Trine Waaktaar

Trine Waaktaar is a Professor at the Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, affiliated with the Faculty of Social Sciences. She holds roles including former Vice Dean of Studies (2020–2023) and Deputy Head of Department (2016–2019). Her research focuses on genes and environment, developmental psychopathology, stress/resilience, and bridging research with clinical practice. She earned her PhD in Psychology (2004) with a focus on resilience interventions for children with psychosocial stressors, following a Cand. Psychol (1989) and specialization in clinical child/adolescent psychology (1995).

Her work spans clinical and academic contributions, including leading the Resilient Future project on adolescent resilience causes/consequences. Key research areas include twin studies on personality, psychopathology, and environmental influences. Waaktaar co-develops interventions like the EMOTION program for child anxiety/depression prevention and evaluates therapeutic adherence scales. She also chairs ethics committees at UiO and contributes to national education policies through RETHOS.

Recent publications emphasize longitudinal twin studies on loneliness, life events, and personality traits linked to disorders like borderline personality disorder. Her 2024 studies highlight genetic/environmental interplay in adolescent development. Waaktaar’s work bridges clinical practice and research, influencing both academic discourse and practical mental health strategies.