By Marianne Fuglsang Welling Farsinsen, AAU Communication and Public Affairs

Professor Elena Semino is internationally recognized for her research, where she has developed quantitative, corpus-based approaches to analyze language use in areas such as applied linguistics, health communication, and medical humanities. Her research focuses on language use in relation to health, medicine and care. She has pioneered her linguistic perspectives on topics such as cancer, pain, mental illness, pandemics and autism, and she has identified key linguistic processes through large corpora of texts, particularly regarding the use of ​lexical choice, persuasion and metaphors.

Bridging the gap between the humanities and health sciences

Metaphors and non-linguistic modes of communication such as laughter are easily overlooked due to the overall focus on rational communication. Professor Semino's research shows that metaphors and even laughter have the capacity to frame and, to some extent, even control healthcare communication. Her research into metaphors in healthcare discourses has also shown how the ubiquitous metaphor of 'the fight against cancer' shapes the understanding of the treatment pathway for patients and relatives.

Professor Semino's research has paved the way for a new, systematic approach to tracking how physical health/disease, mental health, disability and climate change have been represented in British society in different ways, with major ideological implications. Semino's work is data-driven, and she uses qualitative methods and corpus linguistics to analyze linguistic data. Her extensive work includes analyses of the discourses on the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-2021 and the accompanying anti-vaccination conspiracy movement. Semino has studied how metaphors and narratives are used to spread misinformation and fear about vaccines, e.g. how metaphorical use of "poison" and "experiment" can reinforce distrust of vaccines and health authorities, while proactive metaphors such as "seat belt" can be used to counteract conspiracy theories and promote understanding of vaccine development and safety. 

Semino's research emphasizes the importance of understanding human communication in detail and is a major contribution in the field of discourse and communication about health in the public space. 

Peter Kastberg, professor at the Department of Culture and Learning, AAU, says:

"By developing a theoretical foundation that combines a linguistically informed understanding of communication with the everyday situation of communication in the healthcare system, Professor Elena Semino's work has paved the way for bridging the gap between the humanities and health sciences. Her work is a unique reminder to all of us that insights from the humanities are productive not only in other fields of research, but also for society as a whole," says Peter Kastberg and continues:

The appointment of Professor Elena Semino as an honorary doctor at AAU will take place at the university's annual celebration on 4 April 2025.

Guest lecture with Elena Semino at AAU

Professor Elena Semino, future honorary doctor at AAU, will give a guest lecture at Aalborg University on 1 April 2025. Read more here

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Read more about AAU's honorary doctorate recipients

Read more about AAU's annual celebration