We are delighted to feature an exclusive interview with Lina Hansson, the recipient of the GEBIN 2025 Trainee Talk award. Lina’s recognition at this year’s GEBIN meeting in Giessen underscored her outstanding contributions as an early-career researcher in the field of psychoneuroimmunology—a discipline at the heart of Neuroimmunomodulation’s mission.

Her award-winning presentation, “To conceal or not to conceal?”, delves into the fascinating question of how social context and outgroup status shape the ways individuals may hide symptoms of infectious diseases. In a world still grappling with the lessons of recent pandemics, Lina’s research offers timely insights into the behavioral dynamics that influence public health communication and disease transmission.

In the following interview, Lina shares her inspirations, the challenges she has faced, and her vision for the future of research at the intersection of psychology, immunology, and social behavior. Her story is a testament to the power of interdisciplinary collaboration and the importance of supporting the next generation of scientists.

Read on to discover Lina’s journey, her advice for fellow early-career researchers, and her hopes for the evolving landscape of neuroimmunomodulation.

1. What does winning the GEBIN 2025 Trainee Talk award mean to you personally and professionally?

I feel very honored to have received this prize. At this early stage of my career, it gives me reassurance that the research community values my work. I have always enjoyed preparing my presentations and I put a lot of effort into them, so winning this prize also strengthens my confidence in my presentation style. It motivates me to keep refining these skills so that I can continue sharing the work I feel so passionate about.

2. Your talk, “To conceal or not to conceal?”, explores how social context and outgroup status affect symptom concealment. What inspired this particular angle, and how do you hope it influences future research or public health communication?

The work is inspired by a recent study (Merrell et al. 2024), which investigated sickness concealment behaviors in humans. In this project, we wanted to build on their findings by exploring how additional factors may influence such behaviors. I hope that this research can help us better understand when and why humans might conceal their sickness symptoms to others. With greater understanding, we can take steps to prevent such behaviors, especially in times of emerging pandemics.

3. What motivated you to pursue research in this particular area?

As a student, I was very interdisciplinary with interests spanning many fields. When I discovered the field of psychoneuroimmunology, it was love at first sight. I enjoy exploring human behavior in an integrative way and working in teams with diverse backgrounds.

4. What challenges did you face during your research, and how did you overcome them?

For this particular project, it took a lot of time to develop the design and prepare the experiment. At times, it feels like taking one step forward and two steps backward as new challenges emerge. I believe that it is important to seek advice from colleagues, but also to recognize when it’s time to move forward.

5. How do you see your research evolving in the next few years?

I wish to continue to study different aspects of how humans behave when they are sick, as well as how the social environment interacts with the sick individual. I am especially interested in the factors that influence how behavioral changes during sickness are expressed.

6. What role do collaborations and partnerships play in your research?

In an interdisciplinary field like psychoneuroimmunology, teamwork and collaboration are essential. We rely on each other’s expertise to gain new perspectives on our findings and to develop new and exciting projects. I hope to have a career that allows me to collaborate with a wide range of researchers and to continue to learn from them.

7. What advice would you give to other early-career researchers in your field?

Life as a junior researcher can sometimes be challenging, with moments of self-doubt and uncertainty. Remember to focus on what makes you passionate about your work and about being a researcher. Also, dare to say yes to things that might feel intimidating, like chairing a session in a scientific event or starting a new collaboration. Even if things aren’t perfect the first time, you will keep learning and developing.

8. What do you feel are the biggest challenges and opportunities facing other early career researchers in your field at the moment?

The competition for funding and for securing a more senior role in academia is probably the biggest challenge we face. I also think it can be difficult as a junior researcher to know how and where to focus your energy. There are so many different things to do in addition to research:  teaching, supervising, participating in committees, outreach… Yet these are also opportunities for collaboration and learning. What I like the most about the research world is that every day is different and offers you the chance to learn something new.

Reference:

Merrell, W. N., Choi, S., & Ackerman, J. M. (2024). When and Why People Conceal Infectious Disease. Psychological Science, 35(3), 215-225. https://doi.org/10.1177/09567976231221990