AWARD. Hello there, Michael Smith, who is a researcher in the School of Public Health and Community Medicine at the Institute of Medicine. Students in Research (SiF) have appointed you Research Supervisor of the Year 2023 after you were nominated by medical student Johannes Rehnberg.
What does this award mean to you?
“As both a researcher and an educator, I feel extremely honoured to receive an award recognising a combination of the two. It is especially gratifying that it is awarded by students, as they are the ones who are learning to become researchers and it is important that they have good mentors to guide them on their journey. If I am able to do my part with educating and encouraging the next generation of researchers, it makes me very happy for the future.”
What do you find most enjoyable when supervising students in research?
“For me, one of the most enjoyable parts of research is when I am analysing data and generating knowledge that is brand new. By involving students in my research, they can share in this process. It’s always cool to see them think about what this new knowledge means, and how our findings go beyond what is currently known. This sometimes require the students to think a bit differently than they are used to, and it is always gratifying to see their development as they go a bit deeper.”
Can you briefly describe what your own research is about?
“I study how environmental stressors impact on sleep, and how sleep disturbance and fragmentation can lead to the development of disease in the long-term. I tackle these issues from multiple perspectives, including experimental laboratory studies, cross-sectional field studies, and observational epidemiology studies.”
ABOUT STUDENTS IN RESEARCH
Students in Research (Swedish: Studenter i Forskning (SiF) was originally a non-profit association who then joined the Sahlgrenska academy Student Union (SAKS). The goal for SiF is to motivate interest students to start working in research and to bridge between students, supervisors and research possibilities.
https://www.saks.se/sv/utskott/studenter-i-forskning
BY: ELIN LINDSTRÖM
PHOTO: STUDENTS IN RESEARCH (SIF)
