Karin Johnson

I am a midwife and researcher with a clinical and research interest in equitable, respectful, and woman-centred care during pregnancy and childbirth. I defended my PhD thesis at Karolinska Institutet in February 2026. My doctoral research focused on variation in intrapartum care, including professional attitudes towards supporting vaginal birth and interprofessional teamwork, the use of oxytocin for labour augmentation, women’s experiences of respectful maternity care, and involvement in decision-making during labour and birth.

I currently hold two postdoctoral positions. At Karolinska Institutet, I am part of the VIPS project, where my research focuses on vaccination during pregnancy, including patterns of vaccine uptake and factors that may facilitate or hinder vaccination among pregnant women.

At Linköping University, I am part of the MamaHub project, which investigates variation in the use of medical interventions during labour and birth, including caesarean section, oxytocin for labour augmentation, and epidural analgesia. Using both quantitative and qualitative methods, the project aims to better understand the factors underlying variation in clinical practice and how maternity care can be organised to support appropriate and equitable use of interventions.

Across my research, I am particularly interested in how clinical practice, organisation of care, professional perspectives, and women’s experiences interact to shape maternity care. My clinical work as a midwife continues to inform my research by providing an important link between research questions and everyday maternity care.

PhD in Medical Science, Karolinska Institutet 2026
Midwifery-students clinical teaching acknowledgement, Sophiahemmets Högskola
2020
Health Care Quality Improvement, Karolinska Institutet 2019/2020
Masters' Degree in Sexual, Reproductive and Perinatal Health, Karolinska
Institutet 2017/2018
Registered midwife, Karolinska Institutet 2011-2014
Registered nurse, Karolinska Institutet 2003-2006

My research interests centre on equitable, evidence-based, and woman-centred care during pregnancy and childbirth, with a particular focus on variation in clinical practice and healthcare utilisation.

A major area of my research concerns the use of medical interventions during labour and birth. While interventions such as caesarean section, oxytocin for labour augmentation, and epidural analgesia can be essential for improving maternal and neonatal outcomes, their use varies substantially between settings. I am interested in understanding the clinical and non-clinical factors underlying this variation, including organisational culture, teamwork, professional perspectives, and decision-making.

Another area of my research focuses on vaccination during pregnancy, including patterns and disparities in vaccine uptake and factors that influence vaccination decisions among pregnant women and healthcare professionals.