Rate My Professor Tomas Brodin

Tomas Brodin is Professor of Aquatic Ecology and subject area coordinator for Aquatic Ecology at the Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) in Umeå, a position he has held since 2018. Born in 1971 in Umeå, he grew up in Djäkneböle and completed military service before studying biology at Umeå University, where he graduated in 2000. He earned his PhD in evolutionary ecology from Umeå University in 2005 with a thesis on predator effects on prey populations. Following his doctorate, Brodin completed a two-year postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, Davis, funded by the Swedish research councils Formas and VR, focusing on behavioral ecology and determinants of individual dispersal. He returned to Umeå University in 2009, where he was appointed associate professor in ecology in 2017 before joining SLU.

Brodin is an aquatic ecologist whose research examines the ecological effects of pharmaceuticals in aquatic systems, drawing on his background in evolutionary and behavioral ecology to enhance the ecological relevance of chemical risk assessment. His work combines laboratory experiments with large-scale field studies in lakes and rivers, employing tools such as acoustic telemetry and physiological biologgers. Key research tracks include the impacts of pharmaceuticals on fish and invertebrate behavior, species interactions, and ecosystem functioning; causes and consequences of invasive species spread, particularly the round goby; mechanisms driving fish dispersal and migration; and airborne microbial biodiversity. Notable publications include Brodin et al. (2013) in Science on behavioral effects of an anxiolytic pharmaceutical at environmentally relevant concentrations, along with numerous papers in journals such as Nature Communications, Environmental Science & Technology, and Science of the Total Environment. He maintains an active research profile with high citation impact and collaborates on national and international projects addressing pharmaceutical pollution, invasive species, and climate-related dispersal changes.