Professor Karina Nielsen (1973-2024)

Karina Nielsen was a globally recognised and influential work psychologist specialising in the area of participatory organisational interventions. Her work was an expression of the high value she personally placed on improving well-being and mental health for workers.  She generously shared her knowledge, tools and time with others, placing a high priority on mentoring junior scholars and fostering links within her networks. She travelled widely and enjoyed fine food, finding the best restaurants wherever she went and introducing all those who visited her in Sheffield to her favourite. She lived life to the fullest, without regrets, and with a passion for learning. She leaves an impressive legacy in her work, in her enthusiastic and resilient approach to life, and with the many friendships she leaves behind.

Karina's work included the development of evaluation methods to help researchers and organisations identify what interventions work for whom under what circumstances, an innovative application of realist evaluation. Her work also sought to understand how organisational restructuring influences employee well-being, how workers can sustain and thrive in work following sickness absence, and how 'good' leadership can promote a positive environment where workers can thrive.

After studying for her degree in Aarhus, Denmark, Karina completed her PhD in Applied Psychology at the University of Nottingham in 2003 and then returned to her native Denmark working her way up from researcher to professor at the National Research Centre for the Working Environment in Copenhagen. In 2013, she returned to the UK to be Professor of Work and Organisational Psychology at the University of East Anglia, and joined the Institute of Work Psychology at Sheffield University Management School in 2016. 

In a career spanning more than 20 years, Karina was principal or co-investigator on more than 20 externally funded research projects, and was a prolific writer. Her forthcoming books, Designing, Implementing and Evaluating Sustainable Interventions in Organization: The "How-do" of Improving Worker Health and Well-being, and Work and Health capture the legacy of her research and practice. She won several awards for her work, including the first ever Innovation and Practice Award in Occupational Health Psychology from the European Academy of Occupational Health Psychology and European Agency for Safety and Health at Work in recognition of substantial contribution her research made to the field of occupational health psychology. 

In taking on many diverse editorial, advisory and visiting roles, Karina was valued for her fast critical thinking, reliability and keen eye for a deadline. She was a highly valued collaborator and mentor, with collaborations spanning across Europe, North and South America and Australia. Many of Karina's PhD students have gone on into academic careers and have published their work in high-impact journals. Karina will be remembered as an outstanding leader in her field who created a collegial environment where researchers could share ideas and learn from each other, and it is through all these people that her work and values will carry on.

Carolyn Axtell (Sheffield University Management School), Glorian Sorensen (Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health), Kevin Teoh (Birkbeck, University of London) and Jo Yarker (Affinity Health at Work & Birkbeck, University of London)

Read their full tribute. See also the keynote at the 2018 Division of Occupational Psychology conference.