Berlin School of Mind and Brain: Doctoral candidates

Prof. Dr. Jonathan Flombaum
Prof. Dr. Dr. Henrik Walter
Prof. Dr. Michael Pauen

On the phenomenological, psychophysical and neurophysiological mechanisms which modulate trichromatic vision

Doctoral project	On the phenomenological, psychophysical and neurophysiological mechanisms which modulate trichromatic vision
Description	Combining phenomenological, psychophysical and neurophysiological techniques, the aim of my thesis is to uncover what I have termed cognitive color maps in human primates.
Supervisors	Prof. Dr. Jonathan Flombaum Prof. Dr. Dr. Henrik Walter Prof. Dr. Michael Pauen
M&B Topics	Topic 1: Perception, attention, consciousness Topic 2: Decision-making Topic 4: Brain plasticity and lifespan ontogeny
Degrees obtained	BA (philosophy of history), MSc (psychology conversion), MPhil (specialization in color vision)
Institute	Charité Medical Faculty Berlin; Johns Hopkins University, School of Psychological and Brain Sciences
Cohort	2015
Status	Doctoral candidate
Academia.edu	https://hu-berlin.academia.edu/IfedayoEmmanuelAdeyefaOlasupo

Al, Esra

Prof. Dr. Arno Villringer
Prof. Dr. Felix Blankenburg

The role of functional connectivity and EEG rhythms on nonconscious processing of tactile stimuli

Al, Esra

Doctoral project	The role of functional connectivity and EEG rhythms on nonconscious processing of tactile stimuli
Description	The project investigates the neural correlates of nonconscious tactile stimuli localization. An EEG experiment is designed to observe whether specific EEG oscillations correlates with the ability to correctly localize undetected tactile stimuli. A TMS study will be designed to observe a possible pathway bypassing primary somatosensory cortex and allowing participants to localize undetected tactile stimuli. Finally, an fMRI experiment will be performed to understand the role of prestimulus functional connectivity on the localization of undetected stimuli.
Funding	Mind & Brain scholarship
Supervisors	Prof. Dr. Arno Villringer Prof. Dr. Felix Blankenburg
M&B Topics	Topic 1: Perception, attention, consciousness Topic 2: Decision-making
Degrees obtained	B.Sc. Molecular Biology and Genetics
Institute	Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Cohort	2016
Status	Doctoral candidate
E-mail	esra.al.mbg-please remove this text-@gmail.com

Borowiak, Kamila

Prof. Dr. Katharina von Kriegstein
Prof. Dr. Isabel Dziobek

Effect of oxytocin on person-identity recognition in autism spectrum disorders

Borowiak, Kamila

Doctoral project	Effect of oxytocin on person-identity recognition in autism spectrum disorders
Description	Recognizing others is a key ability for human communication and its disability leads to severe social difficulties. Social deficits characterize autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and are caused by abnormal processing of communication signals such as the voice and the face. Previous studies have shown that face recognition in neurotypical individuals and individuals diagnosed with ASD can be improved pharmacologically. The aim of my project is to systematically investigate the effect of oxytocin on behavioral and neural mechanisms of voice-identity and face-identity recognition in ASD.
Funding	Elsa-Neumann-Stipendium des Landes Berlin
Supervisors	Prof. Dr. Katharina von Kriegstein Prof. Dr. Isabel Dziobek
M&B Topics	Topic 5: Brain disorders and mental dysfunction Topic 6: Social cognition / human sociality and the brain
Degrees obtained	BSc. Psychology (Freie Universität Berlin), MSc. Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience (Freie Universität Berlin)
Institute	Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig & Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Cohort	2014
Status	Doctoral candidate
E-mail	borowiak-please remove this text-@cbs.mpg.de
Academia.edu	https://cbs-mpg.academia.edu/KamilaBorowiak

Duncan, Caitlin

Prof. Dr. Isabel Dziobek
Prof. Dr. Henrik Walter

Neural correlates of stereotypes and prejudice

Duncan, Caitlin

Doctoral project	Neural correlates of stereotypes and prejudice
Description	This project examines how social biases are created through both prejudice (affective response) and stereotypes (semantic associations). Some of the essential questions are: Are these dissociable processes with distinct neural networks? Does the brain react similarly or differently across different social divisions? Do stress/arousal affect both processes or just the affective component?
Funding	Mind and Brain scholarship
Supervisors	Prof. Dr. Isabel Dziobek Prof. Dr. Henrik Walter
M&B Topics	Topic 1: Perception, attention, consciousness Topic 2: Decision-making Topic 6: Social cognition / human sociality and the brain
Degrees obtained
Institute	Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Psychology
Cohort	2016
Status	Doctoral candidate

Eickers, Gina

Prof. Dr. Michael Pauen
Prof. Dr. Isabel Dziobek

Social cognition, social interaction, and emotion

Eickers, Gina

Doctoral project	Social cognition, social interaction, and emotion
Description	The central question of my dissertation project is if social interaction is possible without assuming social understanding. The aim is to develop an account that explains social interaction as an internalized automatism, mainly by referring to what role emotions play in social interaction.
Supervisors	Prof. Dr. Michael Pauen Prof. Dr. Isabel Dziobek
M&B Topics	Topic 1: Perception, attention, consciousness Topic 2: Decision-making Topic 6: Social cognition / human sociality and the brain
Degrees obtained	Staatsexamen Philosophie, Universität Stuttgart
Institute	Institut für Philosophie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Cohort	2015
Status	Doctoral candidate
E-mail	gina.eickers-please remove this text-@hu-berlin.de
Academia.edu	https://mind-and-brain.academia.edu/GinaEickers

Ghani, Amna

Prof. Dr. Klaus-Robert Müller
PD Dr. Petra Ritter

Decoding musical emotions using the virtual brain (TVB)

Ghani, Amna

Doctoral project	Decoding musical emotions using the virtual brain (TVB)
Description	My project involves the study of musical emotions. Changes in intensity of valence and arousal results in different emotional states. In this study I will use these two components (arousal and valence) to decode person’s emotional experience.
Supervisors	Prof. Dr. Klaus-Robert Müller PD Dr. Petra Ritter
M&B Topics	Topic 5: Brain disorders and mental dysfunction Topic 6: Social cognition / human sociality and the brain
Degrees obtained	MSc Clinical and Cognitive Neuroscience, Goldsmiths University of London
Institute	Technische Universität Berlin; Charite - Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Cohort	2015
Status	Doctoral candidate
E-mail	amna.ghani-please remove this text-@charite.de
Researchgate	https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Amna_Ghani
Academia.edu	https://goldsmiths.academia.edu/AmnaGhani

Goldberg, Michael

Prof. Dr. Elke van der Meer
Prof. Dr. Niko Busch
Prof. Dr. Michael Pauen

The neural basis of the intentional binding effect

Goldberg, Michael

Doctoral project	The neural basis of the intentional binding effect
Description	The ability to act upon things in the environment, control our external surroundings and learn new associations is highly dependent on causal relations. Surprisingly, in the specific case of voluntary actions, it seems that the temporal perceptions of the actions and their sensory consequences shift towards one another. This phenomenon is termed the intentional binding effect (IBE). I propose to combine behavioral and electrophysiological methods in order to uncover the neural basis of this phenomenon. By manipulating the relation of cause and effect a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms (prediction and retrospective inference) can be achieved. Analysis of the ERP components of each mechanism will allow exploring their relative contribution to the shift in time perception.
Funding	Mind & Brain scholarship
Supervisors	Prof. Dr. Elke van der Meer Prof. Dr. Niko Busch Prof. Dr. Michael Pauen
M&B Topics	Topic 1: Perception, attention, consciousness Topic 5: Brain disorders and mental dysfunction
Degrees obtained	M.A. Philosophy (Universiteit van Amsterdam); B.A. Psychology (Tel-Aviv University); Double Major: B.A. Philosophy & Humanities (Tel-Aviv University)
Institute	Institute of Psychology, Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin
Cohort	2014
Status	Doctoral candidate
Phone	+49 176 45650484
E-mail	michael.goldberg-please remove this text-@hu-berlin.de

Guendelman, Simón

Prof. Dr. Isabel Dziobek
Prof. Dr. Hans-Christian Deter

Does mindfulness modulate empathy and mentalization processing?

Guendelman, Simón

Doctoral project	Does mindfulness modulate empathy and mentalization processing?
Description	The aim of this study is to determine whether a psychological intervention (mindfulness) may have an impact in the brain processing of basic social abilities such as empathy and mentalization. To address these questions will be conducting a prospective study, with pre-post measurements of neural correlates of empathy and mentalization, using functional magnetic resonance imaging under particular social cognition paradigms.
Funding	CONICYT – Chile / Mind and Brain scholarship
Supervisors	Prof. Dr. Isabel Dziobek Prof. Dr. Hans-Christian Deter
M&B Topics	Topic 5: Brain disorders and mental dysfunction Topic 6: Social cognition / human sociality and the brain
Degrees obtained	Medical degree & Adult Psychiatry (University of Chile)
Institute	Institute of Psychology & Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Cohort	2014
Status	Doctoral candidate
Academia.edu	https://hu-berlin.academia.edu/SimonGuendelman

Haueis, Philipp

Prof. Dr. Henrik Walter
Prof. Dr. Holger Lyre

Meeting the brain on its own terms

Haueis, Philipp

Doctoral project	Meeting the brain on its own terms
Description	My thesis investigates which neuroscientific experiments would help researchers to develop concepts that describe the human more adequately. Drawing on history and philosophy of science case studies, I argue that exploratory experiments at the mesoscopic scale of neuronal assemblies could provide new concepts that link microscopic to macroscopic principles of brain organization. I use my account of exploratory experiments in neuroscience to assess the data-driven methods of resting state functional connectivity and connectomics approaches, and recent advances in mesoscopic intervention techniques such as optogenetics.
Funding	Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes
Supervisors	Prof. Dr. Henrik Walter Prof. Dr. Holger Lyre
M&B Topics	Topic 1: Perception, attention, consciousness Topic 4: Brain plasticity and lifespan ontogeny
Degrees obtained	BA and MA in philosophy (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin)
Institute	Institute of Philosophy, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg; Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig (guest scientist)
Cohort	2014
Status	Doctoral candidate
E-mail	haueis-please remove this text-@cbs.mpg.de
Academia.edu	https://mind-and-brain.academia.edu/PhilippHaueis

Irmen, Friederike

Prof. Dr. Andrea Kühn
Prof. Dr. Hauke Heekeren

Modelling decision-making in Parkinson’s disease

Irmen, Friederike

Doctoral project	Modelling decision-making in Parkinson’s disease
Description	This project investigates disease- and therapy-specific deficits in decision-making in patients with the neurodegenerative disorder Parkinson’s Disease. In particular, the effect of deep brain stimulation on impulsivity and reward-related decision-making and the interaction with dopaminergic medication are investigated. Further, local field potentials of patients receiving deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus are investigated as possible markers of decision-making performance.
Funding	Mind & Brain Scholarship
Supervisors	Prof. Dr. Andrea Kühn Prof. Dr. Hauke Heekeren
M&B Topics	Topic 2: Decision-making Topic 5: Brain disorders and mental dysfunction
Degrees obtained	MSc Clinical Neuroscience
Institute	Freie Universität Berlin & Virchow Klinikum Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Cohort	2015
Status	Doctoral candidate
E-mail	friederike.irmen-please remove this text-@gmx.de
Researchgate	https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Friederike_Irmen

Kaiser, Mathis

Prof. Dr. Niko Busch
Prof. Dr. Felix Blankenburg
Prof. Dr. Daniel Senkowski

Oscillatory signatures and neural connectivity in multisensory integration

Kaiser, Mathis

Doctoral project	Oscillatory signatures and neural connectivity in multisensory integration
Description	My research aims to elucidate how brain regions interact to integrate the input from visual and auditory modalities. I will employ multisensory illusions, in which information from one modality can influence the perception of stimuli in another so that a novel percept arises, combined with EEG and TMS. Recently, beta-band oscillations have been suggested to provide a possible integrative processing mechanism across brain regions. I will consequently model oscillatory activity in the respective sensory areas, multisensory hubs and frontal regions, and perform connectivity analyses to get a better idea of the information transfer during multisensory processing. I will also apply TMS to selectively disrupt activity in regions of interest and analyze the effect on network activity.
Funding	DFG grant supervisor
Supervisors	Prof. Dr. Niko Busch Prof. Dr. Felix Blankenburg Prof. Dr. Daniel Senkowski
M&B Topics	Topic 1: Perception, attention, consciousness
Degrees obtained	Diplom, Psychology (University of Konstanz)
Institute	Department of Psychology, FU Berlin; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Cohort	2014
Status	Doctoral candidate
E-mail	mathis.kaiser-please remove this text-@charite.de
Researchgate	https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mathis_Kaiser
Academia.edu	https://charite.academia.edu/MathisKaiser

Loaiza, Juan Raul

Prof. Dr. Michael Pauen
Prof. Dr. Isabel Dziobek
Prof. Dr. Jesse Prinz

Emotions, folk-psychology, and natural kinds

Loaiza, Juan Raul

Doctoral project	Emotions, folk-psychology, and natural kinds
Description	Empirical research has shown that emotions are not easily identifiable at the neural or bodily levels. This brings up the question of whether they form a natural kind and whether we should consider them objects of scientific inquiry on their own right. I want to argue that emotions are still interesting objects for psychology and neuroscience, despite the doubts we may have regarding their status as natural kinds. My project aims to develop an account in which, by starting from folk-psychological definitions and abstracting away from them, we can define emotions in scientifically meaningful ways.
Funding	Mind and Brain scholarship
Supervisors	Prof. Dr. Michael Pauen Prof. Dr. Isabel Dziobek Prof. Dr. Jesse Prinz
M&B Topics	Topic 1: Perception, attention, consciousness Topic 6: Social cognition / human sociality and the brain
Degrees obtained	B.A. Philosophy, Universidad del Rosario, Colombia
Institute	Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Philosophy
Cohort	2016
Status	Doctoral candidate
E-mail	loaiza.juan-please remove this text-@hu-berlin.de

Maier, Martin

Prof. Dr. Rasha Abdel Rahman
Prof. Dr. Felix Blankenburg

The meaning of linguistic categories in visual perception

Maier, Martin

Doctoral project	The meaning of linguistic categories in visual perception
Description	In cognitive neuroscience, there is still an ongoing debate about the cognitive penetrability of perception. Some claim that early stages of perception are modular and functionally encapsulated from “higher-level” cognition. Others propose that even the earliest stages of perception can in principle make use of the predictive value of cognitive factors such as expectations, emotions, or language. In this context, I combine experimental paradigms from cognitive psychology with different EEG-techniques, to investigate these questions: Does language (e.g., names for object categories) impact early visual perception? Does the semantic richness of verbal categories play a role in this? And can language influence whether we consciously perceive a stimulus at all?
Funding	Elsa-Neumann-Stipendium des Landes Berlin
Supervisors	Prof. Dr. Rasha Abdel Rahman Prof. Dr. Felix Blankenburg
M&B Topics	Topic 1: Perception, attention, consciousness Topic 3: Language Topic 6: Social cognition / human sociality and the brain
Degrees obtained	Diplom, Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Institute	Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Cohort	2015
Status	Doctoral candidate
E-mail	martin.maier-please remove this text-@hu-berlin.de
Researchgate	https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Martin_Maier9

Mantwill, Maron

Prof. Dr. Carsten Finke
Prof. Dr. John-Dylan Haynes

Functional connectivity profiles and relational memory deficits in patients with limbic encephalitis

Mantwill, Maron

Doctoral project	Functional connectivity profiles and relational memory deficits in patients with limbic encephalitis
Description	In my PhD project I investigate resting-state functional connectivity in patients with autoimmune diseases of the brain. First, I want to use resting-state fMRI data to identify a patient's disease earlier than usual based on functional connectivity measures. Secondly, I will examine functional connectivity differences in distinct variants of autoimmune encephalitis and their effect son cognitive functioning. Thirdly, I will assess relational memory in patients with limbic autoimmune encephalitis as a model for bilateral hippocampal damage. The goal of my PhD project is to facilitate clinical diagnostics using fMRI, help to elucidate differences in autoimmune encephalitis variants and generate knowledge about both the processing of relational memory and the effects of functional connectivity variations on cognition in the human brain.
Funding	Mind and Brain scholarship
Supervisors	Prof. Dr. Carsten Finke Prof. Dr. John-Dylan Haynes
M&B Topics	Topic 2: Decision-making Topic 4: Brain plasticity and lifespan ontogeny Topic 5: Brain disorders and mental dysfunction
Degrees obtained
Institute	Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Psychology
Cohort	2016
Status	Doctoral candidate
E-mail	mantwill.m-please remove this text-@googlemail.com

Margiotoudi, Konstantina

Prof. Dr. Dr. Friedemann Pulvermüller
Prof. Dr. Christine Mooshammer

The mechanism of sound symbolism in the action-perception network of language

Margiotoudi, Konstantina

Doctoral project	The mechanism of sound symbolism in the action-perception network of language
Description	Sound symbolism is a universal linguistic phenomenon of nonarbitrariness in human language. The present project aims to explore the mechanisms of sound symbolism in the action-perception networks of language. In parallel we would like to test sound symbolism in NHM exploring further the origins of human language.
Funding	Mind and Brain scholarship
Supervisors	Prof. Dr. Dr. Friedemann Pulvermüller Prof. Dr. Christine Mooshammer
M&B Topics	Topic 3: Language
Degrees obtained
Institute	Freie Universität zu Berlin, Institut für Deutsche und Niederländische Philologie, Brain Language Laboratory
Cohort	2016
Status	Doctoral candidate
E-mail	konstantina.margiotoudi-please remove this text-@gmail.com

Matyjek, Magdalena

Prof. Dr. Isabel Dziobek
Prof. Dr. Rasha Abdel Rahman

Reward-related processing of social non-verbal cues in Autism Spectrum Disorders

Matyjek, Magdalena

Doctoral project	Reward-related processing of social non-verbal cues in Autism Spectrum Disorders
Description	The aim of my project is to better understand how individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) process social non-verbal cues (facial expressions, gestures, and body posture). To address this issue, I will design a paradigm suitable for measuring both neural (ERPs) and other psychophysiological indicators of social and non-social reward processing (e.g. eye-tracking measures). Furthermore, I will investigate whether motion (videos instead of static pictures) and complexity (all of, or one of the following: facial, hand and posture cues) of social stimuli aid or impede feedback responsiveness in individuals with ASD.
Funding	Mind & Brain scholarship
Supervisors	Prof. Dr. Isabel Dziobek Prof. Dr. Rasha Abdel Rahman
M&B Topics	Topic 1: Perception, attention, consciousness Topic 5: Brain disorders and mental dysfunction Topic 6: Social cognition / human sociality and the brain
Degrees obtained
Institute	Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Cohort	2016
Status	Doctoral candidate
E-mail	matyjekm-please remove this text-@hu-berlin.de

Miller, Natalie

Prof. Dr. Friedemann Pulvermüller
Prof. Dr. Felix Blankenburg

Neurolinguistic investigations of causal links between the mechanisms for language and perception

Miller, Natalie

Doctoral project	Neurolinguistic investigations of causal links between the mechanisms for language and perception
Description	Can language influence our perception? Does labelling something make it easier for us to perceive it? These questions are central to my thesis project, in which I investigate the causal links between language and perception. The crux of my research involves tactile perception and discrimination before and after associating labels with tactile patterns.
Funding	Mind & Brain Scholarship
Supervisors	Prof. Dr. Friedemann Pulvermüller Prof. Dr. Felix Blankenburg
M&B Topics	Topic 1: Perception, attention, consciousness Topic 3: Language
Degrees obtained	BA Spanish, MA German and Theoretical Linguistics, MA European Linguistics
Institute	Freie Universität zu Berlin, Institut für Deutsche und Niederländische Philologie, Brain Language Laboratory
Cohort	2015
Status	Doctoral candidate
Phone	+49 30 83851170
E-mail	tally.miller-please remove this text-@fu-berlin.de
Homepage	http://www.geisteswissenschaften.fu-berlin.de/v/brainlang/te...

Ohrnberger, Katharina

Prof. Dr. Felix Bermpohl
Dr. Daniel Margulies
Prof. Dr. Arno Villringer

Models of the self and their neurobiological implementation

Ohrnberger, Katharina

Doctoral project	Models of the self and their neurobiological implementation
Description	My doctoral research surrounds the neurobiological mechanisms (as well as their relation with behaviour and phenomenology) that (might) play a role in the maintenance and regulation of (human) systemic balance and identity. I pursue different lines of thought, one main focus concerns the regulatory mechanisms of large-scale brain networks involved with internally and externally directed attention.
Supervisors	Prof. Dr. Felix Bermpohl Dr. Daniel Margulies Prof. Dr. Arno Villringer
M&B Topics	Topic 1: Perception, attention, consciousness Topic 5: Brain disorders and mental dysfunction Topic 6: Social cognition / human sociality and the brain
Degrees obtained	B.A. Liberal Arts and Sciences (Biological Psychology, Sociology, Cultural Studies, Philosophy), University College Maastricht; M.Sc. Brain and Mind Sciences, University College London, Ecole Normale Superieure, Universite Pierre et Marie Curie
Institute	Charite Universitätsmedizin
Cohort	2015
Status	Doctoral candidate
Researchgate	https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Katharina_Ohrnberger2
Academia.edu	https://ucl.academia.edu/KOhrnberger

Paul, Mariella

Prof. Dr. Angela D. Friederici
Prof. Dr. Isabell Wartenburger

The sensitive period for associative learning of non-adjacent dependencies in verbal and non-verbal material

Paul, Mariella

Doctoral project	The sensitive period for associative learning of non-adjacent dependencies in verbal and non-verbal material
Description	Young children are able to learn the rules of their native language in an associative, automatic way. Adults, on the other hand, have to learn a second language in a more explicit, controlled way. One kind of rules that have to be learned when acquiring a language are non-adjacent dependencies. These are grammatical dependencies that span across one or more other elements of a sentence, for example the “is” and “-ing” in: “The sister is singing.” In my thesis, I want to investigate when in development the ability to learn non-adjacent dependencies in natural language associatively is lost. By also investigating non-adjacent dependency processing for non-linguistic material, I want to further find out whether this developmental trajectory is specific to language or domain-general.
Funding	Mind and Brain scholarship
Supervisors	Prof. Dr. Angela D. Friederici Prof. Dr. Isabell Wartenburger
M&B Topics	Topic 3: Language
Degrees obtained
Institute	Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences
Cohort	2016
Status	Doctoral candidate
E-mail	paulm-please remove this text-@cbs.mpg.de

Raffington, Laurel

Prof. Dr. Ulman Lindenberger
Dr. Yee Lee Shing
Prof. Dr. Christine Heim

The effect of stress on children's neurocognitive development

Raffington, Laurel

Doctoral project	The effect of stress on children's neurocognitive development
Description	Severely stressful experiences, for instance trauma, affect children’s brain and cognitive development. However, it is less well understood how variations in stress within a less severe range affect development. For example, children may experience higher stress levels due to living in a more crowded environment or a neighborhood with a high crime rate. At the same time, family environment may moderate children’s experiences of stress. We are particularly interested in how stress and family environment affect learning and memory development in middle childhood. To understand the involved neural mechanisms, we plan to utilize magnetic resonance imaging in a longitudinal design over the course of a year.
Funding	Mind & Brain scholarship
Supervisors	Prof. Dr. Ulman Lindenberger Dr. Yee Lee Shing Prof. Dr. Christine Heim
M&B Topics	Topic 4: Brain plasticity and lifespan ontogeny Topic 5: Brain disorders and mental dysfunction
Degrees obtained	BSc in Experimental Psychology, MSc in Social Cognitive Affective Neuroscience
Institute	Max-Planck-Institut für Bildungsforschung, Berlin; Charité University Medical School
Cohort	2013
Status	Doctoral candidate
Researchgate	https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Laurel_Raffington

Repplinger, Stefan

Prof. Dr. Hans-Jochen Heinze
Prof. Dr. Gabriel Curio
Dr. Tino Zähle

Closed-loop modulation of state-dependent attention

Repplinger, Stefan

Doctoral project	Closed-loop modulation of state-dependent attention
Description	Ongoing neural activity - an index of the current brain state - is continuously fluctuating. Neuroscience strives to classify this quantifiable stream of ongoing neural activity into distinct brain states. The categorization of these defined brain states is explicitly as well as implicitly often based on concurrent states of the mind. Thus, descriptions of mind and brain become inextricably linked. In my PhD project, I plan to correlate brain states as represented by electrophysiological measures of neural processing with states of the mind reflected by ratings of introspectively accessible attention. I will use transcranial electrical stimulation to modulate brain states being accompanied by shifts of attentional states elucidating their role from a mechanistic perspective.
Funding	Research position Universität Magedeburg
Supervisors	Prof. Dr. Hans-Jochen Heinze Prof. Dr. Gabriel Curio Dr. Tino Zähle
M&B Topics	Topic 1: Perception, attention, consciousness Topic 5: Brain disorders and mental dysfunction
Degrees obtained
Institute	Research Group “Neuropsychology”, Department of Neurology, Otto-von-Guericke-Universitaet Magdeburg
Cohort	2016
Current Position	Wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter
Status	Doctoral candidate
E-mail	stefan.repplinger-please remove this text-@med.ovgu.de
Homepage	https://human-rights-education.academia.edu/StefanRepplinger

Reuter, Lucia

Prof. Dr. Christoph Möllers
Prof. Dr. Henrik Walter
Prof. Dr. Tade Spranger

Fixing broken brains – The human right to mental self-determination of legally incompetent persons in favor of or against psychiatric neurosurgery

Reuter, Lucia

Doctoral project	Fixing broken brains – The human right to mental self-determination of legally incompetent persons in favor of or against psychiatric neurosurgery
Description	In my PhD thesis standard questions like the legal requirements for the information duties of doctors and the need for the ascent of legally incompetent persons will be discussed. The focus will lie on relatively new issues like the possibilities of psychiatric patients to obtain PNS without or against their proxy’s consent (when patient prefers PNS over other medical treatment or detention). Moreover, the thesis will contain suggestions as to the establishment of an effective control system (monitoring patient care, study setup and outcomes). In an outlook, I will address the regulation of legally relevant behavior induced by functional and/or psychiatric neurosurgery (buying binge, gambling addiction, criminal behavior, …) and the possibility of applying PNS beyond the strictly clinical setting.
Funding	Berlin School of Mind and Brain scholarship
Supervisors	Prof. Dr. Christoph Möllers Prof. Dr. Henrik Walter Prof. Dr. Tade Spranger
M&B Topics	Topic 2: Decision-making Topic 5: Brain disorders and mental dysfunction Topic 6: Social cognition / human sociality and the brain
Degrees obtained	1. juristisches Staatsexamen, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin; Maitrise en droit (international law), Université Paris II Panthéon-Assas; Licence en droit (law of the European Union), Université Paris II Panthéon-Assas
Institute	Juristische Fakultät, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Cohort	2015
Status	Doctoral candidate
Phone	+49 (0) 173 7028358
E-mail	lucia.reuter-please remove this text-@posteo.de
Homepage	http://mindandbrain.charite.de/en/people/team_rg_mab/lucia_r...
Researchgate	https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Lucia_Reuter

Schomäcker, Astrid

Prof. Dr. Michael Pauen
Prof. Dr. Niko Busch

Conceptual change due to scientific progress: a possible solution to the explanatory gap?

Schomäcker, Astrid

Doctoral project	Conceptual change due to scientific progress: a possible solution to the explanatory gap?
Description	Will we ever be able to give a satisfying explanation of consciousness? Philosophers who deny this possibility sometimes talk about the existence of an explanatory gap between phenomenal and physical/functional features. I want to argue against this view by investigating the possible consequences of conceptual change in case of consciousness. To understand the mechanisms of conceptual change I look for comparable examples in the history of science in general and the history of mental concepts in particular. Concerning a possible conceptual change in the case of consciousness I study the current development of neuroscientific and psychological theories aiming at consciousness and explore their relevance for the philosophical discussion.
Funding	Mind and Brain scholarship; Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes
Supervisors	Prof. Dr. Michael Pauen Prof. Dr. Niko Busch
M&B Topics	Topic 1: Perception, attention, consciousness
Degrees obtained	M.A. Philosophy
Institute	Institute of Philosophy, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Cohort	2013
Status	Doctoral candidate
E-mail	schomaea-please remove this text-@hu-berlin.de

Schweitzer, Richard

Dr. Martin Rolfs
Prof. Dr. John-Dylan Haynes
Prof. Dr. Felix Blankenburg

Perceptual and motor consequences of intrasaccadic perception

Schweitzer, Richard

Doctoral project	Perceptual and motor consequences of intrasaccadic perception
Description	Whenever we humans make rapid, step-like eye movements - so-called saccades – the visual image shifts across our retina at high velocities. Why do we never perceive some kind of blurred visual input while we move our eyes? Previous studies have related this observation to an effect, or mechanism, termed saccadic suppression. This has led to the rather common belief that perception during saccades is shut down, which is not true. In contrast, some experiments suggest that intrasaccadic perception is not only well possible but also quite efficient. Using psychophysical methods combined with eye tracking and EEG, we will investigate the potential functional role of intrasaccadic perception in a range of visual processes.
Funding	Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes, Mind and Brain scholarship
Supervisors	Dr. Martin Rolfs Prof. Dr. John-Dylan Haynes Prof. Dr. Felix Blankenburg
M&B Topics	Topic 1: Perception, attention, consciousness
Degrees obtained
Institute	Institute of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin & Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience
Cohort	2016
Status	Doctoral candidate
E-mail	richard.schweitzer-please remove this text-@hu-berlin.de

Settembrino, Luca

Prof. Dr. Vittorio Gallese
Prof. Dr. Michael Pauen

Interpersonal mirroring: Towards an empirically informed account of the second-person perspective

Settembrino, Luca

Doctoral project	Interpersonal mirroring: Towards an empirically informed account of the second-person perspective
Description	The aim of my project is to provide a full-developed epistemological account of the second-person perspective, based on both philosophical reflection and neuroscientific evidence – with particular regard to the role played by the mirror mechanism. Furthermore, I will try to make use of this account of the dyadic relation I-Thou in order to explain a wider range of intersubjective phenomena, from shared intentionality to joint action.
Funding	Einstein Stiftung Berlin
Supervisors	Prof. Dr. Vittorio Gallese Prof. Dr. Michael Pauen
M&B Topics	Topic 6: Social cognition / human sociality and the brain
Degrees obtained	B.A. and M.A. in Philosophy (Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan)
Institute	Berlin School of Mind and Brain & Institute of Philosophy, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Cohort	2016
Current Position	Doctoral candidate
Status	Doctoral candidate
E-mail	luca.settembrino-please remove this text-@hu-berlin.de
Researchgate	https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Luca_Settembrino
Academia.edu	https://hu-berlin.academia.edu/LucaSettembrino

Tertel, Kathrin

Prof. Dr. Felix Blankenburg
Prof. Dr. Hauke Heekeren
Prof. Dr. Michael Pauen

Uncovering neural mechanisms of consciousness - Modality-independent conscious processing within the working memory

Tertel, Kathrin

Doctoral project	Uncovering neural mechanisms of consciousness - Modality-independent conscious processing within the working memory
Description	My research project aims at disentangling different neural mechanisms related to conscious processing of stimuli in a working memory task. I will be looking for a brain structure and function that is at work during conscious processing of visual, auditory and tactile stimuli, regardless of their perceptual modality, and in contrast to unconscious processing of said stimuli. For that, I will be using data from EEG as well as fMRI and TMS. Integrating existing neural theories of conscious processing is the overarching goal of my thesis.
Funding	Mind and Brain scholarship
Supervisors	Prof. Dr. Felix Blankenburg Prof. Dr. Hauke Heekeren Prof. Dr. Michael Pauen
M&B Topics	Topic 1: Perception, attention, consciousness Topic 2: Decision-making
Degrees obtained	Diploma in Psychology, Philipps-Universität Marburg
Institute	Institute of Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin
Cohort	2013
Status	Doctoral candidate
E-mail	kathrin.tertel-please remove this text-@fu-berlin.de
Researchgate	https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kathrin_Tertel

Tomasello, Rosario

Prof. Dr. Dr. Friedemann Pulvermüller
Prof. Dr. Felix Blankenburg

Brain connections of words, perceptions, and actions: A neurobiological model of semantic brain areas and brain imaging studies

Tomasello, Rosario

Doctoral project	Brain connections of words, perceptions, and actions: A neurobiological model of semantic brain areas and brain imaging studies
Description	A growing number of studies indicate the existence of so-called ‘semantic hubs’, that is, areas in cortex where the meaning of all types of signs and symbols is processed. However, recent neuroimaging and patient studies have shown that other cortical areas contribute to semantic processing in a more selective fashion, being particularly relevant for specific semantic categories. Why are there both semantic hubs and category-specific semantic areas in the human brain? Are these areas all necessary? When in time they first emerge? These questions will be investigated in a neurobiological model of semantic brain areas that simulates aspects of word learning in action and perception, to derive predictions and to be tested in a word learning experiment using fMRI and EEG.
Funding	Mind and Brain scholarship
Supervisors	Prof. Dr. Dr. Friedemann Pulvermüller Prof. Dr. Felix Blankenburg
M&B Topics	Topic 3: Language
Degrees obtained
Institute	Institut für Deutsche und Niederländische Philologie, Freie Universität Berlin
Cohort	2016
Status	Doctoral candidate
E-mail	tomasello.r-please remove this text-@fu-berlin.de
Homepage	http://www.geisteswissenschaften.fu-berlin.de/v/brainlang/te...
Researchgate	https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Rosario_Tomasello

Trilla, Irene

Prof. Dr. Isabel Dziobek
Prof. Dr. Henrik Walter

Interactions between oxytocin and the reward system on social cognition

Trilla, Irene

Doctoral project	Interactions between oxytocin and the reward system on social cognition
Description	To date, understanding the role of oxytocin in empathy and other pro-social behaviours has been a primary focus in social cognition research. How this neuropeptide exerts its effects is, however, not yet fully understood. Animal studies hint at oxytocinergic modulations of neurotransmitter systems underlying social-affective behaviours, such as serotonin and dopamine. In humans, however, these interactions are still not well identified. My project aims to further elucidate oxytocin’s mechanisms of action in humans, with special focus on the interactions with the dopaminergic-reward system.
Funding	Mind & Brain scholarship
Supervisors	Prof. Dr. Isabel Dziobek Prof. Dr. Henrik Walter
M&B Topics	Topic 5: Brain disorders and mental dysfunction Topic 6: Social cognition / human sociality and the brain
Degrees obtained	B.A. in Psychology (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain) M.Sc. in Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience (Maastricht University, The Netherlands)
Institute	Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Cohort	2015
Status	Doctoral candidate
E-mail	irene.trilla-please remove this text-@hu-berlin.de
Researchgate	https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Irene_Trilla

Uluç, Işıl

Prof. Dr. Felix Blankenburg
Prof. Dr. Niko Busch

Neurophysiological correlates of working memory without consciousness

Uluç, Işıl

Doctoral project	Neurophysiological correlates of working memory without consciousness
Description	Working memory is thought to be a conscious process until recently. However, two studies behaviourally showed that there may be unconscious working memory. My work plans to search if this claim can be proven with an ERP study by subliminally occupying visual working memory and researching amplitude differences in CDA component, which is in relation to working memory capacity.
Funding	DAAD scholarship
Supervisors	Prof. Dr. Felix Blankenburg Prof. Dr. Niko Busch
M&B Topics	Topic 1: Perception, attention, consciousness
Degrees obtained	M.Sc., Cognitive Science, Universität Wien; M.A., Philosophy, Bogazici University, Istanbul
Institute	Department of Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin
Cohort	2014
Status	Doctoral candidate
Phone	+49 151 12309799
E-mail	isil.uluc-please remove this text-@gmail.com
Academia.edu	https://independent.academia.edu/IsilUluc

Wu, Yuan-hao

Prof. Dr. Felix Blankenburg
Prof. Dr. Hauke Heekeren

Working memory representation of multi-feature contents in somesthesis

Wu, Yuan-hao

Doctoral project	Working memory representation of multi-feature contents in somesthesis
Description	The present research project aims to characterize the fundamental neural mechanisms underlying multi-featured WM representations. From the perspective of sensory WM research, the benefit of this project would be twofold: On one hand, it would be one of few studies that addresses WM processing of more complex stimuli in somesthesis. On the other hand, by comparing analogies and differences between the new findings with other modalities would facilitate the identification of supramodal mechanisms. From the perspective of a larger context, this investigation can help to understand our ability to integrate different information and to experience them as a coherent, unitary wholes.
Supervisors	Prof. Dr. Felix Blankenburg Prof. Dr. Hauke Heekeren
M&B Topics	Topic 1: Perception, attention, consciousness Topic 2: Decision-making
Degrees obtained	BSc in Psychology MSc in Social, Cognitive, and Affective Neuroscience
Institute	Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin
Cohort	2015
Status	Doctoral candidate
E-mail	yuan-hao.wu-please remove this text-@fu-berlin.de
Researchgate	https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Yuan_Hao_Wu