From Arctic fieldwork to air pollution and health: University of Cincinnati students visit the Bolin Centre

The group visited the Bolin Centre on 14 August, where they were welcomed by Centre representatives and introduced to the breadth of research within the Bolin Centre and the Department of Environmental Science.

The visit then moved from an overview of climate science to concrete examples of how research is carried out.

Professor Paul Zieger from the Department of Environmental Science introduced the students to research on aerosols, clouds and climate, drawing on fieldwork in the Arctic. His research includes the ARTofMELT expedition aboard the Swedish icebreaker Oden, which investigated atmospheric processes during the transition from Arctic winter to summer and the onset of sea-ice melt.

Researcher Karine Elihn then brought the discussion closer to human health. Her research examines air pollution and what happens when airborne particles and gases reach our lungs. She works with sources ranging from transport emissions and brake wear to particles in occupational environments, using laboratory systems in which cultured lung cells can be exposed directly to air pollutants.

During a laboratory visit, the students had an opportunity to see some of the methods and equipment behind this research, connecting questions about atmospheric particles with their potential effects on human health. The programme also included a visit to the ACES’s container-based research facilities.

For one Master of Public Health student, seeing the work behind climate observations was particularly memorable:

“We visited the Bolin Centre for Climate Research, where we had the opportunity to learn about Arctic and Antarctic expeditions. Hearing about these journeys and the incredible effort involved in collecting vital climate data was truly inspiring. I left feeling hopeful and reassured, knowing that so many dedicated people from different fields are coming together to better understand our planet and work toward a healthier future.”

The visit continued an exchange that began in 2025, when a University of Cincinnati group first visited the Bolin Centre as part of its Climate and Health learning experience in Scandinavia. Following that visit, the students and faculty expressed strong interest in returning – and in exploring possibilities for continued exchange between the two research environments.

The connection is particularly timely. Stockholm University, together with KTH Royal Institute of Technology and Karolinska Institutet, has been recommended for strategic research funding for the Stockholm Centre for Climate Transitions (ClimTrio). The planned initiative will bring together research on climate change, societal transformation and human health.

The recurring visits from the University of Cincinnati provide a concrete starting point for continuing dialogue across disciplines and institutions – while giving students the opportunity to meet the researchers and see some of the instruments, laboratories and fieldwork behind climate and environmental science.