Lena Karlsson new director at CEDAR

I look forward to learning a lot about the entire operation, from data production to all the exciting research conducted in the environment

In the beginning of 2023, Lena Karlsson took over as director at CEDAR - Centre for Demographic and Ageing Research. The assignment involves having overall responsibility for CEDAR, in terms of staff, finances and collaboration with the surrounding society.

Lena Karlsson, Director at CEDAR - Centre for Demographic and Ageing Research.

ImageHans Karlsson

– It is with great excitement that I take on the assignment as director, but also with great respect for what the assignment entails. I am very happy that there are such well-established routines and that the director is part of a leadership group with a lot of collective experience.
 
Lena says that in her role as director she wants to ensure that CEDAR continues to be an inclusive and learning environment. Something she is looking forward to is spreading information about CEDAR to the surrounding community, she considers it important to make more people both within and outside Umeå University more aware of what is being done at the centre and what opportunities exist with the population databases.
 
– Personally, I look forward to learning a lot about the entire operation, from data production to all the exciting research conducted in the environment.
 
In her research, Lena has mostly focused on the historical-demographic area, where she has studied aging and health in Sápmi during the 19th century and the relationship between climate and infant mortality. Lena has previously held an assistant professorship at CEDAR and also a research project together with other researchers in the environment.
 
– There are lots of research questions that I would like to study where the population databases at CEDAR are a source of answers.