Uta Sailer

Uta Sailer is a Professor at the Department of Behavioural Medicine, University of Oslo, and serves as Head of Postgraduate Studies (PhD Coordinator). Her research focuses on reward processing, particularly the sensory and social dimensions of pleasant experiences such as touch and olfactory stimuli. She uses methods including fMRI, psychophysics, and physiological measures to investigate how rewards are perceived and processed. Sailer holds a PhD in Neurology from Ludwig-Maximilians University Munich (2003) and has held academic positions at the University of Gothenburg, University of Vienna, and others before joining the University of Oslo in 2016.

• Education:
  • PhD in Neurology, Ludwig-Maximilians University Munich (2003)
  • M.Sc. in Psychology, University of Munich (1998)
  • Docent in Psychology, University of Vienna (2009)

Her research interests include the neurobiological and psychological mechanisms underlying pleasantness, with a focus on touch targeting C-tactile fibers, olfactory sensitivity, and the role of hormones like ghrelin and oxytocin. Recent studies explore how touch and social interactions influence well-being, particularly in clinical contexts such as bariatric surgery outcomes. Sailer has contributed to interdisciplinary projects involving robotics, music, and cross-cultural odor lexicons.

Her advising role and leadership in postgraduate education reflect her commitment to training future researchers in behavioral and medical sciences. Collaborations span institutions globally, including work on the physiological effects of touch and the development of new measurement tools like the Longing for Interpersonal Touch Picture Questionnaire.