Anna Niska is a senior research leader at VTI. She is also the director of the Swedish Cycling Research Centre established by the Swedish government in 2018. Anna has a Master of Science in Environmental Engineering and a PhD in Highway Engineering, with the title “Winter maintenance and cycleways” of her doctoral thesis. Her main field of research is within effects on cycling of road maintenance and operation including accident analysis, effects on cycle flows, mode choice, riding comfort, and evaluations of winter maintenance methods and equipment.

Through close collaborations with the Swedish Transport Administration, municipalities and contractors, Anna's research has been used as a basis for manuals and guidelines and in the development of methods, equipment and working methods. Her research has gained considerable dissemination and attention, especially regarding the development and evaluation of the “sweep-salting” method.

For her many years of work to improve the ability for more people to cycle, she was awarded the Swedish Association of Transportation Planners' Price in 2016, and Swedish Cycling Opinion Prize in 2017.