Eelke Snoeren is a Full Professor in Biological Psychology and currently serves as Deputy Head of Research at the Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT The Arctic University of Norway. His academic career spans multiple institutions, including previous positions as Associate Professor at UiT and visiting professorships at the University of Geneva and University of Leicester. PhD in Psychopharmacology (2010) from Utrecht University, Netherlands MSc in Neuroscience and Cognition (2006) from Utrecht University, Netherlands BSc in Biomedical Sciences (2004) from Utrecht University, Netherlands Snoeren's research centers on understanding the neurobiological basis of behavior , particularly focusing on the brain's reward system. His work investigates three interconnected research lines: the neurobiology of sexual motivation and behavior , the effects of excessive junk food consumption on neural reward pathways , and the neurodevelopmental effects of antenatal antidepressant exposure . He employs a combination of traditional behavioral testing, chemogenetic manipulation techniques, and advanced imaging to study these phenomena in rat models, with strong translational relevance to human conditions. His recent publications (2020-2025) demonstrate a consistent focus on translational neuroscience using rat models to investigate reward system functioning. Key themes across these works include neural circuitry of reward processing, behavioral adaptations to dietary challenges, and developmental consequences of pharmacological interventions. The research employs sophisticated methodologies including chemogenetics and seminatural environmental setups to enhance ecological validity. 2023: Researcher award of the Faculty of Health Sciences of UiT, Norway 2016: Young researcher award of the Faculty of Health Sciences of UiT, Norway 2015 & 2019: Prize for contribution to work environment, Department of Psychology, UiT, Norway Snoeren actively supervises bachelor and master's students in psychology programs, teaching courses including Biological Psychology, Critical Reading and Presenting in Psychology, and Cognitive Neuroscience. His research is supported by multiple competitive grants from the Norwegian Research Council (FRIPRO), Helse Nord, and the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA-IF). As leader of the Behavioral and Translational Neuroscience research group, he oversees projects investigating neural mechanisms behind normal and aberrant motivated behaviors, with particular emphasis on how the brain regulates the switch from motivation to consummatory behavior. The Behavioral and Translational Neuroscience research group employs advanced techniques including chemogenetics to study specific neural pathways involved in reward processing. Their work utilizes seminatural environmental set-ups that allow rats to express natural social behaviors, enhancing the translational value of their findings to human conditions. The group's approach combines human and animal translational research to investigate how external stimuli trigger behavioral responses and alter the brain's natural reward system.
