Get to know the doctoral students in WATCH
Sofia Hallerbäck – Risk and Environmental Studies, Karlstad University
Place of birth:
Hammarö, Värmland County in Sweden
Field of study:
Risk and Environmental Studies at Karlstad University, with a focus on the conceptualization and implementation of nature-based solutions from a more-than-human perspective. She investigates how nature-based solutions for climate adaptation are mobilized as an approach to sustainability governance and the extent to which they contribute to transformative change and multispecies justice, using examples such as stormwater parks and wetland restoration projects.
What are Sofia’s interests in water issues and planning?
Water issues and planning are central themes throughout her research, educational background, and professional career. These experiences have shaped her understanding of the deep connections between land-use change, climate change and the politics of wet environments.
Skill set and expertise:
Sofia has extensive experience in water governance and climate adaptation, from stakeholder collaboration and policy development to implementation. She enjoys learning and collaborating across knowledge fields and with a diverse range of actors. She is also passionate about science communication and innovative learning tools, as demonstrated through her engagement with RiskLab at Karlstad University.
Professional background:
Sofia studied Environmental Engineering at Lund University and holds a Master's degree in Sustainable Water Management. As part of her studies, she conducted a field study on groundwater in northern Mozambique and completed a one-year exchange program, as well as a research exchange, at the University of California, Irvine. Following her studies, Sofia worked as a consultant specializing in cloudburst and stormwater management in planning processes. More recently, she worked at Karlstad Municipality on water-related issues and cross-sector collaborations, with a particular focus on the local implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive.
Hidden talent:
Sofia loves to paint, especially with watercolours.
Read more about Sofia and find her contact details on her personal homepage.
Friederike Küchler – Political Science, Örebro University
Place of birth:
Hamburg, Germany.
Field of study:
Political science at Örebro University, focusing on power relations in planning processes for climate change adaptation. She especially focuses on resistance, refusal, and reworking as expressions of power and how citizens use these to influence planning processes. She aims to provide a deeper understanding of resistance to facilitate a more efficient and just planning processes for climate change adaptation.
Friederike is working on two cases related to planning processes for adapting to climate change-induced flood risks: the planned retreat of Axeltofta, an allotment area near Landskrona in Sweden, and local adaptation strategies on the German Halligen.
What are Friederike’s interests in water issues and planning?
During her Master’s thesis, Friederike already focused on power relations in climate change adaptation processes regarding flood protection in Halligen, Germany. Her findings support existing research findings that power imbalances and lack of participation can result in maladaptation. Having seen the consequences of lacking participation, Friederike is passionate about making citizen participation more equal, fair, and effective.
Skill set and expertise:
Studying natural science in her Bachelor’s programme has equipped Friederike with an understanding of statistics, GIS, R and basic operations in chemistry and physics labs. Switching to social sciences in her Master’s programme taught her social science research traditions and practical skills like NVivo. Having been in touch with natural and social science research makes it easy for her to communicate with researchers from different disciplines.
Professional background:
Throughout her Bachelor’s studies, Friederike was engaged with Young Friends of the Earth Germany – Brandenburg, both as an executive board member and a member of a bog protection project. Friederike has also worked for a planning bureau, focusing on tourism and town development, in between her Bachelor's and Master’s degrees. In 2023, she worked as the Prokurator Ekonomi for Kalmar Nation, organizing student life in Lund.
Hidden talent:
According to her parents, Friederike did not have to learn how to ride a bike. She just got on the bike and was able to ride it.
Read more about Friederike and find her contact details on her personal homepage.
Julia Schneider – Human Geography, Örebro University
Place of birth:
Fjugesta, Lekeberg, Örebro County in Sweden
Field of study:
Human geography at Örebro University, and more specifically, the planning of urban waterfronts from a more-than-human perspective. She explores cases where cities plan beyond land, out into the water to better care for important marine environments and species.
What are Julia’s interests in water issues and planning?
During several summers, Julia worked at the Marine Knowledge Center in Malmö, getting to know and show the life below water in Öresund through guided netting and snorkeling with groups of children. Together with her Master’s in Urban Development, this job positioned her with one foot on land and one in the water, wanting to bridge gaps between planning urban space and caring for the sea.
Skill set and expertise:
Julia brings a landscape perspective to WATCH, with particular attention to the planning and management of public spaces. Her background as a research assistant has honed her writing and analytical skills.
Professional background:
Julia has a Bachelor’s in Environmental Studies from Malmö University and a Master’s in Sustainable Urban Development from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), where she also worked as a research assistant in the Department for Landscape Architecture, Planning and Management. In the position as research assistant, Julia was part of research projects on children’s outdoor environments, multifunctional stormwater solutions and their accessibility, and good examples of urban greenery in the Nordics.
Hidden talent:
Apart from her academic background, Julia is also a trained pastry chef and can ride one-wheelers.
Read more about Julia and find her contact details on her personal homepage.
Ali Shah – Human Geography, Karlstad University
Place of birth:
City of Peshawar, Pakistan
Field of study:
Human geography at Karlstad University, specialising in environmental risk and human security.
What are Ali’s interests in water issues and planning?
Ali's passion for water issues is driven by his experiences in environmental conflict-prone regions, highlighting the vital connection between water management, security, and development.
Skill set and expertise:
With expertise in human security, and GIS/RS Mapping Analysis, Ali Shah brings a unique perspective to WATCH research objectives.
Professional background:
Ali holds a Master's in Geography of Environmental Risk and Human Security. He has previous experience of working in research, including a position as a fellow in peace research and conflict-sensitive employment.
Hidden talent:
Ali is multilingual and is fluent in English, Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi, Hindko and Pashto, and has a good grasp of German and several other regional languages.
Read more about Ali and find his contact details on his personal homepage.
Helena Römmelmann – Sociology, Örebro University
Place of birth:
Kristinehamn, Värmland county in Sweden
Field of study:
Sociology at Örebro University.
What are Helena’s interests in water issues and planning?
By analyzing the interconnectedness among political processes, planning practices, and everyday lived experiences in water management, Helena’s project seeks to advance understanding of how people in diverse life situations and contexts perceive, conceptualize, and value access to water. The project focuses on freshwater access in a region of the Global South with long-standing limited and unequal water access and environmental degradation, with Cape Town, South Africa, as the designated case.
Skill set and expertise:
Helena strives for a holistic view of people and their environments. She applies a critical feminist and decolonial perspective to her research, using qualitative methods and an ethnographic approach. Helena completed her master’s thesis in Cape Town, South Africa, on food security, focusing on social risks associated with climate change.
Professional background:
Helena worked as a social work practitioner before returning to academia for a 2-year master’s program in Societal Risk Management at Karlstad University. She worked as a research assistant at both Karlstad and Örebro University, working on various international and national projects covering a wide range of topics, from disaster risk management and flooding to (un)sustainable consumption.
Hidden talent:
Helena has a passion for the outdoors and music. She dedicates most of her free time to playing the flute.
Read more about Helena and find her contact details on her personal homepage.
Jonas Zetzsche – Biology, Örebro University
Place of birth:
Born in Düsseldorf, Germany and moved at an early age to the south of Germany.
Field of study:
Biology in the field of ecotoxicology at Örebro University. His research develops Cell Painting-centered multi-omics approaches by integrating image-based phenomics with transcriptomics and metabolomics for the hazard assessment of chemicals and environmental samples in aquatic environments.
What are Jonas’ interests in water issues and planning?
His interest in water issues comes from a deep-rooted passion for the ocean and open water. Looking at chemical pollution in aquatic ecosystems is one small contribution to protecting this precious resource.
Skill set and expertise:
After upper secondary school and several times during his university career, he spent time outside of Germany and Europe. The desire to work in the world of research grew with every stay in a different country, collecting different experiences and perspectives. Being part of an international workgroup and participating in environmentally relevant research topics became a goal. Research in the field of water never left the back of his mind.
Professional background:
Jonas studied water resources management and environmental sciences with a focus on biology and hydrology, giving him a broad understanding of the water sector and its related issues. In a one-year internship at the Örebro University, he worked on the transgenerational effects of PFAS using the zebrafish model. Inside the project, phenotypical as well as molecular alterations were observed, even in previously unexposed fish.
Hidden talent:
Jonas likes to be active and spend time outside and with friends and family. Even some of his hobbies, such as surfing, swimming, and snorkelling, are water-related.
Read more about Jonas and find his contact details on his personal homepage.
Denisa Avdouli – Biology, Örebro University
Place of birth:
Born and raised in Greece, to Albanian immigrants. Through visiting and spending time in Albania, Denisa had the opportunity to observe agriculture first-hand from an early age, which contributed to her later interest in plants and the environment.
Field of study:
Denisa is currently pursuing a PhD in Biology at Örebro University, as part of the Plant Signalling and Physiology research group. Her research looks at how plants intercept light and how different light qualities, including UV, can influence plant responses to environmental stressors such as elevated soil salinity and emerging contaminants like PFAS. Her work explores how light can shape the way plants perceive and respond to a changing environment.
What are Denisa’s interests in water issues and planning?
Her interest in water issues grew from her background in agriculture and her early exposure to farming practices. Throughout her academic journey, she has explored different aspects of plant responses to environmental challenges, including the reuse of water in cascade hydroponic systems, where nutrient-rich runoff from primary crops can be utilized for the cultivation of more tolerant secondary crops. Alongside this, she has worked on plant–microbe interactions in saline environments, as well as climate change impacts, emerging contaminants, and light signaling. These experiences have developed into a broader interest in understanding water-related environmental challenges from different perspectives and contributing to more sustainable and resilient systems.
Skill set and expertise:
Denisa’s diverse academic background has given her a broad skill set across plant physiology, molecular biology, agriculture, and environmental research. She has hands-on experience with a range of laboratory techniques to study plant responses to environmental stress. These experiences have helped her build a versatile and practical skill set with a strong interest in plant responses at both physiological and molecular levels.
Professional background:
Research has been a constant part of Denisa’s academic journey. She studied Agriculture, Crop Production and Rural Environment at the University of Thessaly in Greece and carried out her thesis at Hochschule Geisenheim University in Germany, where she worked on plant physiology in the context of cascade hydroponics. She later completed a Master’s degree in Sustainable Agricultural Production Systems and Climate Change at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, focusing on plant–microbe interactions and their potential to help plants cope with environmental stress. This was followed by a one-year research internship at Luleå University of Technology in Sweden, in the Department of Biochemical Process Engineering. She has also remained academically active through workshops and training programmes across Europe, gaining experience in different research environments and developing an appreciation for international and collaborative research.
Hidden talent:
Denisa enjoys photography, hiking, knitting, board games and reading books. She is also an avid concertgoer. Whenever one of her favourite bands is playing within reasonable travelling distance, there is a very good chance she will be there.
Read more about Denisa’s and find her contact details on her personal homepage