Fredrik Ullén

Fredrik Ullén is a Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at the Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet. He leads the Neuropsychology of Music research group and serves as Director of the Department of Cognitive Neuropsychology at the Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics. His work focuses on the neural mechanisms of expertise, creativity, and the interplay between genes and environment in skill acquisition, particularly in music.

Affiliations:

• Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet
• Neuropsychology of Music Group
• Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics (Frankfurt)

Research Interests:

• Neurobiology of musical skill and creativity
• Genetic and environmental influences on expertise
• Cognitive mechanisms of flow and intrinsic motivation
• Music as a tool for understanding brain plasticity

Awards:

• 2022 KI Culture Prize for bridging science and culture
• 2021 Scientific Member of the Max Planck Society
• 2017 Fellow of Academia Europaea

Key Contributions: Combines neuroimaging, behavioral genetics, and experimental psychology to explore how intensive training shapes the brain and how genetic factors interact with environmental influences in skill development. His group’s work has advanced understanding of music’s role in cognition and mental health.