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Håkan Fischer is a Professor of Human Biological Psychology at Stockholm University, where he has served as Head of the Department of Psychobiology and Epidemiology since 2011. He also holds an associate professor position at Karolinska Institutet, is affiliated with the Aging Research Center and Stockholm University Brain Imaging Centre, and is a faculty member at Digital Futures at the Royal Institute of Technology. Since September 2025, he has additionally served as a visiting professor at Linköping University. Fischer has established himself as a leading researcher in emotional and cognitive processing, with particular expertise in socio-emotional aspects across the lifespan.
Fischer earned his PhD in psychology from Uppsala University in 1998, followed by postdoctoral research at Harvard Medical School (1999-2001). He then worked at the Aging Research Center at Karolinska Institutet before joining Stockholm University in 2011. His academic journey includes a sabbatical year (2021-2022) at the University of Florida's Department of Psychology. Fischer is actively involved in university governance as a member of the Swedish Research Council's Subject Council for Humanities and Social Sciences (2023-present) and represents Stockholm University in multiple international collaborations.
Håkan Fischer's research primarily focuses on investigating intra- and interindividual differences in affective, cognitive, social and perceptual processing, with special emphasis on age-related differences in adults. His laboratory employs advanced neuroimaging techniques including fMRI, PET, and fNIRS to examine brain function, while also utilizing structural imaging methods like T1-weighted imaging, DTI, and perfusion imaging to study brain structure. Fischer advocates for single-subject small-N designs to better understand emotional and cognitive mechanisms. His current research lines include socio-emotional perception and recognition, oxytocin effects on socio-emotional processing across the lifespan, and AI development for interpersonal communication analysis.
Analysis of Fischer's recent publications reveals a strong focus on emotion recognition across populations, neurobiological mechanisms of socio-emotional processing, and methodological innovations. His work consistently integrates behavioral testing, neuroimaging, and genetic analysis to provide comprehensive insights. The increasing incorporation of AI approaches demonstrates his adaptation to emerging technological advances in psychological research. Fischer has published 136 peer-reviewed articles with over 12,200 citations and a Google Scholar h-index of 53.
Fischer has received consistent funding since 2002 from prestigious sources including the Swedish Research Council, Wallenberg Foundation, STINT, Riksbankens Jubileumsfond, and Konung Gustav V och Drottning Victorias stiftelse. He currently leads nine funded research projects (two as principal investigator totaling 6.9 million SEK, seven as co-applicant totaling 24.8 million SEK) spanning multiple international collaborations in Sweden, Germany, and the USA.
As an educator, Fischer leads the basic course in Cognitive Neuroscience and the master's course in Emotion Psychology and Affective Neuroscience. He regularly teaches at both undergraduate and advanced levels, primarily in biological psychology, cognitive neuroscience, and emotion psychology. Fischer currently supervises six doctoral students (one as main supervisor, four as assistant supervisor) and has mentored graduate students since 2002.
Håkan Fischer leads a dynamic research laboratory that investigates emotional, social, perceptual, and cognitive processing. The lab examines how intraindividual variations across stimuli and time, as well as interindividual differences in age, gender, genetics, personality, and sleep deprivation affect these processes. His lab maintains active national and international collaborations with researchers at Stockholm University, Uppsala University, Karolinska Institutet, University of Florida, and University of Gothenburg, creating a robust interdisciplinary research environment focused on translating basic neuroscience into practical applications.
