I am an organic chemist representing the chemical part of chemical ecology. With a broad practical background in organic synthesis, chromatography, and mass spectrometry, I enjoy leading projects that aim to better understand the chemistry that underlies intriguing biological observations. In doing so, I collaborate with leading scientists to highlight the chemistry in biology or agriculture focused projects. I also enjoy teaching chemistry in an applied context.
I am teaching general chemistry, organic chemistry, and analytical chemistry at an introductory level, with shared course leadership in courses within lantmästarprogrammet and trädgårdsingenjörsprogammet, as well as for the independent course Växternas Kemi (plant chemistry). Furthermore, I contribute to MSc courses in chemical ecology, as well as leading courses in analytical chemistry, with focus on chromatography and mass spectrometry in particular, for doctorate students within the SLU and Lund University.
As a trained organic chemist with a passion for furthering our understanding of the chemistry underlying ecological interactions, I have led pollination chemistry projects with applications in evolution, conservation, and horticulture. I have also been working on the development of new chromatography-electroantennography methods, and the identification and synthesis of pollination semiochemicals from both unique systems of sexually deceptive orchids and their specialised pollinators, as well as in generalised honey bee pollination of seed crops in industry-linked horticultural projects.
As a civil engineer in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, my PhD-studies with Prof. Rikard Unelius at Linnaeus University led me into the field of semiochemical synthesis and pheromone structural elucidation. Since my postdocs at the Australian National University, Canberra with Prof. Rod Peakall and Dr Russell Barrow, I have focussed my research on the chemistry underlying pollination biology. Working with Prof. Peakall enabled successful collaborative projects across Australia, where several new pollinator attractants and insects pheromones were discovered, identified by GC-MS and synthesised. After being awarded a Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) 3-year fellowship from the Australian Research Council (ARC), I moved to the University of Western Australia, Perth, where I worked on the development of new chromatography-electroantennography methods, and continued to identify and synthesise pollination semiochemicals. In late 2019 I took up a position as a researcher (now Docent) in the Chemical Ecology group at SLU.
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