Jessica Körning-Ljungberg

My research background is rooted in psychologically based work environment issues, as I completed my PhD at the Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine at Umeå University in 2006. Since then, my research area has expanded to span the broader field of psychology, with a strong focus on the individual. My work primarily covers areas such as attention, distraction and cognition, mental health, stress, aging, and brain plasticity in relation to lifestyle factors. In addition to applied and experimental research, I have also collaborated with industry and organizations on topics such as fighter pilot selection and psychological testing together with SAAB and the Swedish Air Force. I also lead research projects with several other large national organizations and companies on questions related to attitudes and motivation for lifelong learning as well as concentration training for elite athletes.

I currently serve as the subject coordinator for the research area of psychology, where I am responsible for matters related to ensuring research quality and integrating it into our teaching, as well as strategic work aimed at developing the discipline. For several years, my colleagues and I, together with partners in the Region and the municipalities of Norrbotten, have worked to obtain degree-awarding rights for a five-year psychology program at LTU. In late 2024, we received approval to launch the first cohort in autumn 2025.

Outside of academia, I am frequently engaged as a reviewer of positions, dissertations, and quality assessments of research activities at universities. My experience also spans areas such as project management for graduate schools, management group work, evaluation committee work, review panels, board member duties, and I am currently serving as vice-chair of the National Committee for Psychology at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.