Lars Bäckman

Lars Bäckman is a Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at the Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society at Karolinska Institutet since 2002. He maintains an active research profile with numerous publications extending to 2025, indicating his current engagement in academic work. His research is primarily affiliated with the Aging Research Center (ARC) and the Cognitive Aging and Mental Health group led by Erika Jonsson Laukka.

Professor Bäckman's research focuses on understanding how human cognitive functions, particularly memory functions, are affected by normal aging and dementia. His work employs large epidemiological studies, intervention studies, and various brain-imaging techniques including fMRI and PET. A significant portion of his research examines how factors such as health, education, and different forms of physical, mental, and social activities impact intellectual functioning in aging populations, and how older adults may compensate for cognitive losses. His extensive publication record demonstrates consistent focus on neural mechanisms underlying cognitive aging, with particular emphasis on dopamine systems, brain structure and function, and the relationship between vascular health and cognitive decline.

His research has been published extensively in leading journals across cognitive neuroscience, neurology, gerontology, and psychology. His most recent publications (2023-2025) demonstrate continued active research in areas including dopamine receptor function across the lifespan, brain imaging studies of cognitive aging, cardiovascular health impacts on cognition, and intervention studies for dementia prevention. Professor Bäckman has been significantly involved in the FINGER trial (Finnish Geriatric Intervention Study to Prevent Cognitive Impairment and Disability), which investigates multidomain lifestyle interventions for dementia prevention.

Professor Bäckman's work often takes a longitudinal approach, tracking cognitive changes over extended periods in population-based studies. His research has made important contributions to understanding the relationships between dopamine systems and cognitive aging, the neural correlates of memory function across the lifespan, and the identification of modifiable factors that can influence cognitive trajectories in older adults. His work has significant implications for developing interventions to maintain cognitive health and prevent or delay dementia in aging populations.