Employee

Employee

Kjetil Tørseth received his Dr Scient  degree at NTNU-Trondheim, and has worked at NILU since 1992.Since 1999 he has served as department head/research director.

His expertize includes measurements and data management and assessment of precipitation chemistry, reactive gases, aerosols and climate forcers, and their associated effects on ecosystems, health and climate.

He is engaged in a wide range of programs addressing assessments of air pollution on regional and global scales, including EMEP (head the EMEP Chemical Coordinating Centre), WMO Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW Country contact of Norway, member to the Scientific Advisory Group on Reactive Gases, responsible for the two GAW World Data Centers on Aerosols (GAW-WDCA) and Reactive Gases (GAW-WDCRG). He is also engaged in several research infrastructure activities like ICOS, ACTRIS and SIOS. He has a broad experience from many international research and capacity building projects.

Employee

Employee

Employee

Employee

Dr. (Mr.) Philipp Schneider is a senior research scientist at NILU.

He received his PhD in 2008 from the University of California-Santa Barbara focusing on satellite remote sensing and spatial data analysis. Subsequently he held a position as postdoctoral research scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the California Institute of Technology.

Philipp has extensive experience in the application of satellite remote sensing techniques for mapping and monitoring the environment. His current research focuses primarily on the use of satellite remote sensing data for applications in atmospheric composition and air quality.

Previously he has worked on multiple projects related to exploitation and validation of satellite-based land and lake surface temperature. In addition, he works on developing methods and tools to carry out geostatistical data fusion and data assimilation for combining air quality observations with model data to improve urban- and regional-scale mapping of air quality.

He acts as a reviewer for multiple scientific publications related to satellite remote sensing, air quality, and the environment. He has given over 200 presentations at international scientific conferences and workshops and has authored dozens of technical reports.

Philipp has been appointed a member of the Research Council of Norway National Reference Group for Horizon Europe Cluster 4 on Digital, industry and space. He is author of more than 50 peer-reviewed journal articles, with over 6000 citations and an h-index of 30.

Employee

Dr. Gabriela Sousa Santos did her graduate studies in Environmental Engineering in the University of Aveiro, Portugal. While studying the ways pollution is transported and transformed in the environment, she got curious on how these pollutants affect human health. Thus, she continued studying Toxicology in her post-graduation while working in Environmental Impact Assessment Studies.

She did her PhD in atmospheric chemistry at Max-Planck Institute for Meteorology, Hamburg. It was here that she started using numerical modelling in global scales to analyze the role of naturally emitted halogen compounds on the oxidative capacity of the atmosphere. She then started also simulating salt particles and continued into secondary organic aerosols and their impact on the global radiation budget, work she continued in ETH, Zurich.

At NILU, she has moved into modelling at the local scale, which leads her to investigate the specificities and challenges in creating simulations at this scale of the transport of pollution.

Her current interests are in investigating which policy options will lead to healthier, more comfortable cities for higher quality of life and more sustainability globally. Cities have the characteristic of high population concentration which creates higher exposition to pollution and enhanced risk to climate change, however it also creates opportunities for higher efficiency systems in the use of resources.

Employee

Assigned roles and positions at NILU Centre for Atmospheric Data

• UX/UI Designer and user experience coordinator at
• Key developer and contact for ACTRIS DC portal

Responsibility

• UX and user experience coordinator and analyst, ensuring good systems and architectures for analysing user needs and behaviour for improvement of the databases and services
• Responsible for ACTRIS Data Portal and the DVAS - Data Discovery, Virtual Access and Services unit (DVAS) applications
• Responsible for a wide range of frontend services and migration to long term sustainable solutions
• Responsible for metadata services related to EBAS and ACTRIS DC portal
• Contribute to IRISCC services by implementing relevant EBAS and ACTRIS data products and services

Employee

Dr. Elise Rundén-Pran is a senior scientist at NILU in the department of Environmental Chemistry and Health Effects. She is section leader for the Health Effects Laboratory and an ERT registered toxicologist.

She has extensive experience in toxicology, nanotoxicology, nanosafety, cell cultures, 3D-cellular models, nanogenotoxicology, DNA damage, intracellular cell death signaling, microscopy (confocal, TEM), immunohistochemistry, tissue slice cultures and neurodegeneration.

She was part of the Centre for Excellence in Molecular Neurobiology and DNA repair (UiO) for several years (PhD and Postdoc). She is experienced with human risk assessment and regulatory toxicology, partner leader in EURONANOMED II projects GEMNS and INNOCENT, and NILU project leader for several projects funded by EU and NFR. She has extensive experience in GLP, and is appointed member of the national committee for approval of European registered toxicologists (ERT), The Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment, and member of the national expert group for toxicology.

The Health Effects Laboratory is certified for Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) for in vitro human toxicity studies. The laboratory is among the leading laboratories in Europe in nanotoxicology and nanosafety, and main areas of interest are genotoxicity, carcinogenicity in vitro, epigenetics, advanced in vitro models, regulatory aspects of nanosafety,  high-throughput approach to toxicity testing, intelligent testing strategy and adverse outcome pathways.

Employee

Employee

Dr. Yvan Orsolini joined NILU in March 1998 as a senior researcher posted at Kjeller, Norway. 

He earned his MSc. in Atmospheric Sciences from the University of Illinois (Urbana, USA) and his PhD is in geophysics from the University of Washington (Seattle, USA). He has worked with dynamics, chemistry and remote sensing of the middle atmosphere and, in particular, with the Earth’s ozone layers and the solar radiative and particle impacts on the atmosphere. 

Another area of research is cryosphere-atmosphere interaction, in particular the role of snow and sea ice in the climate system and in seasonal predictions. 

He has a long experience working with general circulation models, either atmosphere-only or coupled ocean-atmosphere models, including whole-atmosphere models (such as WACCM) which extends into the lower thermosphere, as well with seasonal prediction systems. He has also contributed to the analysis of numerous satellite remote sensing datasets (UARS, SABER, ENVISAT, MLS, SOFIE,…), and atmospheric re-analyses regarding dynamics or composition. 

He has coordinated one European project and several Norwegian Research Council projects on behalf of NILU, while participating to numerous other projects. He was affiliated part-time (20%) with University of Bergen (2010-2020) and with NTNU (2020-2023). 

His h-index is 40, with over 5000 citations (Google Scholar). 

Employee

Dr Susana López-Aparicio is a Senior Scientist and Deputy Director of the Urban Environment and Industry department at NILU, where she coordinates research and activities related to air pollutant and greenhouse gas emissions.

With over 10 years of experience on emission modelling, her work focuses on developing high spatial and temporal resolution models to support air pollution control, climate mitigation strategies, and urban sustainability. She has led key projects delivering high-resolution gridded emissions for Norway, including the NordicWelfAir, NordSmoke, and EMISYS projects, and advanced emission models for residential wood consumption (METVED model).

Her main goal is to advance scientific knowledge and address environmental challenges faced by public authorities and the private sector. She has managed research projects targeting emissions from diverse sectors, including biofuels, biomass burning, construction machinery, transport hubs (e.g., port and airport), and tourism.

She also serves as reviewer and lead reviewer of national emission inventories submitted under the UNECE Convention of Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution (CLRTAP), and the National Emission reduction Commitment Directive (NEC Directive).

She has coauthored 44 peer-reviewed publications, and her h-index is 25 (Google Scholar; December 2024).

Employee

Dr. Hai-Ying Liu, senior scientist at NILU, combines ecological expertise with a passion for sustainable urban development. She holds an MSc in Environmental Protection from Inner Mongolia University, China, and a PhD in Environmental Biology from the University of Oslo, Norway.

Dr. Liu specializes in the monitoring and assessment of nature-based solutions to enhance environmental quality and public health. Her approach is both interdisciplinary and integrative, tackling the complex challenges of climate change, urban development, and public health. She is particularly focused on fostering community engagement and utilizing multi-actor participatory methods to drive environmental behaviour changes and promote health.

Dr. Liu started at NILU with a postdoctoral fellowship between 2007 and 2008, focusing on the impacts of climate change and air pollution on forest biodiversity. During this time, she also played key role in managing and coording several EU projects. Currently, her work is driven by a vision to integrate environmental quality with urban living, aiming to transform cities into resilient and healthy spaces for future generations. As a senior scientist, Dr. Liu actively leads and support coordination of EU projects and proposals. She also contributes her expertise to NILU’s grants office and sever as an evaluator for both EU and national proposals and projects.

Employee

Dr. Britt Ann K. Høiskar holds the position of Research Director in the Department for Urban Environment and Industry at NILU. She earned her doctoral degree in physics from the University of Oslo in 1997, with a research focus on measurement of the ozone layer and ozone-depleting substances in the stratosphere from ground-based measurements.

During the period from 1997 to 2007, Høiskar served as a senior researcher at NILU. Her responsibilities included overseeing the operation and maintenance of the national system for monitoring the ozone layer and natural ultraviolet radiation (2001-2004). She was also involved in the development and management of an internet solution for presenting, quality control, and analysis of air quality data from the measurement network for air quality in Norwegian cities (2003-2006).

From 2008 to 2013, Høiskar held the position of Head of the Norwegian Asthma and Allergy Association, where she was responsible for the organization’s policies and projects related to outdoor air pollution and indoor air quality.

Since January 2014, Høiskar has been a senior researcher in the Urban and Industrial Department at NILU. In June 2017, she assumed the role of Research Director and department leader. Høiskar has led and participated in air quality assessments for several Norwegian cities. Furthermore, she is and has been involved in various research projects related to the indoor environment. She has been the chairman/board member of Norsk Innemiljøorganisasjon, which represents the Norwegian branch of ‘The International Society for Indoor Air Quality and Climate’ (www.isiaq.org). since 2009.

Employee

Dr. Alexandra Misci Hudecova is a research scientist at NILU in the department of Environmental Chemistry and Health Effects with expertise in genetic toxicology, environmental health, and cellular biology. In addition to her academic research, Alexandra has professional experience in Good Laboratory Practice (GLP), working as a Quality Assurance (QA) manager. At NILU’s Health Effects Laboratory, which operates under GLP certification, she contributes to maintaining regulatory compliance, ensuring data integrity, and upholding rigorous laboratory quality standards. This experience has reinforced her commitment to high-quality, reproducible scientific research aligned with international regulatory frameworks. Alexandra is also trained in Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) principles, further supporting her commitment to responsible innovation and environmentally conscious research.

Alexandra earned her PhD studying the effects of Gentiana asclepiadea (willow gentian) extracts and silver nanoparticles on DNA damage/repair, adaptive responses, oxidative stress, antioxidant activity, and related cellular mechanisms in mammalian and human cells. Using a range of in vitro methods, she investigated oxidative DNA damage and cellular defense mechanisms, advancing knowledge on how natural compounds and nanomaterials interact with genomic stability and cellular defense systems.

Prior to joining NILU, Alexandra was a postdoctoral researcher at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) in Oslo. Her work focused on the impact of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) on mice, including gene expression and behavioral studies. She explored neurodevelopmental and epigenetic consequences of maternal exposure to POPs, providing insights into strain-specific responses and maternal exposure outcomes with implications for environmental risk assessment.

Employee

Employee

Dr. Paul Hamer is a Senior Researcher within the Atmosphere and Climate department at NILU.

He has a PhD in atmospheric chemistry from the University of Bristol. He has over 20 years of experience working in the field of atmospheric sciences and has published on a broad range of research topics. His core expertise is in working with numerical models of the atmosphere and land surface and in working with data assimilation and satellite observations.

He has a strong interest in air quality, climate change, and land surface processes. As such, his recent research has focused on the impacts that climate and extreme weather have on surface fluxes (deposition and emissions) of air pollutants and their precursors.

Furthermore, he has a strong interest in providing a vital link between air quality science and policymakers through his activities within the Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring Service.

Paul is motivated by the need to provide scientific knowledge to society to help decision making in relation to air quality management and climate change policy.

Employee

Employee

Dr. Claudia Hak is a senior scientist in the Department for Urban Environment and Industry at NILU. She obtained her PhD in physics at the University of Karlsruhe in 2006 with a focus on the measurement of formaldehyde and other compounds involved in photooxidation processes that occur in polluted air around cities. 

Claudia has been working at NILU since 2009. She is a measurement expert and leads specially designed measurement projects with a focus on the effect of emissions from industry, traffic and other pollution sources on ambient air. 

Claudia is also interested in the composition of urban air and the pollution sources in cities and in this context studies advanced particle measurements (based on the composition of the particles) taken in Oslo. She has contributed to the establishment of the Urban Observatory in Oslo, which has a strong focus on particle characterization and the health effects of particles. Another area of work is within the National Reference Laboratory for Air Quality Measurements, where she guides measurement network owners with regard to the choice of reference measurement location. She is also interested in evaluating the differences between the accepted reference and equivalent measurement methods for particulate matter. 

Employee

Dr. Cristina Guerreiro is Research Director for Environmental Impacts and Sustainability at NILU, focusing on research and innovation of sustainable and circular solutions for products and systems across different economic sectors.

Guerreiro has a PhD in Chemistry and a MSc in Environmental Engineering. She has more than 25 years of experience in coordinating international and national research and policy support projects in the following areas: air quality, climate change mitigation, environment & health, circular economy, institutional building and stakeholder involvement, and science communication.

She is the coordinator of the EU research and innovation project Circular Economy Resource Information System (CE-RISE). She has led NILU’s work for the European Environmental Agency (EEA) since 2008 and is the Deputy manager of the European Topic Centre on Human health and the environment (ETC HE). She was Coordinating Lead Author of the UN-Environment’s 6th Global Environment Outlook (GEO6) report, as well as chairperson of the CEN/TC264/WG43.

Employee

Employee

Dr. Henrik Grythe serves as a senior researcher at NILU posted at Kjeller, Norway.

His Msc. in meteorology is from the University of Oslo and his PhD is in atmospheric physics from Stockholm University. There he worked with quantifying emission sources, and the dispersion and removal of both natural and anthropogenic aerosol particles as well as short-lived pollutants.

He specializes in climate and air pollution relevant problems where a high temporal and spatial resolution is required, working with a broad range of methods and data sources.

He has a long experience working with models and model development for several atmospheric and emission models and has a leading role in the development of both new and existing methods and numerical models.

He actively disseminates scientific knowledge through various media channels to the public, engages in communication with government and stakeholders, and participates in scientific conferences. His h-index is 17, with a total of 2,500 citations (Google Scholar).

Employee

Sonja Grossberndt works as scientist at the Environmental Impacts and Sustainability department.

Grossberndt’s work focuses on user engagement, citizen science and science communication. She works also as project administrator in a number of national and international research projects.

Employee

Assigned roles and positions at NILU Centre for Atmospheric Data

• EBAS operations & development coordinator
• Head of ACTRIS DC In Situ unit
• NILU’s expert and contact person on FAIR data and FAIR principles
• Lead Global Atmospheric Watch – World Data Centre for Aerosols (GAW-WDCA)

Responsibility and function

• Highly experienced project leader in ongoing and future projects in particular under EU and Research Council of Norway (RCN), mainly associated to EBAS and ACTRIS.
• Follow EOSC and consider and coordinate activities wrt to EBAS and ACTRIS in relation to EOSC activities
• Follow up the data centre team in the work with implementation and operation of EBAS and ACTRIS In Situ to partners
• Act as contact person for ACTRIS DC in ACTRIS Topical Centres for aerosol and cloud in situ (CAIS-ECAC and CIS)