The two researchers are recognised for their significant contributions to psychology, ranging from studies of brain development across the lifespan to research on culture and the development of psychology as a discipline. Both have also maintained close and long-standing collaborations with the University of Gothenburg, contributing to the faculty’s research environments.
Honorary doctorates are awarded to individuals outside the university who have made particularly significant contributions to research, education or other academic activities. The appointments are made by the Faculty Board following nominations from the faculty’s departments.
Kristine B. Walhovd – mapping brain development from childhood to old age
Kristine Beate Walhovd is a psychologist, neuroscientist and Professor of Neuropsychology at the University of Oslo. She is an internationally leading researcher in cognitive neuroscience, with a focus on how the brain and human cognition change over the course of life.
Her research explores how we are shaped by our brains and when critical changes occur throughout life. Together with her colleagues, she studies individuals aged 4 to 90 in order to better understand the relationship between the brain and behaviour across the lifespan.
Her work includes studies on how various risk factors and conditions, such as memory complaints and Alzheimer’s disease, affect the brain. She has also demonstrated how early life conditions – even during the fetal stage – can have long-term consequences later in life.
Kristine Beate Walhovd has made significant contributions to research at the University of Gothenburg, including her key role in the UGU-LIFE study and as holder of the 2025 Mark Visiting Professorship. In recognition of her outstanding academic achievements and her contribution to the university’s strategic research development, she is awarded an honorary doctorate.
Moin Syed – identity, culture and the development of psychology
Moin Syed, Professor of Psychology at the University of Minnesota, is an internationally recognised cultural and developmental psychologist. He is broadly engaged in both the substance of research and the conditions under which it is conducted.
His interest in psychology began with a personal commitment. As a student, he was drawn to the field by a desire to help others, as well as by his own experiences of growing up as one of few ethnic minorities in his community. The questions he grappled with became the foundation of his research.
Building in these questions, he has conducted research on identity and personality development in cultural contexts, particularly among young people from diverse backgrounds.
Today, his work focuses on meta-science, examining how psychological research is conducted and how it can be improved. A recurring theme in his work is the integration of racial and ethnic minority psychology with mainstream psychology.
For nearly 15 years, Moin Syed has maintained a close and extensive collaboration with the University of Gothenburg. He has taught in doctoral programmes, supervised PhD candidates, served as an external examiner, and been a recurring guest lecturer. He has also contributed to the development of research environments, particularly in the field of ethnicity and migration, and has co-authored a large number of joint publications.
