I am an adjunct associate professor at the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Linköping University, with my primary research conducted at the , where I work as a senior researcher and head of the physiology lab.
My research focuses on how temporary physiological and cognitive states, such as fatigue, distraction, and alcohol intoxication, affect a person’s ability to drive safely. These states can significantly impair attention, judgment, and reaction time, and are often contributing factors in traffic crashes. Through experimental studies, we develop methods to detect these risks in real time and design technical solutions and countermeasures to prevent crashes and save lives, both for those inside the vehicle and vulnerable road users outside.
My research combines basic and applied science, using advanced experimental design, physiological measurements, and analysis of eye movements, vehicle behaviour, and bodily signals. We develop and evaluate technical systems that detect temporary impairments in drivers and suggest appropriate countermeasures. These include warning systems that respond to changes in eye movements or driving behaviour, and solutions that actively assist drivers in making safer decisions.
What makes our research unique is the courage to conduct real-world experiments with real people in realistic situations. We have carried out studies with sleep deprived drivers on motorways in the middle of the night, alcohol-impaired and fatigued drivers on test tracks, and distracted drivers in real traffic using occlusion techniques (where the visual field is temporarily blocked). We have also studied phenomena such as local sleep, where parts of the brain fall asleep without the driver noticing, and how peripheral vision is used to gather visual information without direct gaze.
By combining many smaller studies, we build robust knowledge that can be applied in practice. One example is our attention model, Minimum Required Attention (MiRA), which deepens the understanding of attention in traffic. We have also translated the MIRA theory into practice with the AttenD algorithm, capable of detecting distraction in real time.
I hold an MSc in Computer Science and Engineering (2002) and a PhD in Biomedical Engineering (2008), both from Linköping University. Since 2018, I have been affiliated with LiU, contributing to the research environment by bridging technology, medicine, and behavioural science. I bring over 20 years of experience from more than 100 national and international research projects involving academia, industry, research institutes, and public authorities.
By identifying risky driver states and developing methods for early detection, our research contributes to saving lives and reducing suffering, both for those behind the wheel and for those outside the vehicle.