CSHC - Center for the Study of Human Cognition

Personal profile
Born April 17th, 1974, Norway
Married, 3 children
Address: Institute of Psychology, University of Oslo, Pb. 1094 Blindern, 0317 Oslo, Norway
E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  Phone: +47 22 84 51 29

Current position
Professor of cognitive psychology, Institute of Psychology at the University of Oslo (100% position)
Research position in neuropsychology, Department of Neuropsychology, Ullevål University Hospital (15% position)

Degrees
2005 Dr. Psychol (PhD) in psychology, University of Oslo. Thesis title: Integrating brain and behavior    throughout the adult life-span. Supervisor: professor Ivar Reinvang
2001 Cand. Psychol (professional degree in psychology), licensed psychologist

Employment history
2007-present  Professor in cognitive psychology, Institute of Psychology, UiO
2005-2007     Associate professor in cognitive psychology, Institute of  Psychology, UiO
                    Scientific leader for the Neuroimaging analysis lab
2002             Enrolled in the PhD program at the Institute of Psychology, UiO. 
2001-present Clinical neuropsychology/ research position at the Department of neuropsychology, Ullevål University Hospital, 15-50% position
2000-2001     Student research fellow, Institute of Psychology, UiO.

Visiting scholarships

2009 Guest researcher, Dale and Halgren’s Multi Modal Imaging Lab, UCSD (3 months)

2005 Guest researcher, Martinos Center for Biomed Imaging, Harvard (2 months).
2002 Guest researcher, Martinos Center for Biomed Imaging, Harvard (3 months).

Research activity, management, and achievements
Since starting as a student research fellow with co-student Kristine B. Walhovd, my research has been focused on how changes in brain structure and function are related to changes in cognitive abilities. The first studies were done on samples of healthy elderly, with use of electrophysiological (EEG/ ERP) and neuropsychological/ cognitive measures. In 2002, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was included as an additional measure in most of my studies, including morphometry and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Present research projects are focused on changes in brain structure, function and cognition during the life-span (4-90 years), with samples of healthy as well as different patient groups, e.g. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients. I have taken a multi-modal approach, in that a multitude of different methods are used in these studies, including cognitive/ neuropsychological testing, neuroimaging (structural and functional MR, DTI, PET), electrophysiology, genetic testing, hormone samples and CSF biomarkers. For instance, my group was the first to show a relationship between electrophysiological activity and white matter diffusion characteristics, to study the relationship between CSF biomarkers for AD patients and brain morphometry across the entire brain, and among the first to study how brain morphometry, PET metabolism and diffusion characteristics are related to each other in mild cognitive impairment. Lately, much effort has been put into a large multi-sample study of brain aging, of which I am PI. Data are gathered from five different research groups in Europe and USA, and we test how consistent effects of healthy aging and AD are on different aspects of brain morphometry. To date, we are approaching 1300 participants, and the first four papers from the study have been accepted for publication autumn 2008/ spring 2009.

Teaching and supervisory experience
Experience with teaching and supervision at all levels at the Institute of Psychology, UiO. Lectures in memory, perception, attention, neuroimaging and applied cognitive psychology at the introductory and graduate levels. Supervision and organization of students’ research projects in experimental cognitive psychology and ERP-research (10 students each term). Has supervised 50 term papers in the professional program in psychology. Currently supervising 1 PhD candidate and 2 student research fellows.

Honors and awards
2006  The Fridtjof Nansen Award for Young Researchers
2006  His Majesty the King’s Gold Medal