Meteorology professor new Chair of the Young Academy of Sweden
Gabriele Messori. Photo: Mikael Wallerstedt.
Hi there Gabriele Messori, Professor of Meteorology at the Department of Earth Sciences and newly appointed Chair of the Young Academy of Sweden.
How did you find out and how did it feel?
“It’s both fun and really exciting. The Academy voted on the Chair at the end of April, after which I got the news. The role involves a lot of work, but also entails many exciting opportunities.”
Do you have any special role in the Academy, beyond being Chair?
“I’ve previously served as Vice-Chair and was the research policy spokesperson before that. Over the coming year, I won’t have any other role than Chair.”
What are the questions in your own research that you are most passionate about and what do you think it is most important to share with the public?
“In recent years, much of my research has focused on how extreme climate events affect society. I think it’s important to take a holistic view of extreme weather that includes both the physical processes that cause the extreme event and the real-life effects on those affected by it.”
You’ve said in an interview that it’s “important to reach out to young people who have not had much contact with researchers before as effectively as possible”. Can you give any examples of how your new role will enable you to work towards this?
“The Young Academy of Sweden has a dedicated group of members working with outreach activities. One thing I would like to highlight is researcher meetings, for example a summer camp where upper secondary students get the chance to meet younger, leading researchers in different fields. The Academy has organised researcher meetings in various parts of Sweden and these have been great opportunities to reach a wide group of young people. As Chair, I will emphasise the importance of our outreach activities to the Academy’s stakeholders and support our members in their outreach efforts.”
Finally, you will be participating at this year’s Almedalen Week. What are you going to talk about there?
“A few different things. I’m personally coordinating a seminar on extreme weather, but will also participate in a seminar on open research data.”
Johan Ahlenius
The Young Academy of Sweden
At the same time, three other Uppsala researchers have also been elected to the Young Academy of Sweden:
- Moa Lidén, Associate Professor in Evidence-Based Criminal Procedure Law
- Wojciech Michno, Assistant Professor in Stem Cell Biology and Neurochemistry
- Marcel Tarbier, Assistant Professor in Data-Driven Bioscience for Precision Medicine and Diagnostics
The Young Academy of Sweden’s Board consists of five members from the academy: a Chair, a Vice-Chair and three members. They are elected for a one-year term at the final Academy meeting in the spring.