Academic interests
My research examines interpersonal connections and tactile experiences. I investigate how we use touch to make sense of and engage with the world, and how social encounters relate to our experiences and well-being. A particular focus is on the affective dimensions of these processes: what makes interpersonal and sensory experiences positive, and the factors that determine and modulate these feelings. To unravel the underlying mechanisms, we use self-report, psychophysical methods, peripheral physiological measures, endocrine measures and fMRI.
Uta is also the institute’s Head of Postgraduate Studies (PhD Coordinator).
Courses taught
Background
Academic Qualifications
- 2013: Professor, Dept. of Psychology, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
- 2009 Docent (“Habilitation”, venia legendi) in Psychology, University of Vienna, Austria
- 2003: PhD from Dept. of Neurology, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, Germany (thesis title “Eye-hand coordination in time and space”)
- 1998: M.Sc. (diploma) in psychology, University of Munich, Germany
Professional history
- Since 2016: Professor at the IMB, University of Oslo
- 2011-2016: Associate professor (until 2013), then full professor at the Dept. of Psychology, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
- 2005-2011: University of Vienna, Austria, Section for Biological Psychology. Research fellow of the German Research Foundation (DFG) (2003-2005), thereafter postdoc, associate professor, and vice head of the Dept. of Clinical, Biological and Differential Psychology
- 2003-2005: Postdoc at the University of Umeå, Sweden, Dept. of Integrative Medical Biology, Section for Physiology
- 2002: Guest researcher, Dept. of Experimental and Work Psychology, University of Groningen, Netherlands (3 months)
- 1999-2003: PhD student at Dept. of Neurology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich
- 1998 – 1999: Research assistant, Dept. of Psychology, section for neuropsychology, Ludwig-Maximilians University, and Max-Planck Institute for Psychiatry, Dept. of Neuropsychology, Munich
- 1997-1998: Student research assistant, Faculty of Psychology, Technical University Munich
- 1997: Research internship, Dept. of Psychology, University of Durham, UK (3 months)