Fredrik Ullén and Töres Theorell

Cultural activities, skilfully selected and adapted to the circumstances, have been shown in scientific studies to have the potential of improving leadership and also to improve the psychosocial environment in the class room. An experiment with a "cultural leadership" program has shown beneficial health effects on employees and a "social" music education during a school year has been shown to have a stress reducing effect in the class room. These experiments will be described and discussed against the background of scientific knowledge on the effects of cultural participation and its effects on health.

Fredrik Ullén is professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at the Department of Women's and Children's Health since 2010.The primary goal of Fredrik Ullén's research is to reveal the neural mechanisms of expertise, musical expertise in particular. Important components include the learning of movement sequences and other motor skills, the brain's management of rhythm and timing, the link between timing and intelligence, as well as creativity in expertise.

The research methods involve a combination of neuroimaging techniques (MRI, PET), behavioural experiments and psychological tests. In addition, the interaction between genetic factors and training in different types of expertise is being studied in ongoing twin studies.

Töres Theorell

Professor emeritus of Psychosocial Environmental Medicine, especially Occupational Medicine. He was appointed professor in 1995 and is emeritus since 2006. He is active at the Department of Public Health Sciences. A special field of research interest is the connection between health and cultural activities