Meet Your Colleague: Maria Louison Vang

Can you tell us about your work?

As an associate professor, my focus is on research and knowledge dissemination in psychotraumatology, alongside teaching psychology students about research methods. I also share the role as head of research at the National Centre for Psychotraumatology, working closely with the centre’s founder, Professor Ask Elklit. Recently, I took on the role of supervising the first PhD student in my DFF Sapere Aude project, which investigates the trauma criterion in diagnosing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

In addition, I spend one day a week as a senior researcher at the Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. My work there focuses on how exposure to traumatic events affects mental health, with a particular emphasis on the connection between secondary traumatisation (developing PTSD through indirect exposure to trauma) and burnout (emotional exhaustion, decreased energy, and reduced performance) across different professional groups.

How long have you been working at SDU?

I first joined SDU in 2012 as a student assistant at the National Centre for Psychotraumatology, where I worked until the end of my master’s degree in psychology in 2016, when I took a pre-graduate research year.

After that, I had a brief break to pursue my PhD at Ulster University in Northern Ireland, as part of an international research network called CONTEXT.

I returned to SDU in 2020 as a postdoc and was appointed associate professor at the Department of Psychology in 2022, where I’ve been ever since.

Could you share a work task you've completed that you're particularly proud of?

At the National Centre for Psychotraumatology, we recently held our annual January conference, which has become something of a third festive season for us after Christmas and New Year. I’m especially proud of how well our team managed the planning and execution, with our junior researchers taking on significant responsibilities and excelling in their roles.

This year’s conference marked the 10th anniversary of the tradition and focused on a recurring theme: violence against children and its long-term consequences during childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. The event brought together 150 professionals from across Denmark, representing research, policy, and practice in the field.

What is your educational background – how did you end up in this job?

I’m a trained psychologist, and I found my way into this role somewhat by chance. It was a fortunate mix of an insatiable curiosity, a strong sense of justice, and the support of exceptional teachers and researchers. These individuals recognised my potential and took the time to guide me toward a position where it’s now up to me to fulfil that potential.

I’m deeply grateful for their support.

Have you considered other career paths?

I was certain I’d become a clinical psychologist, but during my studies, I stumbled into psychotraumatology research—and I haven’t looked back since.

That said, I do sometimes feel a pull towards clinical training, especially when working with the talented clinical psychologists at the Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine at OUH, RCT Life in Haderslev (supporting refugees and survivors of torture), or the CSM centres (helping adults dealing with the long-term effects of childhood sexual abuse).

Their insights and expertise bring tremendous value to our research, helping to refine our questions and better interpret the patterns we uncover in the data.

What do you do in your spare time?

I recently bought a house with my partner in Tommerup St., so my free time is currently spent gardening, unpacking, and trying to remember where I put the rolling pin!

What’s your favourite travel destination?

A few years ago, I visited Albania, which is a strong contender for my favourite destination. That said, Denmark remains a favourite—especially the islands.

I also love hiking, and there are still so many places I haven’t explored. But one thing’s for sure: Funen is fabulous (Fyn er fin - red.) in every direction—north, south, east, and west.

Do you have an interesting or unusual hobby we should know about?

For the past nine years, I’ve been an active member of the Odense Salsa Association, where I enjoy dancing various Latin partner dances. Recently, I’ve developed a passion for Brazilian zouk—it’s an incredible dance style, and I highly recommend giving it a try!