Centre for Research on Pandemics & Society (PANSOC)
An OsloMet Centre of Research Excellence studying the societal aspects of pandemics
We were very happy to welcome Kristina Thompson, Assistant Professor of Health and Society at Wageningen University & Research, early this month as part of our Visiting Researchers Program. In addition to learning more about Kristina’s research, we also talked about potential future collaborations and enjoyed Oslo in winter.
While visiting us at PANSOC, Kaspar Staub gave a talk for OsloMet’s lunsjpåfyll series. You can now watch the video here:
Pandemics are one of the most pressing global threats to human life and security, and they have especially serious impacts on Indigenous people throughout the world.
The Centre for Advanced Study (CAS) funded project Social Science Meets Biology: Indigenous People and Severe Influenza Outcomes – CAS, to be held from August 2022 to June 2023, will bring together interdisciplinary researchers to foster conversations that integrate medical, epidemiological and social perspectives. The primary aims are to increase understanding of the commonalities and varieties of Indigenous experiences when faced with pandemic diseases and better appreciate the diversity of pandemic consequences faced by Indigenous vs. non-indigenous peoples.
As part of this project, we welcome applications from advanced PhD students and post-PhD academics at all career stages for a short visit to Oslo during the 2022-2023 academic year. The venue is CAS at the The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters | Det Norske Videnskaps-Akademi (dnva.no) in Oslo.
Applicants with Indigenous background are especially welcomed, but non-Indigenous researchers are also encouraged to apply. Visiting researchers will be expected to give a talk on their research and will have the opportunity to discuss potential collaborations and proposals with CAS fellows.
We encourage applications from science-oriented researchers with interests in Indigenous people’s experiences with historical, current, and future pandemics. Examples of topics of interest are:
The visiting researcher program will cover transportation costs to Oslo and hotel accommodations for 1-2 weeks.
Please send a CV and cover letter with a short description (1-2 pages) of your research interests and objectives for a visit to Oslo, as well as anticipated timing or availability for travel, to Professor and group leader Svenn-Erik Mamelund (masv@oslomet.no).
APPLICATION DEADLINE: 15 August, 2022
PANSOC welcomes applications from advanced PhD students and post-PhD academics at all career stages for a short visit to Oslo during the 2022-2023 academic year.
Visiting researchers will be expected to give one public talk on their research and one internal talk (for example, a methods workshop or discussion of current or future work). Visitors will also have the opportunity to discuss potential collaborations and proposals with PANSOC-affiliated researchers.
We encourage applications from researchers in all fields of social sciences and humanities with interests in the social aspects of historical, current, and future pandemics. We are particularly interested in topics such as:
The visiting researcher program will cover transportation costs to Oslo and hotel accommodations for one week.
Please send a CV and cover letter with a short description (1-2 pages) of your research interests and objectives for a visit to Oslo, as well as anticipated timing or availability for travel, to Svenn-Erik Mamelund (masv@oslomet.no).
APPLICATION DEADLINE: 31 July, 2022
In week 20 (16-19 May), PANSOC will host Kaspar Staub | LinkedIn (Dr. PhD and head of Institute of evolutionary medicine, University of Zürich) as a guest researcher. We will discuss ongoing and future research collaborations, and Dr. Staub will among other things, also give a public lecture at OsloMet University library on May 18th from 11:30-12:00. You can read more here: (3) Excess mortality during past and present pandemics | Facebook
Excess mortality quantifies the overall mortality impact of a pandemic. This presentation summarises recent research that historically contextualises COVID-19 for Switzerland and other countries by comparing past and present pandemics based on equivalent mortality data.
The presentation will be held by dr. Kaspar Staub, who will be a guest researcher at Centre for Research on Pandemics & Society (PANSOC) 16-19 May. Staub is a historian and epidemiologist and works at the University of Zurich, Switzerland. Staub is the leader at the research group “Anthropometry and Historical Epidemiology” at the Institute of Evolutionary Medicine.
The event is free, open for all and part of the brown bag seminar series “Lunsjpåfyll” held by the University Library at OsloMet. The talk takes place 11:30-12:00 at Library P48 (Pilestredet 48), ground floor.
