Neuroscience of Emotion

Location: Stockholm

Type: Core Course

Term: Semester

Course Information

Credits 3
Available Fall, Spring
Program Neuroscience
Disciplines Neuroscience, Psychology, Pre-Medicine / Health Science
Long Study Tour Paris
Short Study Tour Sweden

About this course

How do we understand the interplay of human emotions and their neural networks? This course applies findings from the interdisciplinary field of neuroscience and the psychological study of cognition, emotion, and personality. Basic, complex, and social emotions are explored from the perspective of, for example, the subjective experience of emotion and non-conscious processes, and how emotions are interpreted, expressed, or regulated. Affective systems, neural networks, and their relationship to cognitive processes such as attention, learning, memory, and decision making are addressed. Where relevant, human brain imaging findings, pathological conditions, treatment, and cultural perspectives are considered.

Syllabus

Spring 2026

This is the most recent syllabus for this course

Go to syllabus

: When you enroll in this Core Course, you will also enroll in the Neuroscience of Emotion Lab.

Read more about the lab.

Travel on Study Tour

You only take one Core Course per semester, and each Core Course includes two Study Tours: one Short Study Tour to a nearby destination for three days, and one Long Study Tour to another European country for six days.

Led by your faculty, Study Tours take you into real-world settings where you will apply what you’ve learned outside the classroom.

Check out the Study Tours for this course

Students sitting on the floor in a modern building, engaging in a group activity with papers and notebooks scattered around.

Elodie Cauvet

Obtained her PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience, from Pierre & Marie Curie University in Paris (France). Her research interest started with language acquisition in infants leading to the study of the cerebral processing of language and music in adults. She became interested in neurodevelopmental disorders starting with developmental dyslexia then expending into autism spectrum disorders as well as ADHD. She is using techniques from psychology as well as neuroimaging in her research, this includes MRI (anatomical and functional) as well as EEG and eye tracking. She has been conducting her latest research at Karolinska Institutet Center for Neuro-developmental Disorders (KIND). Her interests include social cognitive skills, empathy and emotion processing within the whole spectrum of functioning from typicality till disorders such as ASD. She has been with DIS since 2016.

About this tour

This week-long Study Tour is designed to show you different aspects of affective neuroscience and illustrate the connections between research and treatment. You step into the world of affective neuroscience by touring labs, visiting therapists, and meeting various researchers from different universities and institutes in Paris.

You engage in discussions to further develop your understanding of how classwork translates into a professional context. In addition, the academic program is supplemented with some of Paris’ cultural highlights, giving you the opportunity to learn more about French history and contextualize your studies.

Learning outcomes

Visit the Social and Affective Neuroscience research group at the French Academy of Neuroscience and gain insight into the cutting-edge research being performed there
Visit clinicians to gain an understanding of how emotions are managed in therapy
Visit a computer music center working to combine signal processing and cognitive neuroscience to understand how music creates emotions

Possible activities

Learn about research in affective neuroscience through visiting clinical and lab-based research institutions
Investigate the many different forms of treatment that utilize aspects of affective neuroscience
Understand how the creative arts and therapy impact our emotions and their neural connections and relate this to our theoretical and research knowledge

Short Study Tour

About this tour

The three-day study tour in Gothenburg will introduce you to neuroscience research and initiatives currently taking place in this innovative Swedish city. Through lectures at universities, visits to research labs, and discussions with scientists and practitioners, you will learn how Affective Neuroscience is researched and applied in a Swedish context.

In addition, the study tour program is supplemented with cultural visits to help you learn more about Swedish history and culture and give you a more well-rounded understanding of the context in which you are studying.

Learning outcomes

Broaden your perspective on research in Affective Neuroscience relative to affective disorders, as well as gain insight into the Scandinavian approach to research and treatment
Get a closer look into Affective Neuroscience and its impact on treatment in the psychiatric and psychological fields
Connect with patients with affective disorders and their relatives to learn about their lives and how people suffering from affective disorders are aided by the Swedish health system

Possible activities

Take a tour of the Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Center, gaining insight into the latest research in affective disorders mainly focusing on the field of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Visit the Swedish Imago Institute to explore how Neurobiology is connected to relationships, the brain, and wellbeing
Visit the Göteborg division of the National Swedish Autism and Aspergers Association