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Current ClimBEco PhD students

Recruitment to the ClimBEco programme is open during the spring and accepted PhD students begin in August the same year.

Accepted PhD students are enrolled during two years of their PhD studies. There are two groups of PhD students in the ClimBEco programme at the same time. Below is a list of our current ClimBEco groups, group 14 (2024-2026) and group 13 (2023-2025). The PhD students are alphabetically ordered by first name, with a brief description of their PhD research.

Group 15 (2025-2027)

Photo of Alexandra Barry

Alexandra Barry

Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Gothenburg
My current research focuses on how warming and other environmental changes in the Arctic tundra drive changes in plant community productivity through shifts in functional traits and community assemblages (such as boreal shrub encroachment). I will use a combination of growth chamber experiments and field observations to tackle this question.
Photo of Alice Gredeby

Alice Gredeby

Department of Biology, Lund University
In my PhD project I am investigating the link between forest management, fungal communities and the mobilization of DOC and iron. I aim to increase our understanding of how decomposition patterns differ between fungal functional groups depending on their ecology, and how that ultimately affects brownification of surface waters.
Picture of Anna Kristina Voss

Anna-Kristina Voss

Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Sciences, Lund University
I am a PhD student in Lund at the Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science. My research focuses on modelling grass- and croplands in a mechanistic way which will help to better estimate how these ecosystems respond to environmental changes or contribute to ecosystem services in the future. One major focus of my project is on integrating perennial grain crops into the mechanistic ecosystem model LPJ-GUESS to evaluate their potential as sustainable food crops on larger scales in the future.
Photo of Blandine Lyonnard

Blandine Lyonnard

Department of Biological & Environmental Sciences University of Gothenburg
As part of my PhD, I’m trying to understand the Arctic tundra. Luckily, I’ve been introduced to the first large-scale, long-term Arctic warming experiment: the International Tundra Experiment (ITEX). For more than 30 years, researchers around the world have warmed hundreds of plots to study how climate change affects these ecosystems. My role? To deeply investigate one ITEX site in the mountains of Northern Sweden. I want to understand: 1) why warming affects the carbon cycle so differently across plant communities, by untangling the roles of vegetation and soil through plant ecophysiology and soil microbial ecology, and 2) what is happening when almost no-one dares to look, in winter?
Photo of Eliza Cwalina

Eliza Cwalina

Department of Design Services, Lund University
My research is focused on aerosol technology, particularly in the context of transitioning to sustainable energy systems. I aim to investigate how alternative energy affects aerosol emissions and human exposure, with applications in aviation and industrial processes. One part of the work involves experimental studies on emissions from sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), while the other focuses on occupational exposure to aerosols in biogas energy plants. The overall aim is to improve understanding of the environmental and health implications of future energy systems.
Foto på Emil Larsson

Emil Larsson

Department of Earth Sciences, University of Gothenburg
The main focus of my project is satellite-based remote sensing (SRS) and its application in arctic vegetation monitoring, as well as biodiversity assessment. I will mainly look at the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) to map out areas of greening and browning in Abisko, comparing the capabilities of the Sentinel-2 satellite (high spatial and low spectral resolution) with the more recent EnMAP satellite (low spatial and high spectral resolution). I will look for ways to compare and hopefully combine data from these two platforms, and then move on to looking for biodiversity markers in SRS data in rural areas of southern Sweden
Photo of Emily Register climbing a tree

Emily Register

Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science, Lund University
My PhD project investigates the key drivers of drought impacts in boreal forests. Specifically, I aim to determine why the remaining primary forests in Sweden were more resistant to the 2018 drought than managed forests, through a mix of field measurements, tree-core analysis and modelling. This will provide insights into the ways that forest management influences the drought-stability and carbon storage of these ecosystems.
Photo of Hampus Holmberg

Hampus Holmberg

Department of Biological & Environmental Sciences University of Gothenburg
My PhD project aims at investigating how climate change influences trees in tropical montane rainforests. I utilize natural gradients and experimental manipulation of climatic variables to study the responses to a hotter and drier climate. I want to understand the physiological mechanisms underlying these responses as well as different species' ability to tolerate and acclimate to a changing climate, to better understand future changes in the community composition of these ecosystems.
Photo of Jiahui Lin

Jiahui Lin

Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science, Lund University
Root systems play important yet poorly understood roles in energy, water, and biogeochemical cycles, especially in Arctic tundra. During my PhD, I will focus on the responses of Arctic tundra plant root traits to biotic and abiotic drivers and their impacts on ecosystem carbon and nitrogen cycling, with the aim of developing a dynamic root module in LPJ-GUESS that encompasses carbon allocation, dynamic root distribution, and material transport.
Photo of Lovisa Rosenquist Ohlsson

Lovisa Rosenquist Ohlsson

Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science & Centre for Advanced Middle Eastern Studies Lund University
Lovisa Rosenquist Ohlsson is a PhD student at the Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science, as well as the Centre for Advanced Middle Eastern Studies, working with geographical information systems and satellite data. Her research explores climate risk and adaptation in the Middle East, with a particular focus on displaced populations.
Photo of Oskar Åström

Oskar Åström

Centre for Mathematical Sciences, Lund University
My research focuses on detecting anomalies and out-of-distribution patterns in a variety of applications. From detecting deforestation and investigating growth patterns in agriculture to breast cancer detection and point-of-care diagnosis, my work focuses on how mathematics and machine learning can be used as an interdisciplinary tool in other research areas in a responsible and transparent way.
Photo of Sara Bengtsdotter

Sara Bengtsdotter

Department of Design Sciences, Lund University
My research is focused on non-exhaust emissions (NEE) from road transport, such as wear particles from brakes, tyres and roads. This involves both laboratory studies to investigate particle characteristics, as well as toxicological studies and workplace exposure measurements. Improving our understanding of these particles and their effect on health and environment becomes increasingly important considering current efforts to electrify the vehicle fleet and can help inform future policy.
Photo of Valentina Lomanto

Valentina Lomanto

Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies
In my research I delve into the human-more than human entanglements that sustain the role of environmental defenders who are protecting ecologically sensitive and highly biodiverse ecosystems in the Andes and the Andean-Amazon. I use participatory action research as a key methodology, intertwining legal empowerment tools with feminist and art-based methods to support the role of defenders as agents of radical transformations towards more just and sustainable futures.
Photo of Valentina Wolf

Valentina Wolf

Department of Biology, Lund University
My research focuses on soil fungal interactions and their impact on biogeochemical nutrient cycles and fluxes of respired CO2 from soils. To this end, I study these interactions at the molecular level by characterizing their metabolites using several spectroscopy methods and studying their biochemical pathways using transcriptomics.
Photo of Veronika Widengren

Veronica Widengren

Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science, Lund University
My research project focuses on exploring the potential climate benefits of perennial- compared to conventional annual cropping systems. Perennial crops, with deep and extensive roots and no-tillage requirements, have the ability to retain water and nutrients and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. My PhD focuses on field measurements of land-atmosphere exchange to compare these two systems.
Photo of Xiaojing Yang

Xiaojing Yang

Department of Biology, Lund University
My Phd research focuses on the microbial role in carbon sequestration within perennial agroecosystems. More specifically, we trying to understand the microbial contribution in transforming plant-derived labile carbon into a long-persistent soil carbon pool, and also concerning the microbial carbon sequestration response under different climate scenarios.
Photo of Zhicong Xie

Zhicong Xie

Department of Biological & Environmental Sciences University of Gothenburg
My research focuses on climate change-vegetation interactions, ecosystem modeling, and the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum (SPAC). Currently, I am working on projects that model the impacts of extreme weather (e.g., drought) on tree growth in both forests and urban areas, spanning scales from local to regional (CoupModel and LPJGUESS).

Group 14 (2024-2026)

Photo of Anna Litsmark

Anna Litsmark

Department of Architecture and Built Environment, Lund University
The overarching aim of my PhD project is to understand how outdoor lighting in urban neighbourhoods can support children’s independent mobility during dark hours. The empirical part involves children aged 10-13 and their parents residing at different latitudes in Sweden. A key goal of the project is to develop criteria for a child perspective on outdoor lighting.
Photo of Anna Schultze

Anna Schultze

Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science, Lund University
The El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is the most prominent variability in the Earth climate system. I focus on prolonged ENSO events and investigate their impact on climate, vegetation and society.
Photo of Astrid Fridell

Astrid Fridell

Department of Biological & Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg
In my project, I evaluate a variety of tree species for their suitability for urban environments in northern Europe under a changing climate. I will do this by experimentally determine which traits make tree species tolerant to hot, dry, and flooded conditions. These are the three main environmental stress factors for urban trees. Results from my study will provide science-based guidelines for making the right tree choice in urban settings.
Photo of August Thomasson

August Thomasson

Department of Physics, Lund University
My research is focused on anthropogenic emissions of aerosols in Europe. I use atmospheric transport and chemistry models to simulate how aerosols move in the atmosphere and interact with the environment. Combining the models with measurements lets us know how many and which type of particles are emitted. In extension, this will be used to study how anthropogenic aerosols affect human health and the climate.
Photo of Carmen Margiotta

Carmen Margiotta

Centre for Sustainability Studies, LUCSUS
My PhD research looks at the complex relations between human societies and glaciers, as climate change accelerates their melting. I aim to identify the divergent risk perceptions tied to changing glacial environments in the Indian Himalayas and the Chilean Andes, with a focus on the less tangible (e.g., cultural) dimensions of risk.
Photo of Diana Labastida

Diana Labastida

Department of Biological & Environmental Sciences University of Gothenburg
My project aims to unravel the genetic regulation of behind water use efficiency and drought tolerance in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) with the final objective of developing new cultivars with higher yield and water use efficiency. The project focus specifically on local Rwandan landraces and part of the project is carried out in Rwanda.
Photo of Emilia Ganslandt

Emilia Ganslandt

Center for Sustainability Studies (LUCSUS), Lund University
My Ph.D. research is focused on how power influence how people perceive, experience, and resist/accept climate adaptation actions at the local scale, specifically in Swedish coastal communities. I am further interested in how justice is or could be better incorporated in climate adaptation discussions.
Photo of Erik Holmgren

Erik Holmgren

Department of Space, Earth and Environment, Chalmers University of Technology
My research is focused on atmospheric moisture transport at high latitudes, the role it plays in the climate system, and how it might change in the future. Currently, I'm looking at the characteristics and effects on precipitation of atmospheric rivers over Scandinavia. I mostly work with the analysis of climate reanalyses and the output of climate models.
Photo of Haoming Zhong

Haoming Zhong

Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science, Lund University
My research primarily focuses on testing and developing the European version of LPJ-GUESS, a dynamic global vegetation model. I will use this developed model to simulate European forests, aiming to gain deeper insights into their ecosystem dynamics. The scope of my projects will emphasize carbon sink assessment, rewilding management and sustainable forest management.
Photo of Julia Mao

Julia Qian Mao

Department of Political Science, Lund University
My project is focused on the political economy of biodiversity financing. It investigates how biodiversity finance is governed and what factors influence decision-making in biodiversity financing.
Photo of Kai Sattler

Kai Sattler

Department of Biological & Environmental Sciences University of Gothenburg
My PhD project investigates how Arctic vegetation responds to climate warming by conducting transplant and common garden experiments in environmental chambers and in the field. I explore potential community shifts and changes in key ecosystem processes, such as carbon sequestration, providing important insights into global climate feedback mechanisms.
Photo of Leo Håkansson

Leo Håkansson

Department of Chemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg
In my PhD project I investigate the formation and properties of secondary organic aerosols. Secondary aerosols form from the oxidation of volatile organic compounds emitted by both anthropogenic and biogenic sources. My work includes drone based vertical sampling, high resolution mass spectrometry, urban and rural environments, chamber experiments, and modelling. Secondary organic aerosol ultimately affects the climate and can be adverse for human health.
Photo of Lydwin Wagenaar

Lydwin Wagenaar

Department of Biology, Lund University
During my PhD I evaluate multifunctional forest landscapes called Ecoparks. In these areas, I study the effects of restoration and forestry practices on forest structures and climate mitigation. Furthermore, I study how these multifunctional landscapes and forest structures affect the diversity and species composition of Hymenoptera wasps and saproxylic beetles. The aim of my study is mostly to acquire more information on how to restore biodiversity in forest ecosystems.
Photo of Michelle Ochsner

Michelle Ochsner

Department of Technology and Society, Lund University
My PhD research is focused on the impacts of extreme weather on railway systems in Sweden and how to adapt railways to climate change. I hope to highlight the importance of creating a railway system that is resilient to the current and future effects of climate change.
Photo of Natalia Davila

Natalia Davila

Department of Biology, Lund University
My PhD focuses on the sublethal effects of pesticides on insect behaviour and physiology, particularly their foraging decisions and floral preferences. Building on previous studies that have shown changes in bumblebee (Bombus Terrestris) floral preferences due to pesticide exposure, I am currently analysing pollen collected by pesticide-treated colonies to explore which flower species bumblebees prefer or reject, the factors influencing these preferences, and how extended pesticide exposure affects their pollination performance.
Photo of Sahana Subramanian

Sahana Subramanian

LUCSUS, Lund University
I study the political ecology of glacierised environments in Ladakh, India. I look at how glacierised environments, including artificial glaciers, are produced, constructed, and in some cases contested; and how the territorialization of glaciers impact glacier dependent communities in different ways.
Photo of Valentina Schuller

Valentina Schüller

Centre for Mathematical Sciences, Lund University
My research focuses on numerical methods for coupled environmental problems. We analyze and develop (iterative) coupling algorithms for atmosphere-ocean coupling and climate modelling in general, but also models for groundwater flows and river systems
Photo of Wan-Ni Lin

Wan-Ni Lin (Annie)

Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Sciences, Lund University
My project focuses on vegetation fires in the Middle East using remote sensing data. Due to the aggravating climate change and increasing risk of fire weather, the area is projected to confront more and extreme weather events. Therefore, understanding the fire regime in the conflict-stricken context of the Middle East is important, representing an emerging field of interest that has not yet been thoroughly investigated. My goal is then to observe the long-term vegetation fire dynamic and their biophysical and socio-economic drivers to provide deeper insights into the area.
Photo of Yuzou Zhu

Yuzuo Zhu

Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Sciences, Lund University
My research concerns climate-vegetation coupling with a specific emphasis on modeling the phenology of tropical deciduous forests using the LPJ-GUESS model. Currently, my focus lies on modelling leaf shedding in tropical deciduous forests. This project aims to enhance our comprehension of phenological responses to abiotic drivers from a hydraulic perspective in tropical regions.
Photo of Zeynep Ekim Olsson

Zeynep Ekim Olsson

Environmental Psychology Division, Department of Architecture and Built Environment, Lund University
My research aims to understand user experiences and behaviours through the use of energy-efficient design and technologies in buildings. The research focuses on psychological, physical, and socio-demographical factors that are related to different types of energy-efficient behaviours in buildings. The knowledge gained from this research can be useful in developing new strategies to reduce energy use and promote pro-environmental behaviours.

Group 13 (2023-2025)

portrait Agnieszka Rzepcyznska

Agnieszka Rzepczynska

Department of Biology, Lund University
In my project I aim to better understand the role of microbes, such as bacteria and fungi, in nutrients cycling in terrestrial ecosystems. Specifically, I want to focus on the microbial control of nitrogen, phosphorus and carbon cycling and how it is modulated by the effects of global change.
Aleksander Więckowski. A photo.

Aleksander Więckowski

Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Sciences, Lund University
My project focuses on field measurements of the land-atmosphere exchange of greenhouse gases in Sahelian semi-arid savanna, particularly their spatial and temporal variability. My aim is to aid Sahelian countries in reporting according to the Paris agreement.
Ashish Ashish. A photo.

Ashish Ashish

Department of Biology, Lund University
My research project investigates the mechanisms of fungal decomposition concerning the plant cell wall by saprotrophic fungi. This study encompasses the utilization of spectroscopic techniques and transcriptomic analyses to scrutinize the process through which cellulose and lignin are degraded, enabling the transition to more intricate substrates, such as wood.
Camille Volle. A photo.

Camille Volle

Departement of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Services, Lund University
My Ph.D. project focuses on the states and changes in primary forests. With an updated map of Swedish primary forests, I will investigate for any patterns in their location, how their carbon uptake has varied over the last decades, and report any differences in biodiversity between those ecosystems and managed forests.
Cas Renette. A photo.

Cas Renette

Department of Earth Sciences, University of Gothenburg
I study the dynamics of palsas, which are mounds of frozen peat, in the Sub Arctic region. These landforms are a unique permafrost habitat and are rapidly disappearing as a result of increased air temperature and precipitation. We use a wide range of techniques crossing several disciplines, including remote sensing with drones, geophysical investigations and the monitoring of climate and ground temperatures.
Catalina Quiroga. A photo.

Catalina Quiroga

Department of Human Geography, Lund University
I am interested in analyzing the impacts of climate change on the daily lives of the communities living in the mangroves in the Colombian Caribbean. Specifically, I am interested in understanding the roles of women, black communities, and peasant communities in the construction of landscapes associated with climate change. To achieve this, my goal is to recognize various forms of knowledge related to mangrove conservation and their inclusion as strategic ecosystems in mitigation and adaptation projects.
Emma Enström. A photo.

Emma Enström

Centre for Environmental and Climate science, Lund University
Water as a resource have a range of interested stakeholders beyond administrative boarders and a lack of coordination between local, regional and national policy and management levels demands a broad attention from policy-makers, stakeholders as well as relevant and functional legislation. The aim of the project is to investigate challenges and opportunities in Swedish water resource policy through mapping of stakeholders and their cooperation, investigating policy instruments as well as studying national and international case studies.
Fabiola Espinoza Córdova. A photo.

Fabiola Espinoza Córdova

Centre for Sustainability Studies, Lund University
My work focus on understanding how adaptation to climate change adaptation in coastal social-ecological systems is imagined and put in practice, and what are the empirical implications at the local level. I specially focus on Barbados as a case study, and touch upon issues related to justice, power, knowledge, and global-south politics.
Johan Severinson. A photo.

Johan Severinson

Department of Marine Sciences, University of Gothenburg
I investigate drifting algal mats consisting of perennial species. These mats are of interest as they compete with the important seagrass meadows, and have in some bays completely replaced the seagrass. By learning more about the ecology, dynamics and genetics of the algae I hope to improve seagrass conservation.
Margot Knapen. A photo.

Margot Knapen

Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Sciences, Lund University
I work with inverse modelling using an ecosystem model (LPJ-GUESS) as part of the EU-funded project Arctic PASSION. The aim is to quantify the benefit of additional, new or hypothetical observations on certain target quantities of interest for the Arctic (e.g. permafrost extent or methane emissions).
Renkui Guo. A photo.

Renkui Guo

Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Sciences, Lund University
My study is about hydrology modeling and DOC modeling at different scales. the objective is to develop a model and apply it for DOC modeling. The popular Krycklan catchment in the north of Sweden is one of my study areas. Currently, I am working with Matlab and R.
Vera Braun. A photo.

Vera Braun

Chair of Business Administration, esp. Environmental Management, Technische universität Dresden, Germany
My research is focusing on biodiversity management, asking how organizations can strategically implement the topic of biodiversity. In my dissertation, I focus on the mining industry.
Veronica Geretti. A photo.

Veronica Geretti

Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg
My doctoral project investigates the oxidation processes of volatile organic compounds and the implications for secondary organic aerosols formation, in light of the negative impact that atmospheric aerosols have on human health and their influence on climate. More specifically, I am looking at gas to particle partitioning of a variety of alpha-pinene photo-oxidation products under different chemical regimes.
William Tejler. A photo.

William Tejler

Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg
My PhD project focuses on quantifying how mammal herbivory affects vegetation structure. To do this, I will integrate herbivory from extant and recently extinct mammals into the dynamic global vegetation model LPJ-GUESS. This will allow us to assess how natural vegetation patterns look like across the globe, given undisturbed mammal assemblages.

Participants with extensions

Jessica Jennerheim. A photo.

Jessica Jennerheim

Centre for Environmental and Climate science, Lund University
My PhD studies will entail researching how we conduct risk assessments of construction and demolition waste with a focus on terrestrial organisms. The goal is to generate End-of-Waste criteria to contribute to circular use of material and a more sustainable future.
Hannah Frostenberg portrait

Hannah Frostenberg

Space, Earth and Environment, Chalmers University of Technology

My PhD project aims to improve the modelling of cloud microphysics. Currently, I am analysing data from three climate models where different ice-processes have been switched on and off. We want to learn which process has the biggest effect on mixed-phase clouds.