Ulrika NilssonDeputy Head of Department, Professor
About me
I finished my PhD in Analytical Chemistry 1992 and started to work as researcher at Stockholm University in Nov 1997, became docent in 2005 and professor in 2014. Between 1988 and Nov 1997 worked as a researcher at National Institute for Occupational Health (NIOH).
During the first ten years at Stockholm University, my focus was hazardous contaminants in work and indoor environments. We developed air-sampling techniques for isocyanates and organophosphate flame-retardants and plasticizers, as well as fast bioanalytical techniques, such as MIPs and membrane extraction techniques. A miniaturized denuder technique for personal exposure measurements able to separate isocyanate vapor and aerosols was designed, and quantitative methods for airborne contaminants were developed utilizing solid-phase microextraction (SPME).
My current research focus is analytical dermatochemistry. This involves method development for skin allergens, study of their skin uptake, occurrence in commercial products and the environment, structure-activity relationships, and mechanisms behind hapten formation.
I am responsible for the PhD program in analytical chemistry at Stockholm University and deputy prefect at the Department of Materials and Environmental Chemsitry
Teaching
Director, teacher and examiner of the advanced courses Mass Spectrometry KA7010 and KA7011.
Teacher in mass spectrometry at all levels.
Research
My research is focused on the development of analytical methods and techniques enabling studies and measurements of compounds involved in skin sensitization (contact allergy). Examples of skin-sensitizers of special interest are fragrance hydroperoxides, isothiocyanates, resin acids from colophonium, and textile pollutants. High-sensitivity/high-selectivity methods, for example 2D-reversed phase/normal phase HPLC/MS and SPME/GC/MS, are developed to measure trace amounts of skin sensitizers in highly complex commercial products and materials. As a member of Swedish Contact Dermatitis Group, SKDG, I collaborate with a number of dermatologists and other researchers within the field of contact allergy.
In collaboration with the Mistra project SafeChem 2020-2023, fast target and non-target analytical methods to screen, quantify and monitor the content of hazardous chemical remains from textile production in textiles, recycled textile materials and waste water are developed for implementation in the context of developing a sustainable, circular economy. In collaboration with the Formas proj nr 2017-01532, the transfer of textile pollutants from fabric to skin, skin absorption, and metabolism of textile chemicals to hazardous and skin-sensitizing compounds are studied.
Group members
- Conny Östman, Professor
- Josefine Carlsson, PhD student
- Tim Åström, PhD student
Cooperations
- Anneli Kruve, Associate Professor
- Ioannis Sadiktsis, PhD
- Jan Holmbäck, Lipidor AB
- Isabella Karlsson, PhD, ACESx
- Carlo Crescenzi, Salerno University, Italy.
- Margareta Törnqvist, ACESx
- Lina Hagvall, Assoc Professor, Sahlgrenska Hospital, GU
- Marléne Isaksson, Professor, LU
- Ann-Therese Karlberg, Professor, GU