A picture of Björn Lindström

Björn Lindström

Senior forskare

Om mig

My research focuses on understanding the psychological, computational, and neural mechanisms involved in social learning—the process through which we acquire knowledge from and about others. Social learning is a critical aspect of human culture and cultural evolution as it allows the transmission of ideas and behaviors across generations. To gain a comprehensive understanding of social learning, I employ a multi-methods approach, combining behavioral experiments, computational modeling, and neuroimaging techniques.

After completing my PhD in Psychology at Karolinska Institutet in 2014 (with Professor Andreas Olsson), I had the opportunity to further my research through a Marie-Curie fellowship at the Zürich Center for Neuroeconomics, University of Zürich, collaborating with Professor Philippe Tobler. During this time, I investigated the neural mechanisms underlying social learning.

I then joined the University of Amsterdam as a postdoctoral researcher for two years, working with David Amodio. From 2020 to 2022, I held a tenured Assistant Professor position at the Department of Social and Organizational Psychology at VU Amsterdam. During this period, I further developed my own research program and had the opportunity to mentor students and collaborate with colleagues in the academic community.

In 2021, I was fortunate to receive a European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant and a Wallenberg Academy Fellowship grant. These grants provide support for my research on social learning and cultural evolution. As of 2023, I have returned to the Karolinska Institutet and rejoined the Division for Psychology at the Department of Clinical Neuroscience.