Former Groups

Our main objective is to understand how the developing human brain gives rise to cognitive functions in the domains of perception, attention, learning, memory and language. Building on these insights we aspire to identify clinically relevant neurophysiological differences in children who develop dyslexia, dyscalculia and ADHD. [more]

The goal of the Otto Hahn group is to investigate how heritable and environmental factors shape brain structure and function. We are particularly interested in studying the neurogenetic basis of integrative cognitive and affective processes, such as social cognition, as these functions are especially developed humans and have great environmental relevance. [more]

In our research group, we aim to unravel basic mechanisms of visual perception and understand the cascade from early processing in visual brain regions to decision-making processes about our environment. [more]

Our research group investigates the cognitive and neural developments that drive the achievement of these milestones of human cognition in early childhood. [more]

The Research Group Cognition and Plasticity was funded by the Max Planck Society's Lise Meitner Excellence Program from 2019-2023. [more]

We study the microanatomical properties of human white matter tracts with high-resolution light and electron microscopy with the goal to better interpret magnetic resonance imaging-based biophysical models of white matter properties. [more]

Humans possess the remarkable capacity to vividly remember a plethora of experiences from their lives. They can voluntarily reminisce about cherished moments but also be haunted by intrusive memories of unpleasant experiences. [more]

explores how subtle hormonal changes impact mood regulation. [more]

Psychosocial stress is a major public health burden in modern societies. While ancient stressors such as threat to physical integrity and physical hardship are less prevalent than ever, it is the human tendency to mount a stress response for psychosocial reasons that has led to chronic stress exposure in our society. [more]

Language comprehension is more than just to understand the meaning of words in sentences. Between the lines, the speaker mostly reveals – consciously or not – much more about her beliefs, desires and intentions. [more]

Early childhood is a crucial phase for healthy social and cognitive development. For babies and young children it is essential to be in touch with other people, to communicate with them and to learn from them. [more]

Although it seems easy, communicating with another person is an extremely difficult and complex task. In a conversation between two people, there is a continuous stream of dynamic information from several sensory modalities. [more]

The prefrontal cortex is a densely interconnected and functionally complex region that has evaded a coherent, generally accepted model of function. [more]

Infancy is the time of life during which enormous changes take place- the ‘helpless’ newborn seems almost a different creature from the inquisitive, walking and talking 2-year-old. [more]

The primary goal of the group is to investigate the facilitatory effects of predictive cues in comprehension and its underlying processes. [more]

With our research, we hope to foster a unique cognitive neuroscience perspective on challenging listening situations, age-related hearing loss, and the possibilities of successful adaptation to it. [more]

The flexible adaptation of our behaviour to a constantly changing environment is a core faculty of human existence. But what happens if we lose control? [more]

The brain is a highly adaptive, self-organizing complex system, which has evolved such that neuronal responses and related behavior are continuously optimized with respect to the external and internal context. [more]

Our group develops (i) computational models for cognitive processes like decision making, and recognition and learning of complex spatiotemporal patterns, and (ii) neuronal models at several spatiotemporal scales, e.g. neural mass or single neuron models. [more]

Human interaction in musical contexts showcases remarkably precise temporal coordination among instrumentalists and dancers, and between performers and audience members. [more]

During the last years, music has increasingly been used as a tool for the investigation of human cognition and its underlying brain mechanisms. [more]

Language is surely the most sophisticated communication system known to us. However, the precise characterisation of this uniquely human skill is rendered difficult by the high diversity of its manifestations: there are over 6000 languages in use in the world today, each with its own unique characteristics. [more]

The research group aims at experimentally studying the constituents of the sense of agency and the sense of self in relation to the physical body. [more]

The primary goal of the group is to investigate the facilitatory effect of predictive cues in communication and its underlying processes. [more]

The "Attention and Awareness" group investigates the neural basis of conscious experience in humans. [more]

The research unit "Infant Cognition and Action" is investigating the early development of the cognitive mechanisms of action perception and control. [more]