Springer editor Geoffrey R. Norman is this year's winner of the Karolinska Institutet Prize for Research in Medical Education. He has been singled out for his highly original and innovative research in the field of medical education. "His research has had a significant impact on our understanding of clinical medicine, as well as our knowledge of complex issues such as pattern recognition, clinical reasoning and clinical problem solving," said Professor Peter Aspelin, chair of the Karolinska Institutet prize committee, explaining the committee's decision. The award will be presented to Norman at a ceremony in Stockholm, Sweden, on 28 October 2008. It includes a cash prize of € 50,000.
"It's an astonishing recognition", said Geoffrey R. Norman, obviously pleased about the award. "The prize and Karolinska Institutet in particular, are so well known in my field of work so it's a feather in the cap for both myself and [my] University. And even if I plan to work for another few years yet, this prize is a nice culmination to a long career."
Geoffrey R. Norman is Professor of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada. He is editor-in-chief of the Springer journal Advances in Health Sciences Education: Theory and Practice and has also published numerous scientific articles in this journal.
Moreover, he is co-editor of the International Handbook of Research in Medical Education which was published at Springer in 2002 and has strongly contributed to increase the international reputation of medical education research.
Norman's primary research field is expert diagnostic reasoning - how medical professionals arrive at a diagnosis. He particularly focuses on how medical students learn. He has also conducted experimental research in many areas concerning education – from the use of simulations in clinical learning to anatomy learning from computers to the role of basic science in medical education. Other research interests include methods of student assessment and psychometric methods. Since 2007 he has been a member of the Royal Society of Canada. He also currently holds the Canada Research Chair in Cognitive Dimensions of Clinical Expertise.
The Karolinska Institutet Prize for Research in Medical Education is an international prize for outstanding research in medical education. The purpose of the prize is to recognize and stimulate high-quality research in the field and to promote long-term improvements of educational practices in medical training. Karolinska Institutet is one of Europe's largest medical universities and Sweden's largest center for medical training and research. It is based in Stockholm, Sweden.