MedH 2025 Focus groups

Focus group 1: Improving research quality and funding

Research quality and funding are intimately linked and a prerequisite for success. Securing quality is challenging in translational science where clinical and preclinical environments with different realities meet. The focus group has discussed which obstacles counteract successful translational science at MedH, what we can learn from good examples, and how we can build new constellations.

The focus group has outlined four areas in which MedH needs to work in order to increase quality and funding:

• Improve translational collaborations
• Improve the situation for clinical and bioinformatician researchers
• Increase the impact of MedH publications
• Increase grant applications and success

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Focus group 2: Securing recruitments at all levels

Attracting excellent new scientists is key to a progressive activity, which is important at all levels, from the recruitment of master students to professors. The focus group has discussed how MedH can make our environments attractive for new co-workers, and how to find a good balance between central MedH actions and actions that can be taken in each MedH unit.

The group has outlined four factors that are important in order to improve and secure the recruitment at MedH and gain success in this area:

• Improve PhD recruitment
• Improve postdoc improvement
• Improve clinical recruitment
• Retaining talent

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Focus group 3: New ways towards internationalization

Strong links to the rest of the world is a hallmark of a successful department in an internationally competitive university. MedH needs to be an internationally visible department, in order to attract and trigger invitations to conferences and networks and facilitate recruitments, from PhD students to professors.

The focus group has discussed how MedH can become a more important international player in translational research, and how to make the most of existing networks and to improve them. The group has outlined a variety of factors to be considered in order to enhance the standing and visibility of MedH as a relevant research and education department in the global arena. Some of these are:

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Focus group 4: Developing our infrastructure

Local core facilities and infrastructures are key factors for a successful department as they promote collaborations and allow access of complex methods and competences to many. This focus group has discussed how, and if existing infrastructures at Campus Flemingsberg and KI South are sufficient for MedH scientists. The group has also discussed if there is a need for new infrastructure and/or core facilities at MedH and KI South, and how we can improve access to and operation on existing ones. The group has outlined areas  MedH needs to work with in order to achieve success in this area:

• Enhance visibility of current infrastructure
• Increase interaction between researchers and infrastructure
• Support users of infrastructure beyond delivery of data through method education
• Collaboration between core facilities and departments

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Focus group 5: Competence development, equality and working environment

It’s important to offer support for training and education for staff at MedH, whilst making sure that the work environment is characterized by equality and participation. This focus group has discussed how MedH can achieve an equal work environment where all co-workers are treated equal and feel appreciation for their work. Much has already been achieved in this area and the work environment at MedH is overall positive, but there is still some work to be done in order to improve the general work environment. This focus group has outlined some areas that MedH needs to continue to work with:

• Educate MedH staff at all levels on equality and diversity
• Improve the feeling of a united MedH – an ‘us’
• To engage co-workers and make the most of the competence and resources that we already have
• To encourage and support health and wellbeing throughout the whole organisation

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Focus group 6: The integration of basic education with doctoral education and research

The educational programmes at MedH provide the next generation of scientists. In reverse, our researchers represent a resource for basic education not fully explored at this moment. The vison for MedH is a growing interphase between basic education and research environments. This is achieved by networking, incentives and innovative approach to education. The focus group has discussed how MedH can strengthen the interphase between basic education and the research environments.The group has also discussed how doctoral students at MedH can be integrated between units and play a more active role in basic education. There are some areas outlined that MedH needs to work with:

• Increased awareness of education
• Creation of arenas for networking
• Support life-long learning and sustainability
• Appreciation of pedagocial achievements

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