Senior researchers

Paulin Andréll
Associate Professor, MD
Specialist in internal medicine/pain medicine and researcher at pain centre at the Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden and Adjunct Senior Lecturer in pain medicine at the Department of Anestesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Institute of Clinical Sciences at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
Project manager for research, education, development and innovation at Sahlgrenska University Hospital and member of the Docentur committee at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.

Axel Wolf
PRofessor, Specialist Nurse
Senior consultant Anaesthesia (CRNA) & Affiliated researcher at Centre for Person-Centred Care (GPCC), University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
I am the Vice Head of Digitalization, Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden, and Head of Research at the Anaesthesia and Intensive Care department, Sahlgrenska University hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden. I am a full professor in Anaesthesia Nursing at the University of Oslo (OsloMet), Oslo, Norway, and an Associate Professor in Healthcare Science at the University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden. My research focuses on opioid-free anaesthesia and person-centred care, innovative technology and organizational change management.

Sven-Egron Thörn
Associate Professor, MD, senior physician
I am a senior consultant at the Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, Sahlgrenska University Hospital/Östra, Region Västra Götaland, Gothenburg, Sweden.
I am also an Associate Professor at the Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Institute of Clinical Sciences at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
My previous research has mainly been focused on perioperative anaesthesia with respect to gastrointestinal function, pain, nausea and vomiting, cognitive function, inflammation and cancer. My current research focuses on perioperative opioid-free anaesthesia and analgesia. I am also involved in research exploring the organic effects of preeclampsia.
Junior researchers/postdocs

Adam Piasecki
MD, PhD, EDAIC
I am a senior consultant at the Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, Sahlgrenska University Hospital-Östra, Gothenburg, Sweden. A graduate of the two-year Inter-Nordic training program in Advanced Pain Medicine organized by The Scandinavian Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine. I am appointed as an examiner for the European Diploma in Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine under auspices of the European Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care. Educational supervisor for medical students during their anaesthesiology rotation at Sahlgrenska Östra hospital within the Sahlgrenska Academy of the University of Gothenburg. My research focuses on acute pain, in particular postoperative pain, circulation and anaesthesia and on patient safety.

Birgit Heckemann
Nurse, PhD
Researcher at the Institute for Health and Care Sciences, Centre for Person-centred Care, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden & as a Research, Development, Education and Innovation Co-ordinator at Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.
I am an experienced qualified nurse (adult nursing) with a PhD in Nursing Science. I serve as a member of the steering committee of the Gothenburg Centre for Person-centred Care. My current research explores various aspects of person-centred care (documentation, communication, relationships). I am working with qualitative methods (Content analysis, thematic analysis, Constructive Grounded Theory), but also have a particular interest in mixed methods research.

Cecilia Grinsvall
MD, PhD
I am Resident in Pediatrics and Pain management and hold a PhD. The title of my thesis was “Brain-gut interactions in Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)”. I am an invited member of a national workgroup (“Nationell arbetsgrupp”) currently working on creating a national guideline for persistent pain in children and adolescents and a board member of the Swedish Paediatric Pain Association (“Svensk barnsmärtförening”).

Emma Varkey
Senior Physiotherapist, PhD
I am a registered physiotherapist, specialised in pain and pain rehabilitation. My clinical work and research is based at the pain centre at the Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg. I finished my PhD 9 years ago, with research focused on exercise in migraine treatment. My current research, qualitative and quantitative, explores aspects of rehabilitation in patients with chronic pain focused on physical activity, self-efficacy and body awareness. I am also involved in several projects developing and evaluating digital healthcare programs.

Jaquette Liljencrantz
MD, PhD
Final year resident at the Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine at Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden and Adjunct Lecturer in anaesthesia and intensive care medicine at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.

Carl Johan Svensson
PhD, MD, Resident SUÖ
I am currently a resident at the Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine at Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden. I was originally awarded a PhD in theoretical and experimental biology in 2006. Following postdoctoral research, I left research in 2010 to study medicine. During my internship I returned part time to research, initially within the field of antibiotic resistance, and now within research areas closer to my clinical reality. I am foremost involved with clinical studies of opioid free anaesthesia, septic shock, and obesity related anaesthetic difficulties. I am also involved in tutoring interns and the examination process of medical students during their anaesthesiology rotation at Sahlgrenska University Hospital.

Helena Thörn
MD student, PHD, PHARMASIST
I currently study the last term at the medical program at Gothenburg University. I have a background in pharmaceutical research; awarded a Degree of Master of Science in Pharmacy in 2006 and a PhD in Pharmacokinetics and Biopharmaceutics in 2012 at Uppsala University. Thereafter I worked in pharmaceutical industry as a researcher for several years before deciding to study medicine. In my future role as a medical doctor I would like to combine the clinical work with research. I am now planning to start a postdoctoral project as part of the Gothenburg Pain Lab research group.

Eva Angelini
RN, PhD
Researcher and lecturer at the Institute for Health and Care Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden. I am an experienced qualified nurse (public health) with a PhD in medicine. My current research focuses on experiences of patients and staff concerning different surgical interventions. I am working with qualitative methods (Content analysis and thematic analysis), as well as multi-methods studies.
PHD students

Alexander Olausson
Specialist Nurse
I am a PhD student at the Institute of Health and Care Sciences and affiliated with the Centre for Person-centred Care (GPCC), Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden, and a Nurse Anaesthetist at Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital/Östra, Gothenburg, Sweden.
My PhD project aims to evaluate the prerequisites and effects of an opioid-saving person-centred care pathway compared to conventional opioid-based anaesthesia in patients undergoing bariatric surgery. The PhD project is part of a larger randomized controlled study, Effects of an Opioid-saving Care Pathway for Patients undergoing Obesity Surgery. I co-ordinate patient recruitment, data collection and study management at both study centres (Gothenburg and Lindesberg). I hold a Good Clinical Practice certificate.

Cecilia Ögren
Specialist Nurse
I am a nurse anesthetist and an intensive care specialist nurse.
My PhD study project examines the effect of TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) as treatment of acute postoperative and persistent endometriosis-related pain.

Josefin Larsson
Specialist Nurse
I am a specialist nurse at Sahlgrenska University Hospital/Östra, Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Gothenburg, Sweden, and PhD student at the Institute of Clinical Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
My PhD project is part of a randomized controlled study, which aims to understand endometriosis related chronic pain and treatment with high frequency, high intensity (HFHI) transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) – patients´ experience and impact on physical activity and health related quality of life.
I have been practising as a Nurse Anaesthetist since 2015. Since 2020, I have been working both clinically and as a research nurse. I am currently involved in several research projects at the specialist pain clinic (Smärtcentrum) and hold a Good Clinical Practice certificate.

Martin Olsson
MD
Resident Physician, Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine at Sahlgrenska University Hospital/Östra, Gothenburg, Sweden. PhD student at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden. The research subject is Sleep Medicine with a special interest in biomarkers, and the effect of sleep on pain perception.
Associated clinicians

Angelica Dahlbäck
Physiotherapist
I am a physiotherapist and specialist in pain and pain rehabilitation. My clinical work and research are based at the Pain Centre at the Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital /Östra, Gothenburg. My research is about aspects of rehabilitation in patients with chronic pain with focus on physical activity, self-efficacy and body awareness.

Sara Åkerlund
Physiotherapist
I am a physiotherapist and assist with research about pain rehabilitation. My areas of responsibility include supporting patient recruitment, data collection and management in research about rehabilitation in patients with chronic pain with focus on physical activity, self-efficacy and body awareness.

Raquel Gottfridsson
MD student
Final term medical student at the University of Gothenburg. I assist in research projects on rehabilitation for chronic pain patients at the specialist pain clinic (smärtcentrum) at Sahlgrenska University Hospital / Östra, Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Research nurses

Sofia Jonsvik
Assistant Nurse
I have been working as a resarch nurse at Sahlgrenska University Hospital / Östra, Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, Gothenburg, Sweden, since 2020. I am involved in several research projects at the specialist pain clinic (Smärtcentrum) and hold a Good Clinical Practice certificate. My areas of responsibility include supporting patient recruitment, data collection and management, as well as monitoring stocks to ensure that studies run smoothly. As a first contact point for study participants who have questions or queries, I contribute to ensuring high retention rates. I have ample clinical work experience as an assistant nurse at Operation 1, Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, where I have been working since 2006.

Silva Litrop
Nurse
I am a registered nurse employed at the Smärtcentrum (Pain Clinic) at the Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital /Östra, Gothenburg.
I have been working with patients with long-term non-malignant pain since 2006. I particularly enjoy person-centred care planning and one-on-one contact with patients in my clinical work.
As a research nurse, I am currently involved in a multicenter study (Lund, Göteborg & Linköping) ”Tapering of prescribed opioids in patients with long-term non-malignant pain- efficacy and effects on pain, pain cognitions and quality of life”. In this role, I recruit study participants and support them in the process of gradual tapering of opiods. I collect and manage the study data.