Researchers with the research group

Maria’s research focus on musculoskeletal and stress-related disorders in primary care.

This includes research on attitudes towards responsibility for musculoskeletal disorders, instrument development, research on clinical practice guidelines, evaluation of different treatment methods and patients’ experience of treatment.

Maria defended her dissertation "Attitudes of responsibility for musculoskeletal disorders - Instrument development, distribution and association to background factors in a general population, relationship to outcome of physiotherapy treatment and patients’ narrated views" in 2009 and is associate professor in Physiotherapy at the University of Gothenburg since year 2015.

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Lena conducts research within healthcare aiming to improve diagnostics, treatments, and efficiency in health care use. Her main research areas involve patients with musculoskeletal disorders, self-referral, and direct access to physiotherapy in primary care. 

In 2011, she presented her thesis Low back pain and widespread pain in primary health care: Early access to physical therapy, treatment and prognostic factors (GUPEA). 

Her interest in persistent pain has led to the involvement in designing courses and participation in the development of evidence-based guidelines for chronic pain. She has an interest in research in strengthening self-management of pain and disability using eHealth. 

As associate professor and adjunct lecturer at the Physiotherapy program, Department of Health and Rehabilitation, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Lena supervises students in research projects from undergraduate level to PhD level. She also supervises physicians and other healthcare professionals in their scientific work, which provides the opportunity to stimulate inter-professional research projects. Lena is R&D manager at the Research, Education, Development and Innovation centre in primary care Södra Älvsborg.

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Anna’s main area of research is effects of physical exercise for persons with chronic widespread pain, and the association between stress and pain.

Anna defended her thesis: Fibromyalgia and chronic widespread pain - Dimensions of fatigue and effects of physiotherapy.pdf in 2012 and is adjunct lecturer at the Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska academy, University of Gothenburg, since 2018.  

Anna works as R&D strategist at the R&D centre for Fyrbodal. She supervises PhD students, graduate and undergraduate students, and resident physicians.

Anna also alternates as chair/vice chair in the Regional process team for chronic pain in Region Västra Götaland and is a member of the Local R&D council in Fyrbodal.

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Susanne is associate professor in physiotherapy and specialist physiotherapist in primary health care. She earned her PhD in 2015 with the doctoral thesis Advancing evidence-based practice in primary care physiotherapy: guideline implementation, clinical practice, and patients’ preferences.

Susanne’s research areas include implementation science, musculoskeletal and stress-related disorders in primary health care, physical activity, and sexual health. She has published over 60 scientific articles.

Since 2017, Susanne works as R&D strategist at the R&D centre for Gothenburg and Södra Bohuslän. She supervises PhD students, graduate and undergraduate students, and resident physicians. She is prinicipal investigator for IMPA – Implementation of physical activity on prescription for children with obesity. 

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Lena Bornhöft is a registered physiotherapist. She received a PhD from the University of Gothenburg in 2019 based on her thesis: Direct triaging to physiotherapist in primary care – development and evaluation of a triage model.

Lena’s research examines the effects of sorting patients who seek help from primary health care centres for musculoskeletal disorders directly to physiotherapists. Besides her thesis, Lena’s field of research concerns preventive care regarding lifestyle-related illness.

Lena works clinically within primary care rehabilitation in Gothenburg with placement at a primary care centre with focus on direct management of patients with musculoskeletal disorders.

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Annika's areas of interest are treatment methods and treatment models within pain- and stress-related disorders as well as mental illness. She is project coordinator in the PREVSAM study and a PhD student at the Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg. Other studies in the dissertation evaluate changes in work ability and patients' experience of change related to multimodal rehabilitation.

Annika is a yoga teacher, mindfulness instructor, and instructor in free movement dance. She participates in research on free movement dance as a physiotherapy intervention for chronic pain.

Annika has extensive clinical experience in primary care. She has worked for several years with multimodal rehabilitation. Annika is clinically active at Närhälsan Eriksberg rehabilitation centre and a member of the psychosocial team at Närhälsan Brämaregårdens healthcare centre.

Main supervisor: Maria Larsson. Co-supervisors: Kristina Holmgren, Susanne Bernhardsson, Jörgen Thorn.

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Chan-Mei pursues her PhD with a thesis about more efficient primary healthcare processes for patients with early knee osteoarthritis.

Besides the thesis, Chan-Mei collaborates in other research projects evaluating physiotherapists as primary assessor for patients with hip and knee osteoarthritis in hospital care, and in research projects that evaluate interventions for patients with long-lasting pain.

Chan-Mei has long clinical experience in primary care and works as a physiotherapist at Närhälsan Lidköping Rehabilitation centre with patients with musculoskeletal disorders, mental illness, and children with overweight/obesity, motor dysfunction, and neuropsychiatric disorders. 

Chan-Mei is a PhD student at the Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg.

Supervisor: Lena Nordeman. Asisstant supervisor: Carina Thorstensson. 

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Sofia’s research area is chronic widespread pain and Fibromyalgia. Her research is focused on the natural course of symptoms and work status in the long-term, and on investigating the effect of an e-Health intervention for persons with chronic widespread pain.

She also works as a physiotherapist at Närhälsan Uddevalla rehabilitation centre with different kinds of patients with musculoskeletal disorders.

Sofia is a PhD student at the University of Gothenburg, Sahlgrenska Academy, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Department of Health and Rehabilitation, Physiotherapy.

Main supervisor: Anna Bergenheim. Assistens supervisor: Kaisa Mannerkorpi.

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Anette's main research area is chronic widespread pain and effects of physical activity on symptoms and physical capacity.

Anette defended her thesis “Muscle strength and resistance exercise in women with fibromyalgia - a person centred approach” in 2018. Anette is an adjunct lecturer at the Institute of Medicine, School of Public Health, and is associated to the Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg.

Her clinical work is at Närhälsan Rehabilitation, Herrljunga, and she has extensive experience of working in primary health care. She is also a tutor at the R&D centre Södra Älvsborg where she supervises resident physicians in their scientific projects, PhD projects, and quality improvement projects.

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Marie Persson’s conducts research on long-standing pain and migraine. Her thesis will focus on whether it is possible in primary care to prevent episodic migraine from developing into chronic migraine.

Marie Persson is a licensed psychologist, specialised in clinical psychology. She works clinically at Närhälsan Ulricehamn, Närhälsan Online and at a digital psychology centre, the EBBA-team, all in Närhälsan Södra Älvsborg.

Marie Persson is a PhD student at the General Practice/Family medicine, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Research, Development, Education and Innovation, Primary Health Care, Region Västra Götaland. She receives financial support from the Research and Development centre Södra Älvsborg.

Main supervisor: Gun Rembeck

Assisting supervisors: Sandra Weineland and Ronny Gunnarsson

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Karin is a certified physiotherapist with a PhD in physiotherapy. She defended her thesis entitled ”Physiotherapist-led orthopaedic triage - assessment and management of musculoskeletal disorders in primary care (GUPEA)" at the University of Gothenburg in 2016.

Her research area is to evaluate the effect on patient- and process outcomes with a new healthcare model; physiotherapist-led orthopaedic triage for patients with musculoskeletal disorders.

She is a clinical specialist in primary health care as well as in orthopaedic manual therapy and has long clinical experience working with patients in primary health care. She works at Ortho Center Göteborg with patients with predominantly orthopaedic or musculoskeletal disorders.

Karin is currently doing postdoc studies with a grant from R&D Centre Göteborg and Södra Bohuslän and is affiliated to the University of Gothenburg. She is also a supervisor at the R&D centre Göteborg and Södra Bohuslän.

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The focus for Anke’s research is how gender norms and psychosocial aspects affect the treatment of chronic pain.

She defended her thesis ”Pain, gender norms and psychosocial resources. A critical appraisal of taken for granted ideas on men and women with pain (gupea.gu.se)” in 2023.

Anke is a physiotherapist and psychologist. She works at the Centre for Equity in Health Care in the region Västra Götaland and is an affiliated researcher at the University of Gothenburg.

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Olof’s research is centred around back pain, which is investigated through different methods that include basic science, systematic scoping reviews, clinical studies, and register studies.

Olof successfully defended his doctoral thesis in 2016, On the effect of repetitive loading on the spine of young elite athletes. Clinical and experimental studies (GUPEA). 

Olof is a general practitioner working clinically at Wästerläkarna health centre in western Gothenburg. Olof is active as a research supervisor at the R&D Centre Göteborg and Södra Bohuslän. Olof is the primary health care representative in the steering committee of the Swespine Registry (the National Quality Registry for Spine Surgery).

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