Susanna Bellander, PhD, is a researcher, Senior Lecturer, and policing and security expert specializing in policing, crisis preparedness, civil-military relations, and democratic resilience. She holds a PhD in Medicine (Global Health) from Umeå University and is affiliated with Södertörn University, where she conducts research. She also serves as a national expert and coordinator for counter-terrorism at the Swedish Police Authority’s National Operations Department.
Her research is particularly concerned with the shifting boundaries between policing and military functions, examining how crises and armed conflict challenge established distinctions between internal and external security, civilian and military responsibilities, and ordinary and extraordinary powers. Her work explores the implications of these transformations for institutional autonomy, democratic accountability, public trust, and societal resilience. She currently leads a newly funded research project examining policing during war and crisis in Ukraine, focusing on how police roles, responsibilities, and relationships with military and civilian institutions evolve under extraordinary circumstances. Her research also addresses public trust in policing during wartime and the broader implications of institutional adaptation under conditions of prolonged crisis.
Alongside her academic work, Bellander has extensive professional experience within the Swedish Police Authority and the Swedish Security Service, spanning criminal investigations, intelligence, counter-terrorism, national security, and strategic crisis management. She has held several national leadership and specialist roles, contributing to policy development, operational preparedness, inter-agency coordination, and the protection of vulnerable populations. Her international engagement includes research collaborations with Ukrainian and European partners, as well as expert contributions to international initiatives on policing, security, critical infrastructure protection, and resilience.
Her interest in the intersection of climate change and public safety builds on her broader research into how security institutions respond to complex and evolving crises. She brings a perspective on the challenges of maintaining effective, accountable, and coordinated public safety responses when established institutional arrangements are placed under pressure.
