Wibke Jonas

Wibke Jonas

Senior Lecturer | Docent
Telephone: +46852482871
Visiting address: Widerströmska huset, Tomtebodavägen 18A, 17177 Stockholm
Postal address: K6 Kvinnors och barns hälsa, K6 NOGRH Jonas, 171 77 Stockholm
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About me

  • I am a trained midwife and earned my degree from the Rheinische Friedrich Wilhelms University of Bonn, Germany, in 1996. In 2009, I completed my PhD at the Department of Women’s and Children’s Health at Karolinska Institutet (KI), Sweden.


    From 2011 to 2014, I pursued postdoctoral studies in the Department of Psychology at the University of Toronto, Canada, under the mentorship of Professor Alison Fleming. During this time, I contributed to the “Maternal Adversity, Vulnerability and Neurodevelopment (MAVAN)” study—a prospective, longitudinal, multi-center cohort project aimed at exploring how pre- and postnatal factors influence maternal health and child socio-emotional, behavioral, and cognitive development. The study focused on biological, genetic, and environmental determinants.

    Currently, I hold an Associate Professorship at the Department of Women’s and Children’s Health at KI. My primary research focus, supported by the Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet, VR), is the “Immediate Parent-Infant Skin-to-Skin Contact Study (IPISTOSS)”. This randomized controlled multicenter clinical trial investigates the impact of early skin-to-skin contact between parents and very preterm infants on breastfeeding outcomes, as well as on various biological and psychological aspects of child development. I serve as the principal investigator of this study.


    In addition to my research, I work as a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Women’s and Children’s Health at KI, where I am actively involved in pedagogical development and teaching within the midwifery program. To give a few examples, I have led courses in scientific methods and supervised Master’s thesis projects.

    My work has been supported by several funding agencies, including the Swedish Council for Work Life and Social Research (FORTE), the Fernström Foundation at KI, Sällskapet Barnavård at Karolinska Hospital, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research ((CIHR), with Professor Patrick McGown as PI)), Vetenskapsrådet (VR), Lilla Barnets Fond, Frimurarstiftelsen, Ekhagastiftelsen and the Kempe Carlgrenska Foundation.

Research

  • My research mainly focuses on pregnancy, birth and the early postpartum period, including breastfeeding and infant development throughout the first two years of life. Together with my group, I study, in prospective longitudinal trials and in intervention studies, which maternal and paternal environmental factors and behaviours influence parenting and consequently, which of these influence infant development and health outcomes. For doing so, I use a bio-behavioral approach, where mostly quantitative research methods are used. To gain a deeper understanding of parental experiences or other phenomena, we use a qualitative research approach. My research is clinically focused and highly relevant for the field of midwifery.

Teaching

  • My area of expertise is sexual, perinatal and reproductive health focusing on midwifery training and

    education. I have been active in and been teaching at the midwifery program at the

    Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, KI since 2009.

Articles

All other publications

Grants

  • Swedish Research Council for Health Working Life and Welfare
    1 January 2023 - 31 December 2025
    Research problem and specific questionsThe overall aim of the project is to increase primary care professional’s ability to identify individuals exposed to intimate partner violence (IPV). The specific questions are: a) To what extent do the following three interventions contribute to identify potential victims of IPV: (1) the use of a standardized questionnaire that screens exposure to IPV, (2) staff using tailored virtual patients for clinical training on IPV and (3) a combination of interventions 1 and 2? b) Which intervention do primary care professionals experience as most effective in increasing the ability to identify and respond to victims of IPV? Data and methodThe project will evaluate the effects of three different interventions that can be assumed to increase the health care staff´s ability to identify people who are exposed IPV. The project has a quasi-experimental design. Participating care units are divided into three interventions: 1) a standardized questionnaire to patients, 2) virtual patients tailored to health professionals, and 3) a combination of 1 and 2. Pre-and post-measurement of the health professionals identification of patients exposed to IPV will will be used to explore the effect of the interventions. Focus group interviews with the participating health professionals will be a qualitative complement, in terms of what intervention they experience as the most effective in increasing the ability to identify victims of IPV Plan for project realisationThe project is a multi-professional collaboration between clinicians and researchers within Region Stockholm, Karolinska Institutet, and Stockholm University. The competence in the group is cross-professional with expertise in health and violence, medical pedagogics as well as the development, assessment, and implementation of virtual patients and interactive, digital platforms. Above all, funding is sought for one Phd- student. Relevance The high incidence of psychosocial and physical health problems among people exposed to IPV leads to frequent presentations at health services. Given the high prevalence of IPV and the associated medical consequences and costs of IPV, it is critical to address this public health problem. Our goal is that this project will contribute with tools to identify more individuals exposed to IPV and that the project can serve as a basis for improving national strategies on IPV.
  • Canadian Institutes of Health Research
    1 April 2022 - 31 March 2023
  • Swedish Research Council
    1 January 2022 - 31 December 2024
  • Swedish Research Council
    1 January 2018 - 31 December 2020
  • Swedish Research Council
    1 January 2015 - 31 December 2017

Employments

  • Senior Lecturer, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, 2023-

Degrees and Education

  • Docent, Karolinska Institutet, 2021
  • Degree Of Doctor Of Philosophy, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, 2009

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