Doctoral candidates
Name
Supervisors
Doctoral project
Prof. Dr. Jonathan Flombaum
Prof. Dr. Dr. Henrik Walter
Prof. Dr. Michael Pauen
Prof. Dr. Dr. Henrik Walter
Prof. Dr. Michael Pauen
How do biological systems form percepts?
| Doctoral project | How do biological systems form percepts? |
|---|---|
| Description | Based on my psychophysical data collected in normal and anomalous human trichromats and calcium imaging data collected in Caenorhabditis elegans, the central aim of my thesis is to put forth a theory which sheds light on one of the most perplexing questions in all of science: how do biological systems form percepts? |
| 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, Baltimore, USA, School of Psychological and Brain Sciences |
| Cohort | 2015 |
| Status | Doctoral candidate |
| Academia.edu | https://hu-berlin.academia.edu/IfedayoEmmanuelAdeyefaOlasupo |
Prof. Dr. Arno Villringer
Prof. Dr. Felix Blankenburg
Prof. Dr. Felix Blankenburg
The role of functional connectivity and EEG rhythms on nonconscious processing of tactile stimuli
| 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 |
| esra.al.mbg-please remove this text-@gmail.com |
Prof. Dr. Norbert Kathmann
Prof. Dr. Stephan Brandt
Prof. Dr. Stephan Brandt
Efficacy of physiological stimulation in modulating neurobiological markers of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
| Doctoral project | Efficacy of physiological stimulation in modulating neurobiological markers of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder |
|---|---|
| Description | The aim of my project is to elucidate the role of overactive error monitoring in patients with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Hyperactive error monitoring is one of the most robust psychophysiological alterations in OCD and may qualify as a neurobiological marker for the disorder. In my project, EEG will be used to assess electrophysiological correlates of error processing in patients with OCD. By employing a neurophysiological stimulation technique, I aim to answer the question whether neural correlates of error processing can be modulated in these patients and how this modulation affects obsessive-compulsive symptomatology. The overarching goal of my thesis is to increase our understanding of how specific neurocognitive functions contribute to complex psychopathological symptoms. |
| Funding | Mind and Brain scholarship |
| Supervisors | Prof. Dr. Norbert Kathmann Prof. Dr. Stephan Brandt |
| M&B Topics | Topic 1: Perception, attention, consciousness Topic 5: Brain disorders and mental dysfunction |
| Degrees obtained | |
| Institute | Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin |
| Cohort | 2017 |
| Status | Doctoral candidate |
| luisa.balzus-please remove this text-@hu-berlin.de |
Prof. Dr. Rasha Abdel Rahman
Prof. Dr. Isabel Dziobek
Prof. Dr. Isabel Dziobek
Untrustworthy gossip: Effects on person perception and moral judgement
| Doctoral project | Untrustworthy gossip: Effects on person perception and moral judgement |
|---|---|
| Description | When gossiping with colleagues, reading news, or browsing social media, we constantly encounter verbal information about other people that may or may not be true and meaningful. I investigate how unreliable affective information about a person influences how we perceive and morally judge them. I use electrophysiological correlates of brain activity (ERPs) to study how perceiving their face and appraising their character is shaped by what we’ve heard about them. |
| Funding | Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes |
| Supervisors | Prof. Dr. Rasha Abdel Rahman Prof. Dr. Isabel Dziobek |
| M&B Topics | Topic 1: Perception, attention, consciousness Topic 3: Language Topic 6: Social cognition / human sociality and the brain |
| Degrees obtained | |
| Institute | Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Psychology, Neurocognitive Psychology; Berlin School of Mind and Brain |
| Cohort | 2017 |
| Status | Doctoral candidate |
| Researchgate | https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Julia_Baum2 |
Prof. Dr. Katharina von Kriegstein
Prof. Dr. Isabel Dziobek
Prof. Dr. Isabel Dziobek
Effect of oxytocin on person-identity recognition in autism spectrum disorders
| 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 |
| borowiak-please remove this text-@cbs.mpg.de | |
| Academia.edu | https://cbs-mpg.academia.edu/KamilaBorowiak |
Prof. Dr. York Winter
Prof. Dr. Andreas Heinz
Prof. Dr. Randolf Menzel
Prof. Dr. Andreas Heinz
Prof. Dr. Randolf Menzel
The value of information in decision-making in nectar-drinking bats
| Doctoral project | The value of information in decision-making in nectar-drinking bats |
|---|---|
| Description | Animals have been seen to violate the principles of rationality by choosing informative but low-energy rewards instead of non-informative, high-energy rewards. The question is whether Glossophaga soricina, a nectar-drinking bat which should value both information and energetic reward highly, also behaves irrationally. The free-flying animals will be studied using an electronic operant wall, and hypotheses, explanations and mathematical models underlying their behaviour will be explored. |
| Funding | DAAD scholarship |
| Supervisors | Prof. Dr. York Winter Prof. Dr. Andreas Heinz Prof. Dr. Randolf Menzel |
| M&B Topics | Topic 1: Perception, attention, consciousness Topic 2: Decision-making |
| Degrees obtained | |
| Institute | Institute of Biology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin |
| Cohort | 2017 |
| Status | Doctoral candidate |
| shambhavi.chidambaram-please remove this text-@hu-berlin.de |
| Doctoral project | Role of emotion in future episodic thinking |
|---|---|
| Description | The focus of my project is towards gaining insights into the link between episodic memories and episodic future thinking. The key questions of my project are: Does the valence of our episodic memories play a significant role in simulating future episodic events? If yes, what are the neural correlates of this past-future link? Can aberrations of this past-future link influence decision-making processes? |
| Funding | DAAD |
| Supervisors | Prof. Dr. Hauke Heekeren Dr. Roland Benoit |
| M&B Topics | Topic 1: Perception, attention, consciousness Topic 2: Decision-making |
| Degrees obtained | |
| Institute | Freie Universität, Berlin; Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig; Berlin School of Mind and Brain |
| Cohort | 2017 |
| Status | Doctoral candidate |
| aroma.dabas-please remove this text-@hu-berlin.de | |
| Researchgate | https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Aroma_Dabas |
| Academia.edu | https://mind-and-brain.academia.edu/AromaDabas |
Prof. Dr. Isabel Dziobek
Prof. Dr. Dr. Henrik Walter
Prof. Dr. Dr. Henrik Walter
Neural correlates of stereotypes and prejudice
| 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. 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 |
Prof. Dr. Jan Slaby
Prof. Dr. Jesse Prinz
Prof. Dr. Isabel Dziobek
Prof. Dr. Jesse Prinz
Prof. Dr. Isabel Dziobek
Social cognition, social interaction, and emotion
| Doctoral project | Social cognition, social interaction, and emotion |
|---|---|
| Description | My thesis challenges prevailing models of mental state attribution and advances an alternative by focusing on the role of behavioral alignment in social interaction. The focus is especially on non-verbal cues in social interactions, e.g., emotional display. |
| Funding | Mind & Brain scholarship |
| Supervisors | Prof. Dr. Jan Slaby Prof. Dr. Jesse Prinz Prof. Dr. Isabel Dziobek |
| M&B Topics | Topic 2: Decision-making Topic 6: Social cognition / human sociality and the brain |
| Degrees obtained | Staatsexamen Philosophie, Universität Stuttgart |
| Institute | Freie Universität Berlin, Institut für Philosophie; Berlin School of Mind and Brain |
| Cohort | 2015 |
| Status | Doctoral candidate |
| gina.eickers-please remove this text-@fu-berlin.de | |
| Academia.edu | https://mind-and-brain.academia.edu/GinaEickers |
Prof. Dr. Klaus-Robert Müller
PD Dr. Petra Ritter
PD Dr. Petra Ritter
Decoding musical emotions using the virtual brain (TVB)
| 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 |
| amna.ghani-please remove this text-@charite.de | |
| Researchgate | https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Amna_Ghani |
| Academia.edu | https://goldsmiths.academia.edu/AmnaGhani |
Dr. Radoslaw Cichy
Prof. Dr. John-Dylan Haynes
Prof. Dr. John-Dylan Haynes
Objects and space: understanding how object and location information are processed in the real world
| Doctoral project | Objects and space: understanding how object and location information are processed in the real world |
|---|---|
| Description | In my research, I aim to characterize the neural dynamics of object and scene perception in a spatio-temporally resolved manner. Extensive research on object recognition in the brain has shown that visual object representations hierarchically emerge along the regions of the ventral visual stream while category-orthogonal information is gradually lost. In this PhD project I will investigate how object representations and object category-orthogonal information change in the ventral stream when objects are presented embedded in naturalistic scenes. To address this, I will apply multivariate pattern analysis and representational similarity analysis to human electrophysiology and neuroimaging data. |
| Funding | Research position, Emmy Noether grant |
| Supervisors | Dr. Radoslaw Cichy Prof. Dr. John-Dylan Haynes |
| M&B Topics | Topic 1: Perception, attention, consciousness Topic 2: Decision-making Topic 3: Language |
| Degrees obtained | |
| Institute | Freie Universität Berlin, AG Neural Dynamics of Visual Cognition; Berlin School of Mind and Brain |
| Cohort | 2017 |
| Status | Doctoral candidate |
| monikag-please remove this text-@zedat.fu-berlin.de |
Prof. Dr. Isabel Dziobek
Prof. Dr. Hans-Christian Deter
Prof. Dr. Hans-Christian Deter
Does mindfulness modulate empathy and mentalization processing?
| 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 |
Prof. Dr. Andrea Kühn
Prof. Dr. Hauke Heekeren
Prof. Dr. Hauke Heekeren
Modelling decision-making in Parkinson’s disease
| 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 |
| friederike.irmen-please remove this text-@gmx.de | |
| Researchgate | https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Friederike_Irmen |
Prof. Dr. Niko Busch
Prof. Dr. Felix Blankenburg
Prof. Dr. Daniel Senkowski
Prof. Dr. Felix Blankenburg
Prof. Dr. Daniel Senkowski
Oscillatory signatures and neural connectivity in multisensory integration
| 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 |
| mathis.kaiser-please remove this text-@charite.de | |
| Researchgate | https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mathis_Kaiser |
| Academia.edu | https://charite.academia.edu/MathisKaiser |
Prof. Dr. Arno Villringer
Prof. Dr. Werner Sommer
Prof. Dr. Werner Sommer
Virtually real cognition? Assessing human cognition in virtual environments
| Doctoral project | Virtually real cognition? Assessing human cognition in virtual environments |
|---|---|
| Description | What is the epistemological and ontological status of human cognitions that are elicited in virtual reality (VR) environments? Are they just as real as non-virtual cognitions (Chalmers, 2017)? How much can they tell us about cognition in the “real” world (or vice versa)? Are the underlying processes significantly shaped by the level of presence in the VR? The rise and the propagation of immersive VR technologies poses important questions to the research on mind and brain, and provides a new quiver of tools to approach traditional issues of the cognitive sciences. During my doctoral project I want to examine these tools and their interaction with our cognition. I will use virtual environments with different degrees of immersion, behavioural measures, and neuroimaging techniques (EEG/fNIRS). |
| Funding | BMBF Project |
| Supervisors | Prof. Dr. Arno Villringer Prof. Dr. Werner Sommer |
| M&B Topics | Topic 1: Perception, attention, consciousness Topic 2: Decision-making Topic 5: Brain disorders and mental dysfunction |
| Degrees obtained | |
| Institute | Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Institut für Psychologie; Berlin School of Mind and Brain |
| Cohort | 2017 |
| Status | Doctoral candidate |
| felix_klotzsche-please remove this text-@web.de | |
| Researchgate | https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Felix_Klotzsche |
| Academia.edu | https://hu-berlin.academia.edu/FelixKlotzsche |
Prof. Dr. Michael Pauen
Prof. Dr. Isabel Dziobek
Prof. Dr. Jesse Prinz
Prof. Dr. Isabel Dziobek
Prof. Dr. Jesse Prinz
Emotions, folk-psychology, and natural kinds
| 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 |
| loaiza.juan-please remove this text-@hu-berlin.de |
Prof. Dr. Carsten Finke
Prof. Dr. John-Dylan Haynes
Prof. Dr. John-Dylan Haynes
Functional connectivity profiles and relational memory deficits in patients with limbic encephalitis
| 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 |
| mantwill.m-please remove this text-@googlemail.com |
Prof. Dr. Dr. Friedemann Pulvermüller
Prof. Dr. Christine Mooshammer
Prof. Dr. Christine Mooshammer
The mechanism of sound symbolism in the action-perception network of language
| 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 |
| konstantina.margiotoudi-please remove this text-@gmail.com |
Prof. Dr. Isabel Dziobek
Prof. Dr. Rasha Abdel Rahman
Prof. Dr. Rasha Abdel Rahman
Reward-related processing of social non-verbal cues in Autism Spectrum Disorders
| 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 |
| matyjekm-please remove this text-@hu-berlin.de |
Prof. Dr. Arno Villringer
Prof. Dr. Soyoung Q Park
Prof. Dr. Soyoung Q Park
Unconventional eating behaviour and its effect on brain circuits and on mind-gut-feedback
| Doctoral project | Unconventional eating behaviour and its effect on brain circuits and on mind-gut-feedback |
|---|---|
| Description | In this project, we want to study the effects of an unconventional diet on food decision-making, brain connectivity and other cognitive and sensory processes implicated in choosing between food items. It has been shown that a change in diet affects our intestinal microbial composition and other metabolic markers, however, cognitive effects have not been fully investigated yet. We suggest that unconventional eaters manifest changes not only on a biological but also on a cognitive level (i.e. more self-control). We are interested in whether gut microbiotic status is predictive of brain connectivity in brain regions related to the adoption of an unconventional diet. |
| Funding | Mind and Brain scholarship |
| Supervisors | Prof. Dr. Arno Villringer Prof. Dr. Soyoung Q Park |
| M&B Topics | Topic 2: Decision-making |
| Degrees obtained | |
| Institute | Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig & Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin |
| Cohort | 2017 |
| Status | Doctoral candidate |
| medawar-please remove this text-@cbs.mpg.de | |
| Researchgate | https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Evelyn_Medawar2 |
Prof. Dr. Friedemann Pulvermüller
Prof. Dr. Felix Blankenburg
Prof. Dr. Felix Blankenburg
Neurolinguistic investigations of causal links between the mechanisms for language and perception
| 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 |
| tally.miller-please remove this text-@fu-berlin.de | |
| Homepage | http://www.geisteswissenschaften.fu-berlin.de/v/brainlang/te... |
Prof. Dr. Isabel Dziobek
Prof. Dr. Rasha Abdel Rahman
Prof. Dr. Rasha Abdel Rahman
Empathy plasticity and the empathic brain: an EEG-accompanied training study employing the computer-assisted program Zirkus Empathico with preschoolers
| Doctoral project | Empathy plasticity and the empathic brain: an EEG-accompanied training study employing the computer-assisted program Zirkus Empathico with preschoolers |
|---|---|
| Description | My doctoral project examines the development and plasticity of empathy looking at both the construct’s behavioral and neuronal correlates. Mental health problems in children have dramatically increased. A first indicator of dysfunctional, psychological, and behavioral patterns are deficient social and emotional competences. Continuous fostering of these competences should therefore already start at a very young age to prevent, correct, or compensate problematic thoughts and behaviors. Therefore, the computer-assisted program Zirkus Empathico will be employed in a longitudinal study design within my PhD project, with children’s behavioral and neuronal variables measured before and after the training to examine if improvements in empathic responses can be achieved. |
| Funding | Scholarship from Stiftung der Deutschen Wirtschaft |
| Supervisors | Prof. Dr. Isabel Dziobek Prof. Dr. Rasha Abdel Rahman |
| M&B Topics | Topic 6: Social cognition / human sociality and the brain |
| Degrees obtained | |
| Institute | Department of Psycholgoy, AG Social Cognition, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin |
| Cohort | 2017 |
| Status | Doctoral candidate |
| sandra.naumann-please remove this text-@hu-berlin.de | |
| Researchgate | https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Sandra_Naumann3 |
Prof. Dr. Felix Bermpohl
Dr. Daniel Margulies
Prof. Dr. Arno Villringer
Dr. Daniel Margulies
Prof. Dr. Arno Villringer
Models of the self and their neurobiological implementation
| 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 |
Prof. Dr. Angela D. Friederici
Prof. Dr. Isabell Wartenburger
Prof. Dr. Isabell Wartenburger
The sensitive period for associative learning of non-adjacent dependencies in verbal and non-verbal material
| 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 |
| paulm-please remove this text-@cbs.mpg.de |
Prof. Dr. Carsten Finke
Prof. Dr. Hauke Heekeren
PD Dr. Sabine Müller
Prof. Dr. Hauke Heekeren
PD Dr. Sabine Müller
Memory independent spatial navigation in clinical and experimental settings
| Doctoral project | Memory independent spatial navigation in clinical and experimental settings |
|---|---|
| Description | In my doctoral project, I will study impaired and unimpaired memory independent topographical orientation in old age. I developed an assessment, which integrates core cognitive processes of navigation like mental rotation, sense of direction and the synchronisation of ego- and allocentric perspective, without the necessity for subjects to memorise routes or landmarks. I intend to use this tool, to differentiate between subjects with and without difficulties in topographical orientation and to explore neural activation patterns in successful vs. insufficient orientation using fMRI. Building on these findings, I plan to study the effects of enhanced excitability of neurons in regions that are involved in successful orientation on behavioural performance in navigation with tDCS. |
| Funding | Mind and Brain scholarship |
| Supervisors | Prof. Dr. Carsten Finke Prof. Dr. Hauke Heekeren PD Dr. Sabine Müller |
| M&B Topics | Topic 4: Brain plasticity and lifespan ontogeny Topic 5: Brain disorders and mental dysfunction |
| Degrees obtained | |
| Institute | Department of Neurology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin; Berlin School of Mind and Brain |
| Cohort | 2017 |
| Status | Doctoral candidate |
| sophia.rekers-please remove this text-@charite.de |
Prof. Dr. Christoph Möllers
Prof. Dr. Dr. Henrik Walter
Prof. Dr. Tade Spranger
Prof. Dr. 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
| 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 | Mind & Brain scholarship |
| Supervisors | Prof. Dr. Christoph Möllers Prof. Dr. 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 |
| 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 |
Prof. Dr. Hellmuth Obrig
Prof. Dr. Rasha Abdel Rahman
Prof. Dr. Rasha Abdel Rahman
Semantic context effects in healthy and language impaired participants
| Doctoral project | Semantic context effects in healthy and language impaired participants |
|---|---|
| Description | Semantic relations between objects can influence how easily an object’s name is retrieved in language production. Categorical relations usually inhibit, whereas associative relations facilitate object naming. In my thesis I investigate these effects in detail using eye tracking and reaction time measures in healthy participants and people with language impairments. Individuals with aphasia following stroke or progressive aphasia due to dementia show particular difficulties in naming certain items. I aim to show how the processing of semantic relations between these items (as seen in eye movements) correlates with the speed and success of naming them in inhibitory or facilitative conditions. These behavioural insights can improve diagnosis and treatment strategies for these impairments. |
| Funding | Mind and Brain scholarship |
| Supervisors | Prof. Dr. Hellmuth Obrig Prof. Dr. Rasha Abdel Rahman |
| M&B Topics | Topic 2: Decision-making Topic 5: Brain disorders and mental dysfunction |
| Degrees obtained | |
| Institute | Day Clinic for Cognitive Neurology, Leipzig; MPI for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig; Berlin School of Mind and Brain |
| Cohort | 2017 |
| Status | Doctoral candidate |
| Researchgate | https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Cornelia_Van_Scherpenberg |
Prof. Dr. Martin Rolfs
Prof. Dr. John-Dylan Haynes
Prof. Dr. Felix Blankenburg
Prof. Dr. John-Dylan Haynes
Prof. Dr. Felix Blankenburg
Perceptual and motor consequences of intrasaccadic perception
| 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 | Prof. 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 |
| richard.schweitzer-please remove this text-@hu-berlin.de |
Prof. Dr. Vittorio Gallese
Prof. Dr. Michael Pauen
Prof. Dr. Michael Pauen
Interpersonal mirroring: Towards an empirically informed account of the second-person perspective
| 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 |
| Status | Doctoral candidate |
| 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 |
Prof. Dr. Felix Blankenburg
Prof. Dr. Hauke Heekeren
Prof. Dr. Michael Pauen
Prof. Dr. Hauke Heekeren
Prof. Dr. Michael Pauen
Uncovering neural mechanisms of consciousness - Modality-independent conscious processing within the working memory
| 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 |
| kathrin.tertel-please remove this text-@fu-berlin.de | |
| Researchgate | https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kathrin_Tertel |
Prof. Dr. Dr. Friedemann Pulvermüller
Prof. Dr. Felix Blankenburg
Prof. Dr. Felix Blankenburg
Brain connections of words, perceptions, and actions: A neurobiological model of semantic brain areas and brain imaging studies
| 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 |
| 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 |
Prof. Dr. Isabel Dziobek
Prof. Dr. Dr. Henrik Walter
Prof. Dr. Dr. Henrik Walter
Interactions between oxytocin and the reward system on social cognition
| 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. 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 |
| irene.trilla-please remove this text-@hu-berlin.de | |
| Researchgate | https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Irene_Trilla |
Prof. Dr. Felix Blankenburg
Prof. Dr. Niko Busch
Prof. Dr. Niko Busch
Neurophysiological correlates of working memory without consciousness
| 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 |
| isil.uluc-please remove this text-@gmail.com | |
| Academia.edu | https://independent.academia.edu/IsilUluc |
Prof. Dr. Felix Blankenburg
Prof. Dr. Hauke Heekeren
Prof. Dr. Hauke Heekeren
Working memory representation of multi-feature contents in somesthesis
| 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 |
| yuan-hao.wu-please remove this text-@fu-berlin.de | |
| Researchgate | https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Yuan_Hao_Wu |
