What are your research topics?
My research focuses on atmospheric science and atmospheric chemistry, especially on how atmospheric particles form. I also study air pollution and permafrost emissions, and conduct field studies at high-altitude locations worldwide to explore new particle formation in natural environments.
Where and how does the topic of your research have an impact?
My research impacts our understanding of climate change by examining how aerosol particles form and grow in the atmosphere. This is because atmospheric particles influence cloud formation, atmospheric cooling, and the Earth’s radiation balance.
The studies that I have done at high-altitude locations like the Swiss Alps, Himalayas, and Andes provide insights into aerosol behaviours in regions less influenced by human activity. This helps us understand pre-industrial atmospheric conditions, which is important, as climate change is measured by comparing present-day atmospheric conditions with pre-industrial ones.
What is particularly inspiring in your field right now?
In atmospheric science, the most exciting thing is climate feedback, which is how the atmosphere is changing due to climate change. This doesn’t just mean greenhouse gas emissions such as methane and CO2 but also the compounds that can be emitted by processes triggered by climate change like permafrost emissions, forest emissions during heat wave, and algae bloom.