Portrait of Professor Staffan Josephsson

Staffan Josephsson gained his degree in medicine as an occupational therapist at Stockholm College of Health Sciences in 1985. Between 1986 and 1989 he worked as an occupational therapist at Sabbatsberg hospital, in addition to studying pedagogics and theatre studies at Stockholm University. He gained his PhD in 1994 at Karolinska Institutet, KI, with a thesis on everyday activities as meeting places for people with dementia.

Between 1994 and 1997 he worked as a senior lecturer at the Stockholm College of Health Sciences and in 1998 at Karolinska Institutet. In the period 1999-2001 he had a combined post as a senior lecturer and research associate at KI. Up until 2011 he worked as a senior lecturer. In 2004 he was appointed as an associate professor of occupational science on a 20 per cent basis at Sør-Trøndelag University College in Trondheim, Norway. In 2007 he became an associate professor at Karolinska Institutet, and since 2009 he has been a member of the Editorial Board for the journal "Occupation, Participation and Health".

Staffan Josephsson was appointed professor of occupational therapy at Karolinska Institutet in 2011.

Research area

Activity is a central concept to Staffan Josephsson's research. Many diseases and circumstances can lead to difficulties conducting daily activities.

The research has its focus on activity in relation to creativity, involvement and participation for people with chronic disabilities. The research group largely work with research tools collected from the narrative tradition that deals with how meaning and changes are established by people.

More information

To the Division of Occupational Therapy