Åse Dammann has been employed at NIKU as an ethnologist since 2005. Her key expertise is environmental monitoring, buildings and built environment in a cultural historic perspective, cultural heritage in a user and owners’ perspective, cultural heritage management, and the effects of altered use of churches.

From 2010 to 2019 she was project manager for the environmental monitoring programme «Gamle hus da og nå», followed by «Status for verneverdige kulturminner i utvalgte kommuner», run by The Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage. The programme describes losses, alterations and current condition of old and preservation-worthy buildings in 18 Norwegian municipalities. Control surveys are carried out every fifth year in each municipality, and the results are analysed in relation to numerous factors, such as socio-economic sector, physical and social geography, demographics, and building types.

Dammann has an MA in ethnology from The University of Oslo from 2003, and an MA in law from 1984. In 2007 and 2010 she studied Christian art and the history of church buildings at The Norwegian School of Theology in Oslo.