Mattias Öberg

My main area of research is health risk assessment of chemicals. It is a multidisciplinary field and I work in close collaboration with a large network of Swedish and international researchers, authorities and organisations. I am a member of the Nordic Expert Group for chemical risk assessment in occupational settings and part of the EFSA Advisory Group for Biomarkers of Effects. I also chair of the national committee for the European Registered Toxicologists. Moreover, I am the expert coordinator in chemical and toxicological incidents at the Centre for Health Crises at KI. 

I am deeply committed to outreach and communicating knowledge about the health risks of chemicals. I have been engaged as an expert witness in the PFAS case in Kallinge, and I participated in the podcast documentary Mörkt Vatten (Dark Water) about the events there. Mörkt Vatten won the Swedish Radio Academy's Guldörat award in the Best Scoop category in 2023. Together with epidemiologist Emma Frans, I have produced and hosted the podcast series Riskzonen. Each episode provides a scientific perspective on events that have shaken the world and impacted how we view risks. The fourth season of Riskzonen was released in spring, summer, and autumn 2023 and was produced in collaboration with the Centre for Health Crises.

Disaster toxicology and the War in Ukraine:
In relation to the War in Ukraine there is a risk of release of chemicals from damaged chemical industry and transportation of dangerous goods. But exposure can also be related to chemical warfare agents and poisons that in recent years have been used to eliminate individual persons in several countries. As part of my research, I have studied the health risks related to airbourne chemicals, the effects of susceptible groups like asthmatics, and how the dose-response relationships can be calculated. I have also participated in the decision support system used by MSB (the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency) and are regularly lecturing in emergency toxicology, preparedness and response.

Current research projects as main project leader:

• Experimental design aligned with dose-response modelling as a means for 3R in toxicity testing (Financial support: Vetenskapsrådet)
• Bayesian dose-response modelling aligned with experimental design as means to improve chemical risk assessment (Financial support: Formas)
• Risk, Fara, Oro, Skada - ett kommunikationsprojekt (Finansiering: Formas)
• Kemiska olyckor i arbetslivet – systematisk analys av Giftinformationscentralens arbetsmiljörelaterade data (Financial support: AFA Försäkring)
  
  Other reasech projects:
• PERFORCE3, a Innovative Training Network about perfluorinated chemicals. (PI: Ian Cousins; Financial support: European Union’s Horizon 2020)
• Phthalates in female reproduction –impact of mixture composition on hazard characterization (PI: Pauliina Damdimopoulou, Karolinska Institutet, Financial support: Formas)
• New animal-free methods to meet the need for safe chemicals (PI: Elin Törnqvist, Karolinska Institutet, Financial support: Formas)

My teaching activities include lectures, course leadership, supervising master and PhD student.

I have been the main supervisor for three PhD students:

• Mia Johansson (2016) - Asthmatics as a susceptible population in health risk assessment of airbourne chemicals
• Joakim Ringblom (2016) - Worth weighting for - Studies on benchmark dose analysis in relation to animal ethics in toxicity testing
• Antero Silva (planned dissertation in 2022) - Benchmark dose modelling for hazard and risk characterisation of chemicals
• Lars Brunken (planed dissertation 2024) - Dose-response assessment of PFAS mixtures in relation to biomarkers of effects relevant for cardiovascular disease in humans