DECIPHer recently hosted a five-week visit from researcher Devy Elling from Stockholm University.
Here, she looks back on on her time with us and how it will influence her future research.
Tell us a bit about where you work.
I’m currently based in Stockholm, Sweden, where I’m planning to continue working with research in public health interventions.
What brought you to DECIPHer?
As part of my doctoral training, I participated in a course that Professor Graham Moore and Dr Jemma Hawkins co-hosted for Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. The course content was extremely relevant to my work, and since I was also looking for a research centre where I could conduct a few weeks of a research visit, DECIPHer felt like a natural research environment where I could do it.
What was the purpose of your visit, and what did you work on during the visit?
Initially, I was planning to continue with my current research project. However, due to some unforeseen circumstances within the project, I had to change my plans and worked on a research grant proposal.
What were your impressions of DECIPHer?
Everyone at DECIPHer was so helpful and welcoming. Jemma was particularly delightful, as she was always available whenever I had any questions, and introduced me to colleagues from other research centres that conduct research in my area of interest. Thanks to everyone at DECIPHer, I have now countless places to see and visit, eat, and drink delicious coffee that I can recommend to others who are planning to visit Cardiff!
How has the visit affected your research?
The research visit has affected my research massively! The informal chats over coffee and walks have helped me to improve my ideas and how I approached intervention research (which could be daunting for someone who only has a couple of years of experience in the field). Hopefully, I can come back for potential collaborations in the future.
Devy’s thesis, Intervening in a social world: An evaluation of an alcohol prevention programme in a Swedish workplace context, can be read here: bit.ly/3EelC60