Dr. René Mõttus

Biography

René Mõttus is a Professor at the University of Edinburgh in the Department of Psychology, specializing in the study of human personality and its implications for well-being. He completed his BSc in 2003, MSc in 2005, and PhD in 2009 at the University of Tartu, Estonia. Following his academic training, he worked as a clinical psychologist at a psychiatry clinic before committing fully to an academic career. From 2010 to 2013, he served as a post-doctoral researcher and senior researcher at the Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology at the University of Edinburgh. In 2013, he became a lecturer in the Department of Psychology, advancing to reader in 2019 and then to professor in 2024. Dr. Mõttus is involved in teaching both undergraduate courses in human personality and core MSc courses on personality and intelligence. His research interests include the representation of human personality, the utility of personality traits in predicting life outcomes, and the genetic and behavioral aspects of personality development, supported by data from the Estonian Biobank. He has supervised numerous PhD students and regularly contributes to the academic community through his blog and podcast, focusing on personality psychology topics that have received attention from major media outlets such as the Guardian, Telegraph, and BBC.

Research Interests

Experience