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Research Projects

Funded and ongoing research

1. AERIS (Formas: 2026–2030)
Air Pollution, Climate Change and Respiratory Health
AERIS investigates how air pollution and climate change interact to influence respiratory health. Using a sensor-to-cell-to-society framework, the project integrates high-resolution air quality monitoring, chemical characterization of particulate matter, lung organoid models, and climate simulations to examine pollutant exposure, oxidative stress, and cellular damage. Research in Sweden and India's Indo-Gangetic Plains provides contrasting environments for assessing health risks. The project aims to develop biologically informed risk indicators, improve exposure predictions, and support early warning and air pollution mitigation strategies.
Partners: SMHI, IIT Mandi, Karolinska Institutet

2. CHEERS (Formas: 2025–2027)
Climate–Health–Exposure and Emissions of Reactive Substances
CHEERS examines how climate variability influences atmospheric pollution, chemical exposure, and respiratory health. This preparatory project combines real-time air quality monitoring, chemical fingerprinting, atmospheric modelling, and health indicators across contrasting environments in Sweden and India. Low-cost sensor networks and chemical analyses characterize pollutant mixtures and their potential links to oxidative stress and respiratory outcomes. The project will establish the groundwork for integrated exposure assessment, climate-sensitive health risk prediction, and early warning and pollution mitigation strategies.
Partners: Region Östergötland, Karolinska Institutet, SMHI, IIT Mandi

Research projects (VR: 2020–2026)

3. Biomass Burning and Household Air Pollution (2022–2026) Household Energy, Chemical Exposure and Respiratory Health This research investigates household air pollution from biomass combustion and its implications for respiratory health in rural India's Indo-Gangetic Plains. Combining household surveys, real-time pollutant monitoring with low-cost sensors, chemical characterization of particulate matter, the study examines how cooking fuels and practices influence exposure and biological responses. Particular attention is given to pollutant mixtures associated with oxidative stress, inflammation, and impaired lung function. The findings contribute to improved exposure assessment and strategies promoting cleaner cooking technologies and reducing health risks.
Partners: Indian Inst of Tech-Mandi, Calcutta Medical Research Institute, Central University of South Bihar, Karolinska Institute

4. Coal-Fired Power Plants and Respiratory Health (VR: 2020–2025) Transboundary Air Pollution, Chemical Exposure and Environmental Health
This research examines air pollution from coal-fired power plants near the India–Bangladesh border and its impacts on surrounding communities. Integrating atmospheric monitoring, source apportionment, dispersion modelling, and respiratory health assessments, the study investigates pollutant transport, population exposure, and associated health risks. Emphasis is placed on identifying combustion-related chemical markers and evaluating respiratory impairment. The findings provide insights for transboundary dispersion, air quality, and public health interventions.
Partners: Indian Inst of Tech-Mandi, Calcutta Medical Research Institute, Karolinska Institute, Dhaka Univ, Rajshahi Univ

Prospective research initiatives

5. Paleoclimate Reconstruction
Hydroclimatic Variability and Societal Change During the Bronze Age and Forward
This proposed research builds on paleoclimate reconstructions extending along southern Africa, the middle east and south-east Asia. We will investigate how hydroclimatic variability influenced societal transformations in Bronze Age Iran. Integrating climate modelling, geochemical proxies, and archaeological evidence, the study will reconstruct environmental changes and examine their relationships with settlement patterns, subsistence strategies, and mobility. The assessment of temporal relationships, uncertainties, and possible climate-related societal responses will be reconstructed. The research aims to improve understanding of human adaptation and resilience to environmental stress in arid regions.

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