Victor Galaz's research focuses on financial systems, and their connection to large-scale environmental change with global non-linear climate repercussions. He is associate professor at the Stockholm Resilience Centre.

Victor Galaz is associate professor in political science at Stockholm Resilience Centre, and programme director of the Beijer Institute’s Governance, Technology and Complexity programme. He is Editor-in-Chief for the journal Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability (COSUST), Member of the international Science Panel for the Amazon, and Member of the Advisory Panel to the Inter-American Development Banks (IDB) programme “Amazonia Forever”. He is a Senior Advisor to the programme Natura Tech LAC that explores responsible uses of novel technologies to accelerate biodiversity conservation and regeneration in Latin America and the Caribbean. He is the author of the book “Dark Machines” (Routledge, 2025) about the impacts of artificial intelligence, digitalization and automation for the Biosphere, and regular contributor in Swedish media, including as a writer for Svenska Dagbladet.

His research explores the political and governance challenges created by rapid global change, including globally networked risks, governance dimensions of “planetary boundaries”, the interplay between financial systems and Earth system dynamics, and the sustainability implications of novel technologies. Galaz's work about societal challenges created by technological change includes governance dimensions of geo-engineering, early warning systems of epidemic outbreaks, uses of social media to detect ecological change, online mis- and disinformation on environmental issues, and sustainability risks embedded in early applications of artificial intelligence.

Galaz has extensive experience as a research leader in interdisciplinary projects exploring various dimensions of complex adaptive systems. His roles have included:

• Research theme leader at the Stockholm Resilience Centre (2006–2015)
• Deputy science director and later deputy director at the Stockholm Resilience Centre (2015–2023)
• Acting executive director at the Royal Swedish Academy (2014–2015)
• Project leader for the project “Earth System Finance” (2016–2020)
• Co-lead of the Lancet Commission on Human Health and Climate Change (2013–2015)
• Researcher and theme leader in the international research consortium Dynamic Drivers of Disease in Africa (DDDAC), together with STEPS Centre (UK), Institute for Development Studies (UK), and others (2012–2016)
• Member of the Convention on Biological Diversity Liaison Expert Group on geo-engineering (2011–2012)
• Advisor to the EU High-Level Group on Innovation Policy Management (2017)
• Member of the Governing Board of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) (2021–2023)

Among his publications are articles in journals including:

• The Lancet
• International Environmental Agreements
• Trends in Ecology and Evolution
• Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment
• Global Environmental Change
• Ecological Economics
• Public Administration
• Environmental Politics
• Governance
• Complexity, Governance and Networks
• Nature Climate Change
• Science

Galaz is also the author and editor of several books, including:

• "Global Environmental Governance, Technology and Politics: The Anthropocene Gap" (Edward Elgar, UK/US, 2014)
• "Global Challenges, Governance, and Complexity: Applications and Frontiers" (Edward Elgar, UK/US, 2019)
• "Dark Machines" (Routledge, 2025)