Moa Livandel

I became a licensed nurse in 2015 and started working as a trainee nurse at Karolinska University Hospital. As part of the trainee program, I had a rotational position in both upper and lower gastrointestinal care wards, as well as in the postoperative ward. There, I cared for many patients who had undergone surgery due to esophageal and gastric cancer. I later chose to pursue a specialist nursing degree in intensive care and a Master of Medical Science, which I completed in 2020. After that, I continued working in the intensive care unit (ICU) and in the recovery ward, but ever since the first day of nursing school, I have had a strong interest in research and am proud to finally begin my research career.

In Pernilla Lagergren’s research group, I will focus on improving health-related quality of life and survival after surgery for esopageal and gastric cancer by addressing the following research questions:

1. Can patient-reported symptom burden after surgery predict survival and be used for individualized follow-up?
2. Can a supportive mobile application reduce symptom burden during the months following surgery?
3. Can monitoring of blood glucose levels and dietary counseling reduce dumping symptoms?
4. What type of information can help family members better support patients during their recovery?

These research questions have been developed in collaboration with patients and their relatives to identify the most important research priorities from the patient perspective.