ReseaRch Quality assuRance foR the futuRe a ... - Lund University

Panel 10 – medicine | Laboratory
The organization of the 5 research groups in the Division of Occupational
and Environmental Medicine is not clear. On the home page the
number of researchers listed in each research program is equal to the
number of academic personnel in the corresponding clinical section of
the Department. However, there is no information on the actual working
hours allocated to research versus clinical and medical work. Accordingly,
it is difficult to evaluate the actual personnel and working hours in
research.
The productivity of the PIs of the 5 research groups varies from relatively
high (60 publications in scientific journals per 10 years) to very low (10
publications in scientific journals per 10 years). The highest productivity
is found in the 3 research programs on epidemiology and Environmental
medicine, Airway disorders and Environmental analytical chemistry.
In contrast, the 2 research programs on Ergonomics and behavioural
medicine have very low productivity (10 publications in scientific journals
per 10 years).
The 3 main research programs: Epidemiology and environmental
medicine, Airway disorders and Environmental analytical chemistry are
closely related. These programs are internationally highly respected and
have impact on environmental research worldwide. They represent the
core and prime research activity of the Division.
2.6.8 Recommendations
The Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine should
reform the organization in two ways. First, the integration and cooperation
in the 3 main research programs should be optimized. This may be
done by fusion of the 3 programs into one program on Epidemiology and
environmental medicine with one PI and 2–4 group leaders on selected
topics like cancer, respiratory diseases, reproduction and analytical
research. This research program will attain sufficient size for competitive,
high performance and cutting edge research.
The two small research programs on work-related Musculoskeletal and
Behavioural disorders should be united into one program with one PI. The
research activities in the two areas are similar in aim, approach and methods.
They would benefit from the synergy in a larger research group with
>10 researchers. Selected topics like physical and mental workload and stress
factors and their psychological and biological effects should be directed by
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