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Katarina Howner

Katarina Howner

Adjunct Lecturer | Docent
Visiting address: Rättsmedicinalverket, Alfred Nobels Allé 41, 14152 Huddinge
Postal address: K8 Klinisk neurovetenskap, K8 CPF Howner, 171 77 Stockholm

About me

  • I am a ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ doctor and double specialist in psychiatry and forensic psychiatry. I obtained my PhD in 2010 with the thesis: Offenders with Mental Disorder: Psychosocial and Neurobiological Aspects, at the Department of Clinical Neuroscience, ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡. Since completing my PhD, I have continued my research at ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡, and since November 2021, I have been the researchroup leader for the research group Forensic behavioral neuroscience. In May 2022, I became an Associate Professor in Psychiatry. Currently, I am employed as a senior consultant at the National Board of Forensic Medicine, where I work with forensic psychiatric assessments part-time and spend the remaining time on research. I have also served as the Director of Studies for the Research School in Clinical Psychiatry at ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ from 2021-2025.

    Education:

    Basic course in Criminology, Stockholm University, Spring 1995

    Medical degree, ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡, 1996-2001

    Medical License, 2004

    Step 1 Training in Cognitive Therapy, Danderyd Hospital, 2008-09

    PhD, ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡, 2010

    Specialist in Psychiatry, 2013

    Specialist in Forensic Psychiatry, 2018

    Associate Professor in Psychiatry, ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡, 2022

Research

  • My research area focuses on the biological correlates of psychopathy and lack of empathy. I have led a postdoctoral project, From Gene to Brain – Various Aspects of Psychopathy (GeBra), which is divided into two parts:

    GeBra I: This study involves data from incarcerated offenders in all Class I prisons within the Swedish Prison and Probation Service.

    GeBra II: This study focuses on brain imaging and examines psychopathic traits according to the triarchic model. Data collection was completed in early 2025.

    Furthermore, I am the deputy project leader for the research project RPU 2.0, conducted at the National Board of Forensic Medicine, where we investigate the relationship between mental disorders, crime type, and victim relationship. Within this project, there are several subprojects, including: TriFE Project: This subproject examines the triarchic model of psychopathy and its relationship to fearlessness temperament and empathy. We study individuals undergoing forensic psychiatric assessments and their ability to interpret emotional expressions and heart variability in relation to psychopathic personality traits.

    I am also the principal investigator for a population-based registry study that investigates parents involved in custody disputes. The study maps their profile prior to the dispute and the potential consequences for both parents and children.

    Finally, I am in the initial stages of a new doctoral project, The Time Before the Crime, which is a ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ record review study examining individuals undergoing forensic psychiatric assessment and their contact with psychiatry three months before the crime.

Teaching

  • I regularly give lectures in the undergraduate education for doctors, nurses, occupational therapists, speech therapists, and police officers on the topics of personality disorders and forensic psychiatry. I also regularly teach a course on brain imaging techniques within the research school in clinical psychiatry, as well as a course on psychopathy and PCL-R assessments at the National Board of Forensic Medicine (RMV). Since Autumn 2021, I have been offering a specialist training (ST) course in forensic psychiatry. Additionally, I regularly lecture for specialist training doctors (ST) in psychiatry, forensic psychiatry, and addiction medicine.

    Completed main supervision: PhD Malin Pauli (2020).

    Completed co-supervision: PhD Karolina Sörman (2015), PhD Shilan Caman (2017).

    Ongoing main supervision: Hannibal Ölund Aloso (2017-), Ayman Fakih (2019-), and Tim Tengberg (2025-) at ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡.

    Ongoing co-supervision: Anja Fernqvist (2021-) at the University of Gothenburg.

    I have previously, together with my research colleague Shilan Caman, run a popular science podcast where we explore psychological phenomena behind human behaviors: "Det Mörka Psyket" ().

Articles

  • Article: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OFFENDER THERAPY AND COMPARATIVE CRIMINOLOGY. 2023;:306624X231188233
    Sorman K; Fakih A; Caman S; Kelley SE; Poghosyan K; Gustavsson P; Edens JF; Howner K
  • Article: JOURNAL OF ATTENTION DISORDERS. 2023;27(7):721-730
    Etterlid-Hagg V; Pauli M; Howner K
  • Article: FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY. 2023;14:1176266
    Fernqvist A; Alexiou E; Zetterberg H; Howner K; Nilsson T; Andine P
  • Article: JOURNAL OF FORENSIC PSYCHIATRY & PSYCHOLOGY. 2022;33(1):172-177
    Pauli M; Olund Alonso H; Liljeberg J; Gustavsson P; Tiihonen J; Howner K
  • Article: FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY. 2022;13:844807
    Caman S; Sturup J; Howner K
  • Article: FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY. 2021;12:704516
    Pauli M; oelund Alonso H; Liljeberg J; Gustavsson P; Howner K
  • Article: PLOS ONE. 2021;16(4):e0249065
    Nilsonne G; Tamm S; Golkar A; Olsson A; Sorman K; Howner K; Kristiansson M; Ingvar M; Petrovic P
  • Article: CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND BEHAVIOR. 2020;47(6):688-711
    Sorman K; Cox J; Rimsten CE; Stanziani M; Lernestedt C; Kristiansson M; Howner K
  • Article: JOURNAL OF FORENSIC PSYCHIATRY & PSYCHOLOGY. 2019;30(4):642-657
    Pauli M; Liljeberg J; Gustavsson P; Kristiansson M; Howner K
  • Article: PSYCHIATRY RESEARCH-NEUROIMAGING. 2018;280:56-61
    Kraus J; Frick A; Fischer H; Howner K; Fredrikson M; Furmark T
  • Article: PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT. 2018;30(5):610-620
    Kelley SE; van Dongen JDM; Donnellan MB; Edens JF; Eisenbarth H; Fossati A; Howner K; Somma A; Sorman K
  • Article: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FORENSIC MENTAL HEALTH. 2018;17(2):97-110
    Pauli M; Essemyr K; Sorman K; Howner K; Gustavsson P; Liljeberg J
  • Article: CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR AND MENTAL HEALTH. 2017;27(2):124-135
    Sygel K; Sturup J; Fors U; Edberg H; Gavazzeni J; Howner K; Persson M; Kristiansson M
  • Article: ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE. 2017;4(3):160607
    Nilsonne G; Tamm S; Golkar A; Sorman K; Howner K; Kristiansson M; Olsson A; Ingvar M; Petrovic P
  • Article: PSYCHOLOGY OF VIOLENCE. 2017;7(2):306-315
    Caman S; Howner K; Kristiansson M; Sturup J
  • Article: PLOS ONE. 2016;11(6):e0156570
    Sorman K; Nilsonne G; Howner K; Tamm S; Caman S; Wang H-X; Ingvar M; Edens JF; Gustavsson P; Lilienfeld SO; Petrovic P; Fischer H; Kristiansson M
  • Article: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FORENSIC MENTAL HEALTH. 2016;15(1):26-34
    Caman S; Howner K; Kristiansson M; Sturup J
  • Article: LAW AND HUMAN BEHAVIOR. 2014;38(5):405-417
    Sorman K; Edens JF; Smith ST; Svensson O; Howner K; Kristiansson M; Fischer H
  • Article: BEHAVIOURAL BRAIN RESEARCH. 2014;259:330-335
    Frick A; Gingnell M; Marquand AF; Howner K; Fischer H; Kristiansson M; Williams SCR; Fredrikson M; Furmark T
  • Article: TRANSLATIONAL PSYCHIATRY. 2013;3(10):e312
    Frick A; Howner K; Fischer H; Kristiansson M; Furmark T
  • Article: NEUROSCIENCE LETTERS. 2013;536:52-55
    Frick A; Howner K; Fischer H; Eskildsen SF; Kristiansson M; Furmark T
  • Article: PSYCHIATRY RESEARCH. 2012;203(2-3):126-131
    Howner K; Eskildsen SF; Fischer H; Dierks T; Wahlund L-O; Jonsson T; Wiberg MK; Kristiansson M
  • Journal article: JOURNAL OF BEHAVIORAL AND BRAIN SCIENCE. 2011;01(03):115-123
    Howner K; Fischer HK; Dierks T; Federspiel A; Wahlund L-O; Jonsson T; Wiberg MK; Kristiansson M
  • Article: PSYCHIATRY RESEARCH. 2010;180(1):30-34
    Wahlund K; Sorman K; Gavazzeni J; Fischer H; Kristiansson M
  • Article: JOURNAL OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE. 2006;21(8):1081-1091
    Wahlund K; Kristiansson M
  • Show more

All other publications

  • Editorial comment: FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY. 2022;13:1051071
    Krona H; Vollm B; Howner K
  • Editorial comment: FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY. 2020;11:615473
    Howner K; Hofvander B; Tapp J
  • Preprint: BIORXIV. 2019
    Nilsonne G; Tamm S; Golkar A; Olsson A; Sörman K; Howner K; Kristiansson M; Ingvar M; Petrovic P
  • Review: FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY. 2019;10:963
    Howner K; Andine P; Engberg G; Ekstrom EH; Lindstrom E; Nilsson M; Radovic S; Hultcrantz M
  • Review: FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY. 2018;9:452
    Howner K; Andine P; Bertilsson G; Hultcrantz M; Lindstrom E; Mowafi F; Snellman A; Hofvander B
  • Conference publication: BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. 2014;75(9):358S
    Gingnell M; Frick A; Marquand AF; Howner K; Fischer H; Kristiansson M; Williams SCR; Fredrikson M; Furmark T
  • Doctoral thesis: 2010
    Howner K
  • Review: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LAW AND PSYCHIATRY. 2009;32(4):266-271
    Wahlund K; Kristiansson M
  • Review: LAKARTIDNINGEN. 2009;106(6):361-365
    Wahlund K; Fischer H; Dierks T; Wahlund L-O; Wiberg MK; Jonsson T; Kristiansson M

Grants

  • Swedish Research Council
    1 January 2023 - 31 December 2024

Employments

  • Adjunct Lecturer, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡, 2021-2026

Degrees and Education

  • Docent, ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡, 2022
  • Degree Of Doctor Of Philosophy, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡, 2010
  • University Medical Degree, ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡, 2001

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