What have 40 years of psychotraumatological research taught us?
This years January Conference 2026 focused on the developments that have driven 40 years of Danish psychotraumatological research.
The conference day consisted of presentations by leading researchers in the field of psychotraumatology, each offering insight into their respective areas of research. A number of senior researchers from the Danish Knowledge Center for Psychotraumatology and other Danish institutions took stock of the field and presented future perspectives on several of the core areas of psychotraumatology. Here, you can gain an overview of the speakers who took the stage at the event.
In addition, 2025 marked the 40th anniversary of Professor Ask Elklit’s publication of his first study on a violent assault. This publication marked the beginning of psychotraumatology in Denmark, which has since resulted in more than 1,000 scientific articles, over 30 PhD graduates, and a large number of specialists in psychotraumatology.
Photo: Professor Ask Elklit & Associate professor Maria Louison Vang
Internationally, Ask’s work has contributed to shaping the new diagnoses of PTSD and Complex PTSD in ICD-11, as well as to the recognition of trauma in children and adolescents, among other things through epidemiological studies and improved assessment methods. For this work, Ask received the European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies’ (ESTSS) most prestigious award in 2025: Wolter de Loos Award for a distinguished contribution to psychotraumatology in Europe.
In 2026, Associate Professor Maria Louison Vang will assume leadership of the centre’s research activities. She heads a strong team of senior researchers and highly skilled PhD students.