Kalle Ekholm earned his PhD in Political Science from Stockholm University in 2022. Prior to being awarded a Pro Futura Scientia Fellowship, he held positions at Lund University, Uppsala University, and Kristianstad University.

Ekholm’s doctoral research examined how mainstream political forces influence the success of radical right parties. This marked his entry into the interdisciplinary field of political psychology, where he employed experiments and theories from social psychology to explore how recognition from other parties can contribute to the rise of radical right movements. The findings were published in the Journal of Social and Political Psychology.

As a postdoctoral researcher at Uppsala University, he continued his interdisciplinary work in a project investigating the long-term political, social and economic effects of traumatic exposure to natural disasters.

This intersection of health and politics forms the basis of his current research as a Pro Futura Scientia Fellow. His project examines how mental health influences political engagement, broadly defined. Drawing on nationwide registry data, he is investigating how various psychiatric diagnoses, particularly those identified in childhood, influence voting behaviour and the likelihood of pursuing political office. The project also explores how these patterns differ across genders. By integrating insights from political science with psychological and psychiatric perspectives, the research aims to deepen our understanding of why individuals with mental health challenges are underrepresented in all aspects of political life.

This information is accurate as of the academic year 2025-26.