Stockholm university

Brain Research

Thought, emotion and disease.

How does the brain work and what happens when something goes wrong? Research on the brain ranges from neurological diseases and mental health to how we remember and learn. By understanding the brain, we can improve people's quality of life.

Forskarfredag

News

SUBIC - Stockholm University Brain Imaging Centre

Research grants for the use of SUBIC equipment

Stockholm University researchers are welcome to apply for SUBIC time grant.

Brain Research - Theme page Chemistry - Theme page Psychology and Human Behaviour - Theme page Plants, Animals and Nature - Theme page Physics - Theme page Life Science - Theme page Language, Literature and Culture - Theme page History, Archeology and Cultural Heritage - Theme page Geology, Geography and Landscapes - Theme page Digitalization and AI - Theme page Climate and Environment - Theme page
Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics

Birds and mammals build advanced brain circuits using different developmental mechanisms

The area in the brain responsible for complex cognitive functions have different origin in different species such as mammals, birds, and reptiles new research show. These findings indicate that these structures and circuits are not homologous, but rather the result of convergent evolution.

Brain Research - Theme page Chemistry - Theme page DNA Research - Theme page Plants, Animals and Nature - Theme page SciLifeLab - Theme page Life Science - Theme page
SUBIC - Stockholm University Brain Imaging Centre

Four projects awarded SUBIC time grants

Four projects have received time grants from the Stockholm University Brain Imaging Center (SUBIC). SUBIC congratulates the researchers and encourages other Stockholm University researchers to apply for the next grant in 2025.

Brain Research - Theme page Life Science - Theme page Oceans and Lakes - Theme page Sustainable Chemistry - Theme page Plants, Animals and Nature - Theme page Chemistry - Theme page
SUBIC - Stockholm University Brain Imaging Centre

SweCog 2024 in Stockholm

The 19th conference of the Swedish Cognitive Science Society will be held in Stockholm. The conference is free of charge and will take place between Thursday October 10th and Friday October 11th.

Brain Research - Theme page
3D model of Homo naledi, fossils of shark eggs, and ancient seeds.
SUBIC - Stockholm University Brain Imaging Centre

Delegations from South African universities visited SUBIC

SASUF, the South Africa-Sweden University Forum, is a collaborative project involving 40 partner universities in Sweden and South Africa. On May 14th, during the annual Research and Innovation Week organized by SASUF, 15 rectors from South African universities visited the Stockholm University Brain Imaging Centre (SUBIC). This visit represents a significant step in strengthening international ties and promoting joint research initiatives in the field of brain imaging.

Brain Research - Theme page History, Archeology and Cultural Heritage - Theme page Plants, Animals and Nature - Theme page

Conversations in an MR scanner provides a novel view of the brain’s language network

Researchers have revealed new insights into how the brain processes speech and listening during conversations through advanced investigations using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). In a groundbreaking study published in the esteemed journal Cerebral Cortex, researchers compared brain activity in individuals while both speaking and listening during natural conversational situations.

Psychology and Human Behaviour - Theme page Brain Research - Theme page
Iskra följer forskare som jobbar med mikroskop
Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics

Mapping the brain's serotonin pathways increases knowledge of our emotions

Fear and curiosity are emotions that determine how adventurous or cautious we are. But how are our emotions controlled by biological factors in the brain's nerve cells? New research shows that clearly defined serotonin pathways in the brain and their connections to for example amygdala and hypothalamus affect how we feel and act.

DNA Research - Theme page Brain Research - Theme page Health and Living Conditions - Theme page Chemistry - Theme page Life Science - Theme page SciLifeLab - Theme page Psychology and Human Behaviour - Theme page

You don’t lose if you snooze

It is often claimed that using the snooze button can have negative effects on sleep and cognitive processes, but there has been no direct evidence to this effect. New research from the Department of Psychology at Stockholm University shows that snoozing may actually support the waking process for regular snoozers.

Psychology and Human Behaviour - Theme page Brain Research - Theme page Health and Living Conditions - Theme page Organization and Working Life - Theme page
Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics

Basic research for the benefit of ALS patients

By understanding why certain nerve cells and the muscles they control are resistant to fading in the deadly disease ALS, it is possible to create new possibilities for treatments. Researchers at Stockholm University are now trying to identify and transfer the properties of these resistant nerve cells.

SciLifeLab - Theme page Chemistry - Theme page Brain Research - Theme page Life Science - Theme page
Show more

Events

Show more

Research projects

Beyond Reductionism: Contingent Grounding and the Mind-Body Problem

This project addresses the fundamental question at the heart of the mind-body problem: what is the nature of the mind, and how does it relate to the physical world? Two main views have traditionally been defended: physicalism, on which matter is more fundamental than mind; and dualism, on which matter and mind are equally fundamental.

Cell-type specific role of chromatin organization

Eukaryotic genomes are folded into high-order chromatin domains, which intrinsically affects all DNA-dependent processes. We study how chromatin architectural proteins regulate gene expression during dynamic developmental processes.

Choir singing and healthy aging

We propose to conduct an intervention study to evaluate the efficacy of choral singing on cognitive functioning and psychological well-being and the underlying neural mediating mechanisms in the elderly.

Elderly people singing in choir. Photo: GettyImages
Invisible process – cognition and working memory in dialogue interpreting

This project aims to lay the foundation for studying cognitive processes in interpreting dialogues. The research questions concern the nature of the interpreter’s cognitive resources, more specifically, the function of the monitoring processes as compared to other types of interpreting and the strategies applied to cope with cognitive load.

Illustration of people talking chat bubbles. Illustration: Dzmitry Baranau, MostPhotos
Life course psychosocial factors and early signs of dementia

Identification of the risk factors that predict early signs of Alzheimer's disease and related dementia and the underlying mechanisms may lead to the identification and development of effective personalized preventive strategies that can protect against cognitive dysfunction.

Two elderly people drinking from paper mugs. The man is in a wheelchair. Baloons in the background.
Neural Mechanisms of Auditory Awareness

How does the brain enable us to experience something consciously? This question has been studied extensively in vision, but it is unclear whether the mechanisms are similar for hearing.

Close-up of violin being played. Photo: Niek Verlaan from Pixabay.
Predictive processing in Swedish as a second language

How do second language speakers process grammatical information? Can they predict the continuation of a sentence before it is actually finished? How do linguistics factors and individual properties of language learners create expectations of upcoming input? This project explores these questions with learners of Swedish as a second language.

Research
The importance of the MEP pathway in the microbiome and its effect on behavior

Our main aim is to study the effects of bacterial phosphoantigens (HMBPP and IPP) on appetite. We introduced these into mice by gavage and followed the differences in weight gain and gene transcription from relevant tissues. An unexpected effect on male salivary glands focused our interest also on their effects on immune response.

Research
Touch: From fingertip to brain

The goal of this research environment, which is a cross-disciplinary collaboration between Stockholm university, The Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) and Research Institutes of Sweden (RISE), is to understand the hierarchical contributions of chemical, mechanical, neural and psychological factors governing dynamic tactile perception.

Hands using a mobile screen in the dark. Photo: Free-Photos from Pixabay.
Understanding the brain: Representations of neuroscience in Swedish mass media

The project analyses how massmedia distribute scientific knowledge of the brain to the general public. By taking texts published in Swedish daily newspapers during one year (2019) as a point of departure it aims to further the understanding of how neuroscientific knowledge, and the value of such knowledge, is presented in massmedia.

Bild på hjärna som kugghjul
Video Remote Interpreting (VRI)

Video Remote Interpreting (VRI): A study on Cognitive Load in Simultaneous and Dialogue Interpreting via video and interpreters' attitudes towards VRI in Sweden

Research
What our brain knows from using our nose

The project "What our brain knows from using our nose: Understanding the neural representations of odor memories" aims to discover how the human brain recognizes and identifies odors and how odors are linked to particular places.

Lavender field next to old stone church. Photo: Hans Braxmeier from Pixabay.
Show more

Research groups

Clinical psychology, neuroscience and health

The research group conducts scientific research to increase our knowledge in clinical psychology, primarily interventions for mental health problems in people with and without neurodiversity such as autism and ADHD as well as mechanisms and neural correlates in the brain.

Three project photos with a neural network as a backdrop.
Read more about
Golkar's Research Lab

Golkar’s research lab investigates various aspects of emotion regulation and learning with a specific focus on how we learn and remember from aversive experiences.

Read more about
Group Dai

Regulation of cell fate decision is fundamental to development, disease, and regeneration. We address how gene regulatory systems guide the assembly of complex biological patterns by investigating stem cell biology and cell fate decision mechanisms.

Qi Dai
Read more about
Group Emami

We work on infectious-disease biology with a focus on host-pathogen-vector signalling-communication. We provide a fundamental/quantitative description of communication in infection-biology/behaviour plasticity, and genetics towards the design of novel scientific technologies.

Noushin Emami
Read more about
Group Faye

Our aim is to study the effects of bacterial phosphoantigens (HMBPP and IPP) on appetite. We introduced these into mice by gavage and followed the differences in weight gain and gene transcription from relevant tissues. An unexpected effect on male salivary glands focused our interest also on their effects on immune response.

Ingrid Faye
Read more about
Group Piazza

We’re fascinated by how metabolism influences gene expression. In our lab, we study how small molecules and metabolites can regulate what genes are turned on or off, and how this affects protein production. Our goal is to understand the molecular “language” that connects a cell’s metabolic state to its genetic activity.

Foto Illaria Piazza
Read more about
National research hub digitalization in preschool

National research hub digitalization in preschool was founded on the initiative of Susanne Kjällander (Associate Professor in Preschool Education) in February 2020. All PhD researchers who study digital tools in preschool at Swedish higher education institutions are welcome to participate.

Bild av barn som dansar framför en digital danspedagog
Read more about
The Fischer Lab

Fischer's research lab studies various aspects of emotional, social, perceptual, and cognitive processing. The lab also examines how intraindividual variations over stimuli and time, and interindividual differences in age, gender, genetics, personality, and lack of sleep affect these processes.

Head with visible brain Illustration. Picture from iStock.
Read more about
Show more

themePageLayout

{
  "dimensions": [
    {
      "id": "department.categorydimension.subject",
      "name": "Global categories",
      "enumerable": true,
      "entities": [],
      "localizations": {}
    },
    {
      "id": "department.categorydimension.tag.Keywords",
      "name": "Keywords",
      "enumerable": false,
      "entities": [],
      "localizations": {}
    },
    {
      "id": "department.categorydimension.tag.Person",
      "name": "Person",
      "enumerable": false,
      "entities": [],
      "localizations": {}
    },
    {
      "id": "department.categorydimension.tag.Tag",
      "name": "Tag",
      "enumerable": false,
      "entities": [],
      "localizations": {}
    },
    {
      "id": "localcategorytree.su.se.english",
      "name": "Local categories for www.su.se/english",
      "enumerable": true,
      "entities": [],
      "localizations": {}
    },
    {
      "id": "webb2021.categorydimension.Label",
      "name": "Tema (Webb 2021)",
      "enumerable": true,
      "entities": [],
      "localizations": {}
    },
    {
      "id": "webb2021.categorydimension.Label.en",
      "name": "Themes (Webb 2021)",
      "enumerable": true,
      "entities": [
        {
          "id": "webb2021.categorydimension.Label.en.Brain",
          "name": "Brain Research",
          "entities": [],
          "attributes": [],
          "childrenOmitted": false,
          "localizations": {}
        }
      ],
      "localizations": {}
    }
  ]
}