I am a Research professor at NORCE Health and Society and have an M.Phil. degree in Administration and Organisation Theory and a Dr. philos from Department of Health Promotion and Development at the University of Bergen (UiB). My doctoral degree was a study of the social reintegration of former girl soldiers in the Democratic Republic of Congo, entitled A troublesome transition: Social reintegration of girl soldiers returning ‘home’.). I'm also Professor in social work at the Department of welfare and participation at Western Norway University of Applied Sciences.
My research has to a large extent focued on children and youth who have experienced war, violence, abuse, neglect and migration. I am the project manager of Home and (dis)continuity: Foster care for children with migrant backgrounds (HoMi)', which is funded by the Norwegian Research Council from 2020-2025. I'm also involved in 'Relational wellbeing in the lives of refugee young people in Finland, Norway and the UK (Drawing together)', a research project led by Prof. Ravi Kohli at the University of Bedfordshire and funded by NordForsk. I mainly use qualitative methods in my research, such as focus groups, narrative interviews and arts-based research. I'm also involved in voluntary work as the project leader of Education for war-affected children through Buddies - https://www.vierbuddies.no/
