Håvar Brendryen

Håvar Brendryen is an Associate Professor in Clinical Psychology at the Department of Psychology, University of Oslo. He received his Cand. Polit. in psychology from NTNU in 2001 with specialization in cognitive psychology and human-machine interaction, and completed his doctorate at the University of Oslo in 2009 on Automated cessation interventions delivered via the internet and mobile phone. He has been employed at SERAF since 2010 and has taught and supervised in health psychology.

His main research interests include eHealth, health psychology, behavior change, addiction, smoking cessation, and early intervention for alcohol. He is particularly interested in internet- and telephone-based behavior change programs, with a focus on mechanisms of action including relapse prevention, slippage management, and working alliance. His work bridges cognitive psychology with practical clinical applications through digital interventions.

Recent publications show a consistent focus on digital alcohol and smoking cessation interventions, with notable work on implementation science, user engagement with eHealth tools, and cross-cultural adaptation of interventions. His research demonstrates a strong trajectory from theoretical foundations in cognitive psychology to practical applications in addiction treatment through digital platforms.

He has secured funding from multiple sources including the Research Council of Norway, National Cancer Institute (USA), and SERAF for his projects. Notable projects include the Balance alcohol intervention program and internet-based smoking cessation programs with relapse prevention components.

Dr. Brendryen supervises doctoral students, with Marianne Therese Smogeli Holter being his doctoral fellow on the smoking cessation project funded by the Research Council of Norway. He has also collaborated extensively with international researchers on digital health interventions.