagogical promoter Anna Wiik organized an teacher's academy on this very topic, where the staff received a crash course in TBL. I would like to warmly recommend everyone who will teach in the new medical program to take one of the courses that the unit for teaching and learning (UoL) arranges about TBL.
Have a nice summer and see you this autumn!
Peter Bergman, GUA through the educational management team
Information about "this and that"
Labmed breakfast meeting in September
Let’s start the autumn semester with a physical Labmed information meeting on September 16. An Outlook invitation will be sent out shortly to all Labmed staff. Welcome!
Recruitment of new head at Labmed
On June 2 we had an open hearing with the two candidates selected by the recruitment group - Jonas Fuxe and Mikael Björnstedt. The chairman of the recruitment group has handed over a report to the Dean of Southern Campus about the work the group has done. The Dean will now take over. Next steps are interviews and personal assessments. Sometime during September the KI President will make a decision on who will be the new Head of Department.
Employee survey
The employee survey was closed on April 24. The Department had a total response rate of 51%. The Labmed Management Team got a presentation of the result on a departmental level by the HR department. Next step is to break down the results on a divison level to the division heads who thereafter will present this to the staff.
KI President Ole-Petter Ottersen comments on the results from the employee survey at a KI level.
Staff news at Labmed
Lena Ekström – employed as Adjunct Professor in Pharmacology on June 1 with focus on doping research.
Johanna Pennanen – new HR-administrator at the administration office.
Read interview with Johanna.
Marina Botros Metry – new financial officer at the administration office..
Read interview with Marina.
Volkan Özenci – newly appointed research group leader at the Division of Clinical Microbiology.
Read interview with Volkan.
Moa Thorin - is taking a leave of absence as division administrator at the Division of Clinical Physiology.
Theresia Aurén - new division administrator at the Division of Biomolecular and Cellular Medicine. Theresia will be presented in the next information on new staff.
KI President says thanks
KI President Ole Petter Ottersen is grateful for all employees input this semester.
Collaboration in Science 2022 at Campus Flemingsberg
On October 6-7 an exciting conference is arranged at Campus Flemingsberg to strengthen and promote translational research collaborations between basic science and clinical research.
Read more about the Collaboration in Science 2022 conference.
Recruitment of new KI President
Recruitment process of new president continues.
KI University Director leaves
Katrina Bjelke leaves KI to start as new Director General of the Swedish Research Council. In addition, a couple of other people in the KI management have announced that they will quit after the summer. Communications Director Anna Maria Böök has agreed to become the new Head of Communications at the Swedish Public Health Agency and will start there in mid-September. HR director Mats Engelbrektson announced already this spring that he intends to quit later in the autumn. The work of recruiting replacements for the three positions has begun.
Read full article and interview with KI University Director Katarina Bjelke.