Anja Lundkvist Winter

I am a PhD student at Karolinska Institutet within the Department of Clinical Neuroscience, working in the Perception Neuroscience group led by Professor Johan Lundström. My research focuses on the human olfactory system, with particular emphasis on perceptual plasticity, olfactory dysfunction, and the development of methods to assess and improve smell function. My background is in psychology, with a Master’s degree from Stockholm University and earlier training in the United States. I have also worked as a research assistant and lab manager before starting my doctoral studies. I have contributed to several interdisciplinary research projects using psychophysical and neuroimaging methods, and have led the development of an evidence-based smell training intervention that has been translated into a healthcare product.

My research at Karolinska Institutet is situated within psychology and perception neuroscience, with a focus on how the human sense of smell works and changes over time. I study olfactory perception and how smell function can be impaired and restored. A central aim of my work is to better understand olfactory dysfunction and to develop effective ways to measure and improve smell function in both research and clinical settings. To do this, I use a combination of behavioural experiments, psychophysical testing, and brain imaging methods to capture different aspects of sensory processing. I also work on developing practical tools, such as at-home smell tests and training interventions, that can be used outside the laboratory. In the long term, this research aims to improve diagnosis and treatment of smell disorders, while contributing to a broader understanding of how sensory systems function and adapt.

I am involved in teaching at Karolinska Institutet, where I contribute to courses in psychology, including Introduction to Psychology and Experimental Psychology. I deliver lectures on perception to students from psychology and related programmes.