Katarina Howner
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
- Article: JOURNAL OF ATTENTION DISORDERS. 2023;27(7):721-730
- Article: FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY. 2023;14:1176266
- Article: JOURNAL OF FORENSIC PSYCHIATRY & PSYCHOLOGY. 2022;33(1):172-177
- Article: FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY. 2022;13:844807
- Article: FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY. 2021;12:704516
- Article: PLOS ONE. 2021;16(4):e0249065
- Article: CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND BEHAVIOR. 2020;47(6):688-711
- Article: JOURNAL OF FORENSIC PSYCHIATRY & PSYCHOLOGY. 2019;30(4):642-657
- Article: PSYCHIATRY RESEARCH-NEUROIMAGING. 2018;280:56-61
- Article: PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT. 2018;30(5):610-620
- Article: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FORENSIC MENTAL HEALTH. 2018;17(2):97-110
- Article: CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR AND MENTAL HEALTH. 2017;27(2):124-135
- Article: ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE. 2017;4(3):160607
- Article: PSYCHOLOGY OF VIOLENCE. 2017;7(2):306-315
- Article: PLOS ONE. 2016;11(6):e0156570
- Article: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FORENSIC MENTAL HEALTH. 2016;15(1):26-34
- Article: LAW AND HUMAN BEHAVIOR. 2014;38(5):405-417
- Article: BEHAVIOURAL BRAIN RESEARCH. 2014;259:330-335
- Article: TRANSLATIONAL PSYCHIATRY. 2013;3(10):e312
- Article: NEUROSCIENCE LETTERS. 2013;536:52-55
- Article: PSYCHIATRY RESEARCH. 2012;203(2-3):126-131
- Journal article: JOURNAL OF BEHAVIORAL AND BRAIN SCIENCE. 2011;01(03):115-123
- Article: PSYCHIATRY RESEARCH. 2010;180(1):30-34
- Article: JOURNAL OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE. 2006;21(8):1081-1091
- Show more
All other publications
- Editorial comment: FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY. 2022;13:1051071
- Editorial comment: FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY. 2020;11:615473
- Preprint: BIORXIV. 2019
- Review: FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY. 2019;10:963
- Review: FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY. 2018;9:452
- Conference publication: BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. 2014;75(9):358S
- Doctoral thesis: 2010
- Review: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LAW AND PSYCHIATRY. 2009;32(4):266-271
- Review: LAKARTIDNINGEN. 2009;106(6):361-365
Grants
- Swedish Research Council1 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