Staff profile

onja is a postdoctoral researcher within the GRAID programme, working on social-ecological systems modelling and poverty traps. She is also a member of the SES-LINK group, which is led by Maja Schlüter.

She uses theoretical approaches, such as mathematical modeling and qualitative analysis of dynamical systems, to identify and study nonlinear mechanisms of social-ecological systems. She is especially focused on understanding mechanisms and feedback loops that lead to and preserve poverty.

Taking into account that the social and ecological aspects of the systems are deeply intertwined, she develops abstract multidimensional models which reflect interactions among actors of complex adaptive systems and ecosystem. The models are fitted to different scenarios and may include nutrient cycling, human ability to learn and change habits, interdependence between production and biodiversity and so on. As such, they extend classical economic poverty traps models and allow consideration of various poverty alleviation strategies and pathways.

Sonja’s received her Ph.D. in Mathematics and Applied Mathematics from Linköping University in 2016. The topic of her project was mathematical modeling of population dynamics. Rigorous analytical treatment and ecological foundation of the problem were combined in order to extend known theory around population models. By doing this, she was able to explain some well-known phenomena, such as survival of migratory species and unsuccessful pesticide application.