Prof. Erika Schagatay, Research Director
Erika Schagatay, professor in animal physiology, is the director of research. She obtained her BSc at Lund University, studied marine biology at Gothenburg University, and completed her PhD at Lund University in 1996. After post-doctoral work at the August Krogh Institute in Copenhagen and the Department of Community Medicine in Malmö, Sweden she joined Mid Sweden University in 1999 for a lectureship in animal physiology. In 2000 she was appointed associate professor of animal physiology at Lund University, and 2007 professor at Mid Sweden University. An active diver and instructor of apneic diving, her interest in physiology began when she during her travels met native apnea divers performing far better than stated possible in the medical literature at the time. Erika has since 1988 studied the physiology of several diving tribes, including the Japanese Ama and the Indonesian Suku Laut and Bajau. Later studies have focused on competitive apnea divers. In addition to field and laboratory studies on trained and untrained human subjects, pigs have been trained and their diving responses studied. Under her direction, the lab also conducts research in altitude and thermal physiology. Erika has supervised four graduate students to their licentiate (a Swedish degree between MSc and PhD level) or doctorate of philosophy, and more than 100 students in shorter research projects. She has a family with three children.
Doctoral student Angelica Lodin-Sundström is a biologist with her basic education at Mid Sweden University and Uppsala University. She has worked with the group for 2 years, during which she has finished her BSc study followed by her Masters thesis, both concerning spleen function during hypoxia. Her MSc thesis has been internationally presented and submitted for publication, and her BSc thesis is already published. In parallel with her own work, Angelica has taken part in several studies as a research assistant and a field research assistant. Angelica has a family with 2 children.
Doctoral Student Harald Engan joined the EPG from Norway during his MSc studies in Sweden. His MSc thesis focus was on the effects of apnea training on a number of cardiorespiratory and hematological parameters. Harald has studied biology at NTNU in Trondheim as well as psychology in Australia, and is currently planning his graduate career in the field of environmental physiology. Harald has also been a field research assistant in the group for studies during the World Championship of apnea 2008.
Master Student Anna Hubinette is the most recent addition to our group. She is a biologist with her basic education from Mid Sweden University. She has recently finished her BSc thesis focusing on the physiological effects of a 70-day expedition across the Greenland ice cap by two men in their sixties, and will continue with her MSc thesis investigating how patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) cope with hypoxia.
PhD student Helena Haughey-Vigetun is currently on hiatus from research. Helena studies spleen function and erythrocyte release as well as cardiovascular regulation in obstructive sleep apnea patients during both voluntary apnea and sleep apnea. Helena is currently working as a physiotherapist and also raises horses and has taken a pause in her PhD studies, after having published 2 papers. She has a family with six children.
Current co-workers with the Environmental Physiology Group from other departments
Dr. Jonas Appelberg, Sundsvall Hospital
Dr. Johan Andersson, Lund University
Dr. HC Holmberg, National Winter Sports Center
Dr. Nikolai Stenfors, Östersund Hospital
Dr. Pontus Albertsson, Swedish Rescue Agency