Kathryn Bjorklund’s research explores the cascading social-ecological impacts of emerging pests and pathogens

Kathryn Bjorklund’s research forms part of the INFLUX project and investigates the downstream impacts of emerging microbial pathogens, arthropod and plant pests, as well as the conditions under which they arise. Beyond the biological and ecological dimensions of outbreaks, she is interested in their interplay with broader social contexts. Using data science techniques, she aims to understand pest and pathogen trends to better anticipate and manage their consequences. Bjorklund is also part of the research group PHASES (Planetary Health in the Anthropocene - Sustainability of Evolving Systems) spread across Stockholm University, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, and Uppsala University.

Bjorklund holds a bachelor's degree in Environmental Science from Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York, and an MSc in Social-Ecological Resilience for Sustainable Development from the Stockholm Resilience Centre. She has experience in the non-profit sector. She interned at a Miami-based organization that advocates for South Florida's watershed and wildlife. She has also worked in the water quality and public health sphere through an internship in Northern Region Ghana. Prior to her undergraduate studies, Bjorklund spent time in Ranomafana, Madagascar, where she worked on a research project titled One Cubic Foot: Portraits of Biodiversity.

Supervision

Main supervisor: Peter Søgaard Jørgensen
Co-supervisor: Stefan Daume
Co-supervisor: Garry Peterson