Researcher profile and thematic areas:

I am a social and environmental psychologist interested in how people imagine, negotiate, and act on their relationship with the environment. My academic journey began in Germany, where I studied power, social dominance, and their influence on environmental behaviour. I continued at NTNU in Norway, earning my PhD on the drivers of sustainable seafood consumption, an urgent challenge linked to overfishing and global food systems.

My research explores how social norms, values, attitudes, trust, and perceptions shape sustainable choices. I am committed to creating knowledge that drives positive change, with a special focus on marine conservation and community engagement. A cornerstone of my work is collaboration: I partner with experts from many disciplines and with communities themselves to co-create practical and creative solutions for sustainability.

One example is my Vision Labs, a method where groups imagine alternative futures and express them through creative formats such as theatre, murals, or photovoice. Vision Labs have shown the potential to strengthen collective efficacy, cohesion, and sustainable behaviour by turning abstract scenarios into vivid, shared experiences. They form the core of my current and future research programme.

I place particular emphasis on working with marginalised communities, aiming to highlight their perspectives and co-create solutions from the ground up. For example, in the GCRF Blue Communities project, I collaborated with over 200 scientists worldwide to support sustainable development in Southeast Asia’s marine biosphere reserves. My contribution focused on scenario-building workshops, examining how imagined futures influence community perceptions, emotions, and intentions for sustainable action.

In addition to my research, I am co-founder and editor-in-chief of Global Environmental Psychology, an open-access journal dedicated to diversity, transparency, and open science. A central mission of the journal is to amplify voices from the Global South and ensure a wide spectrum of perspectives in the field.

At NTNU, I co-lead the Citizens, Environment and Safety research group as well as the thematic area Ocean Health and Plastic & Health. My projects cover a wide range of topics, from plastic pollution and sustainable tourism to innovative methods for community engagement. Whether through quantitative surveys, qualitative workshops, or creative interventions, my work is united by one goal: to foster more sustainable futures for people and the planet.