Current research

PhD

From 1st of June 2025 - 31 of May 2028, I am conducting my PhD thesis entitled Health outcomes following police use of force - the Danish trial-phase with CEW. 

About the PhD - Study protocol

Background: During a 2-year trial-phase in the Danish police, conducted electrical weapons (CEW) will be assessed for feasible implementation as a standard modality of force. The trial-phase will be evaluated for adverse health outcomes in exposed persons, usability and tactical advantages in police work. As an independent body, a project group at the Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Copenhagen, will be part of the project organization providing medical expertise, and in parallel conduct a PhD-project on police use of force. The aim of the PhD- project is to assess adverse health outcomes following CEW and current use of force modalities in a real-life setting, and to observe how the addition of CEW in the arsenal affects the police use of current modalities.

Methods: Adverse health outcomes following exposure to use of force in the Danish police will be studied using a retrospective population, between 2013 to 2024, identified in the Danish police use of force register, and a prospective population exposed to CEW and current modalities during the trial-phase 2024 to 2026. All cases exposed to police use of force in the trial-phase will be followed in national health registers for a duration of up to five years post-incident. This longitudinal monitoring will facilitate the observation and analysis of both acute and long-term adverse health outcomes.

Discussion: Knowledge on adverse health outcomes following exposure to different modalities of force in real-life police work is needed. Subjects exposed to police use of force might suffer from chronic diseases, be agitated and under the influence of drugs/alcohol which might affect the outcome of exposure to use of force. This study protocol has the potential to serve as a model for standardizing the reporting of findings from similar studies. Such standardization would facilitate meta-analyses across diverse contexts, thereby enhancing the evidence base regarding adverse health outcomes following exposure to CEW and other forms of police use of force.

Possible conflicts of interest

The Department of Forensic Medicine is a part of the University of Copenhagen to ensure independence from the Danish police and legal system.

The PhD thesis is funded by the Danish National Police. 

Knowledge of languages

Danish and German (native)

English (fluent) 

Fields of interest

Police use of force, conducted electrical weapons, adverse health outcomes.