Aske Mottelson

Describe your field of work and current role 
I work in a research field intersecting Computer Science and Psychology called Human-Computer Interaction. I am interested in understanding user behavior of computer systems, and what this can tell us about humans more broadly. My work entails designing and conducting experiments with human participants, and modeling the interaction using statistical and machine learning techniques.

What has your path been from starting at university until today?
I have both BSc, MSc, and PhD degrees in Computer Science from University of Copenhagen. After two years as a postdoc in Psychology, and a research visit at MIT, I started as an Assistant Professor at the IT University of Copenhagen in 2021.

What can be done to strengthen applied STEM research & innovation in Denmark?
At Danish universities today, it can be hard to advance a career without following a linear trajectory towards a permanent professorship. In order to strengthening entrepreneurship and innovation, in particular within technical fields, I believe it would be worthwhile to consider a cultural change that recognizes industry work, such that it is easier to go back-and-fourth between sectors.

What will you use your YATSI membership for? 
I look forward to networking with like-minded and ambitious researchers at YATSI. I am particularly motivated by using my voice to bettering the conditions for conducting world class technical research in Denmark. I hope I through my membership will be introduced to researchers interested in collaborating on interdisciplinary projects. I furthermore hope my involvement in YATSI will contribute to the perception of STEM being cool.

Who's the person behind the member?
I am 33 years old, living in Nørrebro with my wife and two daugthers, Ada and Evi (4 and 2). I frequently go to Østerlars, Bornholm, where I am renovating and old farm that my family uses as our summerhouse. I love the aesthetics of mid-century Danish modernism, popular science literature, politics, programming, and red wine.