Two people conducting fieldwork in a wet forest area by a stream.
Photo: Susanna Bergström, SLU

PhD projects within WIFORCE

Page reviewed:  14/01/2026

From genetics to remote sensing, the PhD projects within the WIFORCE Research School explore forests from many perspectives and scales.

The WIFORCE Research School brings together around 50 PhD students as part of the WIFORCE programme. The projects span a wide range of disciplines and contribute to building the knowledge needed to support sustainable forest management in a changing climate.

Click on the project title for more information about the PhD student, supervisor, department and start year. More detailed project descriptions will be added over time.

All projects

PhD Student: Elin Hermann

Location: Department of Ecology, Uppsala 

Main supervisor: Thomas Ranius

Collaboration partner: Kopparfors 

Start year: 2025

PhD Student: Jule Hansen 

Location: Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Uppsala

Main supervisor: Malin Elfstrand

Collaboration partner: SweeTree Technologies

Start year: 2026

PhD Student: Marlene Olsson 

Location: Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Sciences, Umeå

Main supervisor: Therese Löfroth

Collaboration partner: Umeå Kommun 

Start year: 2026

PhD Student: Rasmus Staaf 

Location: Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Umeå

Main supervisor: Michael J. Gundale

Collaboration partner: Skogsstyrelsen 

Start year: 2026

PhD Student: Oscar Andersson

Location: Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Umeå

Main supervisor: Lars Östlund

Collaboration partner: Holmen Skog 

Start year: 2025

PhD Student: Elin Nordin 

Location: Department of Forest Resource Management, Umeå

Main supervisor: Karin Öhman

Collaboration partner: Skogforsk

Start year: 2025

PhD Student: Sandra Abele

Location: Department of Ecology, Uppsala

Main supervisor: Joachim Strengbom

Collaboration partner: Södra 

Start year: 2026

PhD Student: Noak Wallgren 

Location: Department of Forest Resource Management, Umeå

Main supervisor: Henrik Persson

Collaboration partner: GuidelineGeo 

Start year: 2025

PhD Student: Johannes Turesson 

Location: Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Umeå

Main supervisor: Anneli Ågren

Collaboration partner: Komatsu 

Start year: 2026

PhD Student: Viktor Lund 

Location: Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Uppsala

Main supervisor: Anders Dahlberg

Collaboration partner: Sveaskog

Start year: 2026

PhD Student: Jemal Abdela Mohammed 

Location: Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, Umeå

Main supervisor: Harry Wu

Collaboration partner: SCA

Start year: 2025

PhD Student: Lam Minh Nguyen 

Location: Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, Umeå

Main supervisor: Harry Wu

Collaboration partner: Skogforsk

Start year: 2025

PhD Student: Clara Cuesta Turull 

Location: Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, Umeå

Main supervisor: Rosario García Gil

Collaboration partner: Sveaskog

Start year: 2025

PhD Student: Noomi Lodenius 

Location: Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Uppsala

Main supervisor: Malin Elfstrand

Collaboration partner: Södra

Start year: 2025

PhD Student: Amanda Mikko 

Location: Department of Plant Physiology, Umeå University

Main supervisor: Nathaniel Street

Collaboration partner: Stora Enso 

Start year: 2024

PhD Student: Vilda Lindberg 

Location: Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Uppsala

Main supervisor: Judith Lundberg-Felten

Collaboration partner: Holmen

Start year: 2024

These projects are carried out by PhD students employed by partner organisations in industry, public agencies or municipalities, with a main supervisor at SLU or Umeå University and a co-supervisor at the host organisation.

PhD Student: Lena Reifschneider 

Location: Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Umeå

Main supervisor: Michael J. Gundale 

Start year: 2025

PhD Student: Isac Carlsson 

Location: Department of Ecology, Uppsala

Main supervisor: Erik Öckinger

Start year: 2025

PhD Student: Marcus Björs 

Location: Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Umeå

Main supervisor: Torgny Näsholm 

Start year: 2025

PhD Student: Hjalmar Stake 

Location: Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Umeå

Main supervisor: Maja K. Sundqvist

Start year: 2025

PhD Student: Lorenzo Vegliò 

Location: Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Umeå

Main supervisor: Anneli Ågren

Start year: 2025

PhD Student: Péter Sasvári 

Location: Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Uppsala

Main supervisor: Petra Fransson

Start year: 2025

PhD Student: Vishwal Madah 

Location: Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Umeå

Main supervisor: Matthias Peichl

Start year: 2025

PhD Student: Magdalena Jovanovic 

Location: Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Sciences, Umeå

Main supervisor: Jörgen Sjögren 

Start year: 2025

PhD Student: Ernie Haglund 

Location: Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Umeå

Main supervisor: Eliza Maher Hasselqvist

Start year: 2025

PhD Student: Sushmita Dam 

Location: Department of Forest Resource Management, Umeå

Main supervisor: Eva Lindberg

Start year: 2025

PhD Student: Gilbert Hsyu 

Location: Department of Forest Resource Management, Umeå

Main supervisor: Henrik Persson

Start Year: 2026

PhD Student: Mohsen Ghalandar 

Location: Department of Forest Resource Management, Umeå

Main supervisor: Rubén Valbuena

Start year: 2026

PhD Student: Anna Kardailsky 

Location: Department of Ecology, Uppsala

Main supervisor: Aino Hämäläinen 

Start year: 2025

PhD Student: Renée Lejeune 

Location: Department of Ecology, Uppsala

Main supervisor: Thomas Ranius

Start year: 2025

PhD Student: Wint Wah Phoo 

Location: Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, Alnarp

Main supervisor: Igor Drobyshev

Start year: 2026

PhD Student: Lola Bédmar Correra  (Future Silviculture)

Location: Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Umeå

Main supervisor: Sandra Jämtgård

Start year: 2025

PhD Student: Linnea Larsson (associated)

Location: Department of Forest Biomaterials and Technology, Umeå

Main supervisor: Mikael Thyrel

Start year: 2025

PhD Student: Ameenat Adesina (associerad)

Location: Department of Forest Resource Management, Umeå

Main supervisor: Ruben Valbuena

Start year: 2025

PhD Student: Johan Lundbäck (associated)

Location: Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Umeå

Main supervisor: Hjalmar Laudon

Start year: 2025

These projects are carried out by PhD students employed at SLU, including some placements at Umeå University.

PhD Student: Recruitment ongoing

Location: Department of Forest Resource Management, Umeå

Main supervisor: Inka Bohlin 

PhD Student: Recruitment ongoing

Location: Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Umeå

Main supervisor: Tim R Hofmeester 

PhD Student: Recruitment ongoing

Location: Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Umeå

Main supervisor: Järvi Järveoja 

PhD Student: Recruitment ongoing

Location: Department of Ecology, Uppsala

Main supervisor: Mari Jönsson 

PhD Student: Recruitment ongoing

Location: Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Uppsala

Main supervisor: Paul Kardol 

PhD Student: Recruitment ongoing

Location: Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, Umeå

Main supervisor: Peter Kindgren 

PhD Student: Recruitment ongoing

Location: Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Umeå

Main supervisor: Jonatan Klaminder 

PhD Student: Recruitment ongoing

Location: Department of Forest Biomaterials and Technology, Umeå

Main supervisor: Ola Lindroos 

PhD Student: Recruitment ongoing

Location: Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, Alnarp

Main supervisor: Leonie Schönbeck 

PhD Student: Recruitment ongoing

Location: Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Umeå

Main supervisor: Navinder Singh 

PhD Student: Recruitment ongoing

Location: Department of Soil and Environment, Uppsala

Main supervisor: Marie Spohn 

PhD Student: Recruitment ongoing

Location: Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, Umeå

Main supervisor: Kelly Swarts 

PhD Student: Recruitment ongoing

Location: Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, Umeå

Main supervisor: Hannele Tuominen 

PhD Student: Recruitment ongoing

Location: Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Umeå

Main supervisor: Maja Sundqvist

PhD Student: Recruitment ongoing

Location: Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Umeå

Main supervisor: Eliza Maher Hasselquist

PhD Student: Recruitment ongoing

Location: Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Umeå

Main supervisor: Jörgen Sjögren

These PhD projects are approved and funded. Recruitment of PhD students is ongoing. Applications are submitted via SLU’s recruitment portal by 10 February. Read more about the positions and how to apply here.

 

About WIFORCE

WIFORCE (Wallenberg Initiatives in Forest Research) is a research programme at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) and Umeå university, funded by the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation. The programme runs until 2030 and aims to strengthen knowledge for sustainable forest management and conservation in a changing climate.