New dean at the Faculty of Medicine

By Bo Jeppesen, Rector's Office
Photo: Personal photo

Karina Dahl Steffensen is internationally recognized both as a health science researcher and a strategic manager. The appointment committee thus agreed that going forward Karina Dahl Steffensen is the right person to lead and develop Aalborg University's Faculty of Medicine.

Rector Per Michael Johansen is looking forward to working with Karina Dahl Steffensen and is certain that she possesses the competencies needed to lead the ambitious Faculty of Medicine:

"She has demonstrated and convinced us that she can continue the development that the Faculty of Medicine is undergoing where AAU delivers digital solutions to the challenges of an ageing population in the coming years. Innovative solutions that will be created in close collaboration with both the primary healthcare service and the region's hospitals," says Per Michael Johansen.

"This includes doctors' use of artificial intelligence and technology to diagnose and treat and to streamline the healthcare system," he adds.

Unique position

Karina Dahl Steffensen sees great potential in AAU's strategy and strengths.

"I believe that Aalborg University – with its linking of health sciences and engineering – occupies a unique position in Denmark. This holds great potential for solving the health challenges of the future. I would like to be at the helm of these efforts," says Karina Dahl Steffensen.

Karina Dahl Steffensen earned an MSc in Medicine at Aarhus University in 1999 and a PhD at the University of Southern Denmark in 2008. She is a specialist in clinical oncology, and she is recognized for her research on gynaecological cancer, particularly molecular biological markers for ovarian cancer. In 2018, this led to a professorship in clinical oncology and designation as a national expert on cancer.

Focus on shared decision-making

Over the past 10 years, Karina Dahl Steffensen has combined her interest in oncology with a new passion for a growing research area: shared decision-making. She has had a strong focus on management, both as a research manager and as a personnel manager in a knowledge organization. Today, Karina Dahl Steffensen heads a centre with a national focus on patient involvement, an area that the government has also highlighted in their government platform.

Karina Dahl Steffensen developed the Centre for Shared Decision-Making from square one, and the centre is today a key player in its field. Under her leadership, the centre has experienced significant growth, partly driven by a close collaboration with the Region of Southern Denmark which chose to implement joint decision-making as a patient-involved model at all the region's hospitals.

One of the centre's major achievements is the development of a decision support tool that is now widely used at the national level. In parallel with this, Karina Dahl Steffensen has initiated and led a number of research studies that have resulted in a large number of internationally recognized scientific publications. This work culminated in 2023 with her appointment as the Nordic region's first professor of shared decision-making.

"I look forward to being part of Aalborg University. The world is currently facing major challenges, and I hope to help AAU continue to provide knowledge, competencies and solutions that can strengthen and meet the needs facing the healthcare system," says Karina Dahl Steffensen.

Karina Dahl Steffensen is 53 years old and is married to Jacob. Together they have two adult children, one of whom is studying at AAU.