Meet our new professors
Malin Axelsson, Care Science, Faculty of Health and Society
Research
Research
Malin Axelsson's research focuses on how personality affects the way people cope with long-term illness. She shows that thoughts, feelings and behaviours are important in whether people follow treatments and argues that healthcare needs to understand and support each individual based on their unique needs.
Film
Film
Malin Axelsson's research illustrated by Coco Moodysson and narrated by Hanna Solberger.
Sebastian Björklund, Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Health and Society
Research
Research
Sebastian Björklund conducts research on the skin barrier – the body’s protection against the outside world. He investigates how its molecular structure is affected by moisture, skin care products and UV radiation, and how this knowledge can improve drug delivery and the diagnosis of diseases of the skin and body.
Film
Film
Sebastian Björklund's research illustrated by Coco Moodysson and narrated by Hanna Solberger.
Mona Lilja, Global Politics, Faculty of Culture and Society
Research
Research
Mona Lilja researches resistance in various forms – from protests to covert actions. She is particularly interested in constructive resistance that drives social change and influences the development of democracy. Her research also highlights polarisation in Europe and how various social projects can be understood in terms of resistance.
Film
Film
Mona Lilja's research illustrated by Coco Moodysson and narrated by Hanna Solberger.
Kim Møller, Criminology, Faculty of Health and Society
Research
Research
Kim Møller conducts research on organised drug trafficking – its scope, economics and links to other crimes. He investigates how distribution works despite prohibitions, how laws affect trafficking, and analyses court cases involving encrypted chats to understand criminal networks. The aim is to increase knowledge about how crimes are committed and thereby reduce their harmful effects.
Film
Film
Kim Møller's research illustrated by Coco Moodysson and narrated by Hanna Solberger.
Annika Olsson, Language and Literature, Faculty of Education and Society
Research
Research
Annika Olsson researches the role of storytelling in people’s lives and democracies. She is interested in the power over one's own history and in documentary storytelling – from autofiction and journalism to photography and film. Her research shows how stories can provide insight and strength but also reflect power structures, and how they have influenced social and political movements.
Film
Film
Annika Olsson's research illustrated by Coco Moodysson and narrated by Hanna Solberger.
Linda Palla, Education with a focus on special education, Faculty of Education and Society
Research
Research
Linda Palla researches special education in preschool from a critical perspective. She examines how staff talk and write about children they are concerned about, and highlights the risk of problems being attributed to the child rather than to structural issues such as low staffing levels. Palla emphasises the importance of reflection, tact and language that shapes an inclusive preschool environment where children’s differences are seen as assets rather than shortcomings.
Film
Film
Linda Palla's research illustrated by Coco Moodysson and narrated by Hanna Solberger.
Alexandru Panican, Social Work, Faculty of Health and Society
Research
Research
Alexandru Panican is driven by curiosity and a desire to expose the paradoxes of the welfare state. He shows how structural problems remain unresolved despite reforms and highlights the conditions of the disadvantaged in particular. A key conclusion in his research is that policies end up combating the poor, not poverty.
Film
Film
Alexandru Panican's research illustrated by Coco Moodysson and narrated by Hanna Solberger.
Jens Rennstam, Organisational Studies, Faculty of Culture and Society
Research
Research
Jens Rennstam researches how organisations shape our lives, from management at work and professional identities to norms and values in everyday life. He is particularly interested in organisational culture and small craft-oriented businesses such as breweries, bakeries and coffee roasters – where passion often takes precedence over profit and alternative ways of working and organising are made visible.
Film
Film
Jens Rennstam's research illustrated by Coco Moodysson and narrated by Hanna Solberger.
About the illustrations
A unique tradition at our University is the way we present our new professors. Malmö and Malmö University is known for its comic books, so every year we turn to this format to tell the story of our new professors’ motivations, expertise and specific areas of research. Each year, a new cartoonist is appointed in consultation with Gunnar Krantz, our – and Sweden’s – first professor of the arts specialised in comics.
In 2025, Coco Moodysson was given the prestigious task of creating her own artistic interpretation of the professors’ research achievements. Her work often straddles the boundary between autobiographical diary entry and literary fiction.
News item on Coco Moodysson: Bringing professors to comic book life
