Subhi Arafat
Affiliation
Computational Neurology Group, Department of Neurology and Experimental Neurology, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin
PhD project
Exploring the relationship between intrinsic and evoked brain
activity from a dynamical systems perspective
Field of research
Ongoing Brain Activity, Brain Stimulation, Dynamical Systems Theory, Complex Systems
Fun facts
By the time you read this, it will describe a previous iteration of this person.
Year
2020
Ștefania Cionca
Affiliation
German Institute of Human Nutrition, Department of Decision Neuroscience and Nutrition
PhD project
Disturbances in Body Image and The Role of Interoception
Field of research
Body image, body ownership, interoception, virtual reality and eating disorders. The main aim of my research is to better understand body image disturbances in eating disorders and to investigate the interaction between body ownership and interoception. In my research I use virtual reality technology to investigate ways to reduce body image disturbances.
Fun facts
I’ve been known for badly singing Evanescence in inappropriate situations, when I don’t realize that I am unmuted.
Year
2020
Alessandro Thomas Gifford
Affiliation
Freie Universität Berlin
PhD project
Computational modeling of vision-related EEG data.
Field of research
Computational neuroscience, M/EEG, deep learning, human visual object recognition.
Fun facts
Not sure it is fun, but I’m into playing Frisbee, arthouse movies and mountains.
Year
2020
Natalie Gloveli
Affiliation
Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin Humboldt University Berlin
PhD project
Field of research
Neural correlates of play behavior in rodents
Fun facts
Year
2020
Eugenio Graceffo
Affiliation
Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Department of Neuropediatrics, NeuroCure Clinical Research Center
PhD project
THRA deficiency and Allan-Herndon-Dudley-Syndrome: Defects of local Thyroid Hormone function during human brain development
Field of research
The main goal of the PhD project is to characterize, by means of molecular and bioinformatic tools, the epigenomic landscape that regulates the timely and spatial expression and splicing of SLC16A2 and THRA, the 2 main genes involved in the developmental diseases Allan Herndon Dudley Syndrome (AHDS) and Thyroid Hormone Receptor Alpha deficiency (THRA-deficiency) respectively.
Fun facts
When I´m not hopping around the lab, I´m doing artistic gymnastics. Also, my favorite dish is pasta (yes, I am Italian indeed)
Year
2020
Agnessa Karapetian
Affiliation
Neural dynamics of visual cognition, Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin
PhD project
Scene processing in biological and artificial networks
Field of research
Vision neuroscience, cognitive computational neuroscience
Fun facts
Year
2020
Hugo McGurran
Affiliation
Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin
PhD project
Understanding microRNAs as signalling molecules and modulators of neurodegeneration
Field of research
I am researching the role of microRNAs within the context of neurodegeneration, particularly in Alzheimer’s disease. These molecules may be novel regulators of inflammatory processes in the disease and provide the opportunity for therapeutic and biomarker discovery for Alzheimer’s.
Fun facts
Year
2020
Emin Serin
Affiliation
Division of Mind and Brain Research, Department for Psychiatry, Charité– Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany
PhD project
Not fixed yet, but will be broadly about the “Investigation of heterogeneity in disease related brain structures.”. The disease will be Schizophrenia (and might also bipolar disorder).
Field of research
computational psychiatry, MRI, machine learning
Fun facts
I live in an endless loop of re-learning and forgetting mathematical notations and performance metrics.
Year
2020
Kirsten Stark
Affiliation
Neurocognitive Psychology, Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
PhD project
Why not only the nose is getting longer: Behavioral and neurocognitive investigations on speech production during lying
Field of research
language, speech production, social interaction, emotion perception, EEG, cognitive neuroscience
Fun facts
I used to speak Nicaraguan Sign Language
Year
2020
Selina Yogeshwar
Affiliation
Group Cognitive Neurology (AG Carsten Finke), Experimental Neurology, Dept. of Neurolo-gy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin
PhD project
Auto-immune driven progressive CNS atrophy in anti-IgLON5 disease: from genetics to neu-rodegeneration
Field of research
Brain atrophy, MRI, HLA-conferred risk, Mechanisms of autoimmunity
Fun facts
A crocodile was once named after me
Year
2020
Bilge Askin
Affiliation
AG Wegmann, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Charité – Universitätsmedizin, Berlin. Graduate School: International Graduate Program Medical Neurosciences
PhD project
Genomic instability in age-related neurodegenerative diseases
Field of research
Genomic alterations, Neurodegenerative proteinopathies, Tau and TDP-43 pathology
Fun facts
I like planning and I plan my day around coffee breaks
Year
2019
Caroline Beyer
Affiliation
Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC Berlin)
PhD project
Modeling of neuromuscular and vascular development using neuromuscular organoids
Field of research
Developmental Biology, Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience
Fun facts
My apartment has more plants then square meters.
Year
2019
Tony Carricarte
Affiliation
Neural Dynamics of Visual Cognition, Freie Universität Berlin; Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin
PhD project
Neural basis of mental imagery, visual illusion and perception
Field of research
Visual cognition, visual perception, recurrent processing, laminar MRI, multivariate pattern analysis
Fun facts
Year
2019
Carina Forster
Affiliation
Max Planck Insitute Leipzig
PhD project
Somatosensation, perception and decision making with a focus on subliminal stimuli and metacognition
Field of research
Clinical psychology/neurology, computational neuroscience, psychophysics
Fun facts
Yoga teacher and climbing addict like every other person in Berlin/Neukoelln
Year
2019
Sophie Fromm
Affiliation
Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Institute for Psychiatry & Psychotherapy
PhD project
Neurobiological and behavioral substrates of decision making under uncertainty in the context of (subclinical) psychosis
Field of research
Computational Psychiatry, Decision Making, Reinforcement Learning
Fun facts
Neuroscience is no fun (No Fun et al. , 2020). But I have a scientific publishing joke, please purchase PDF for $39 for 24h access or 70$ for full access.
Year
2019
Barbara Hollunder
Affiliation
Network Stimulation Lab, Movement Disorders and Neuromodulation Section, Department of Neurology with Experimental Neurology, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin & Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Graduate School: Berlin School of Mind and Brain
PhD project
Towards the Definition of an Optimal Convergent Deep Brain Stimulation Circuit Target for Individual Non-Motor Symptom Constellations in Parkinson’s Disease
Field of research
My scientific interests include symptom-specific connectomic deep brain stimulation (DBS) for the therapy of neurological and psychiatric circuitopathies, patient-centered precision neuromodulation, optimal DBS target modeling, and transdiagnostic / dimensional approaches in neuropsychiatry.
Fun facts
If you were to draw a Venn diagram of former unicycle club members and people who happen to be good at assembling IKEA furniture, you would find me in its slim center.
Year
2019
Victor Kumbol
Affiliation
AG Lehnardt, Institute of Cell and Neurobiology, Charité-Universitatmedizin Berlin
PhD project
A role beyond gene regulation: how extracellular miRNAs affect neuronal structure and function.
Field of research
neuroimmunology, toll-like receptors, neurodegeneration
Fun facts
I tinker with electronics in my spare time.
Year
2019
Nir Moneta
Affiliation
Max Planck Research Group NeuroCode, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, 14195 Berlin, Germany Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
PhD project
Representation and distortions in cognitive maps of task states
Field of research
Value-based decision making and task representation in the brain. Human fMRI and multivariate analysis methods
Fun facts
On an ongoing search for non-scientific hobbies, suggestions are welcome!
Year
2019
Kai Standvoß
Affiliation
Visual Perception Lab at Charité, Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy (CCM); Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience (BCCN)
PhD project
The effect of environmental uncertainty on visual metacognition
Field of research
Cognitive computational neuroscience, visual perception, metacognition, decision making under uncertainty, hierarchical predictive coding
Fun facts
Year
2019
Lea Doppelbauer
Affiliation
Brain Language Laboratory, Freie Universität Berlin; Berlin School of Mind and Brain
PhD project
Neurorehabilitation of language: Functional interaction of language and action in aphasia
Field of research
Neurorehabilitation of language, aphasia, language use for communication, computational modeling of language and language breakdown
Fun facts
Year
2018
Anna-Lena Eckert
Affiliation
Visual Perception Lab at Charité, Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy (CCM); Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience (BCCN)
PhD project
Predictions in schizophrenia across perceptual domains
Field of research
I am generally interested in the computational foundations of psychiatric disorders
Fun facts
I grow spider plants – approach me if you’d like to have one
Year
2018
Melina Engelhardt
Affiliation
Image Guidance Lab, Department of Neurosurgery with Pediatric Neurosurgery, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin
PhD project
Preconditioning of the motor network with repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation to reduce the mortality risk in neurosurgery
Field of research
Noninvasive brain stimulation, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), clinical neuroscience, glioma, motor system, plasticity, reorganization
Fun facts
My “second PhD project” is improving the anatomic accuracy of the brain cakes I bake.
Year
2018
Gisela Govaart
Affiliation
Department of Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig; Berlin School of Mind & Brain
PhD project
Voice–Speech Interactions in Infant Phoneme Acquisition
Field of research
Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, Early Language Acquisition, Phoneme acquisition and voice processing in infancy. In my PhD project, I investigate how infants learn the vowels and consonants of their native language, and how this learning process interacts with the processing of the voices of the speakers the infants are listening to.
Fun facts
Year
2018
Greta Häberle
Affiliation
Neural Dynamics of Visual Cognition, Freie Universität Berlin; Berlin School of Mind and Brain
PhD project
How does each of the core regions active during vision represent objects?
Field of research
Cognitive neuroscience, vision, fMRI, DNNs, object representations, ventral visual stream
Fun facts
Year
2018
Majed Kikhia
Affiliation
Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin/Department of Experimental Neurology; International Graduate Program Medical Neurosciences
PhD project
Fate mapping of myeloid cell subsets following ischemic stroke.
Field of research
Neuroimmunology and inflammation in animal models of ischemic stroke. Specifically, the involvement of microglia and monocyte-derived macrophages in the pathophysiology of stroke injury.
Fun facts
Although I think I am usually funny, I could not find one fun fact about myself!
Year
2018
Robert Tjarko Lange
Affiliation
Technische Universität Berlin
PhD project
Learning of Intelligent Swarm Behaviour
Field of research
Deep Reinforcement Learning, Cognitive Neuroscience, Animal Psychology
Fun facts
I used to do freestyle wrestling in the state team of North Rhine-Westphalia before deciding to play Magic: The Gathering semi-professionally
Year
2018
Sara Moberg
Affiliation
AG Larkum, Charité Crossover, Universitätsmedizin Berlin; International Graduate Program Medical Neurosciences
PhD project
Learning-related plasticity in layer 1 apical dendrites
Field of research
Neuronal circuitry, animal behavior, calcium imaging, apical dendrites
Fun facts
Year
2018
Nelson Niemeyer
Affiliation
Computational Neurophysiology Group, Institute for Theoretical Biology, Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin
PhD project
Pattern generation in noisy neural systems
Field of research
Biophysical neuron models, central pattern generators
Fun facts
Year
2018
Jan Stasinski
Affiliation
Brain Simulation Unit, Charite Universitatsmedizin; Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience (BCCN)
PhD project
How the brain creates beliefs - Brain Simulation approach
Field of research
I am interested in high-order cognitive functions and general theories explaining cognition such as hierarchical predictive processing
Fun facts
Re-learning math when you are a graduate student hurts, a lot
Year
2018
Lara Wieland
Affiliation
Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin
PhD project
Reinforcement Learning in Schizophrenia
Field of research
Computational Psychiatry
Fun facts
Year
2018
Yuanwei Yao
Affiliation
Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin; Berlin School of Mind and Brain
PhD project
How does effort investment influence subjective value?
Field of research
Decision-making, reward function, motivation
Fun facts
Year
2018
Ashraf Abdo
Affiliation
Institut für Medizinische Immunologie, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin Graduate School: International Graduate Program Medical Neurosciences
PhD project
Human chronotyping
Field of research
Chronobiology and Circadian rhythms
Fun facts
I love what I study (Sleep) and I spend the whole weekend studying
Year
2017
Isabella Paola Boux
Affiliation
Brain Language Lab, Freie Universität Berlin Graduate School: Berlin School of Mind and Brain
PhD project
Communication beyond form: how the brain processes communicative intention
Field of research
Language, neuropragmatics, speech acts, communication
Fun facts
Year
2017
Meida Jusyte
Affiliation
Theoretical and Molecular Neuroscience, Leibniz Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie
PhD project
Field of research
Molecular mechanisms underlying synaptic transmission and plasticity.
Fun facts
Year
2017
Graham Cooper
Affiliation
NeuroCure Clinical Research Center, Cognition in Neurological Disorders Group, Experimental Neurology, Center for Stroke Research and Charité Core Facility 7T Experimental MRIs, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin. Graduate School: International Graduate Program Medical Neurosciences.
PhD project
Quantitative Magnetic Resonance Multi-Parameter Mapping in Multiple Sclerosis.
Field of research
Quantitative MRI, Cognitive Neuroscience, Multiple Sclerosis, Experimental Autoimmune Encephalitis, Lesion Classification, Myelin Imaging, Experimental MRI.
Fun facts
Graham is a keen performer but his career peaked at 16 when he directed and starred in his parody of Grease! with the puppet ministry team in his local church.
Year
2017
Andrea Knop
Affiliation
AG Heim, Institute of Medical Psychology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin - Campus Mitte
PhD project
Experience-driven plasticity of the genital somatosensory field
Field of research
Early life stress, childhood adversity, sexual abuse, neural plasticity, plastic reorganization, developmental programming, sensitive periods.
Fun facts
Year
2017
Joram Keijser
Affiliation
Technische Universität Berlin
PhD project
perceptual decision making with a continuum of alternatives
Field of research
theoretical neuroscience, statistical analysis of neural data, plasticity , inhibition
Fun facts
I think we should ‘solve the worm first’ before trying to understand the human brain.
Year
2017
Daniela Palleschi
Affiliation
Psycholinguistics, Faculty of Linguistics and Literary Studies, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Graduate School: Berlin School of Mind and Brain
PhD project
Interaction of linguistic and non-linguistic context in language processing.
Field of research
The main aim is to investigate the interaction between world knowledge and temporal verb morphology in language processing. A secondary aim is to investigate this effect in non-native speakers of diverse linguistic backgrounds to determine how the grammar of a native language can affect the on-line processing of a second language when multiple sources of information are involved.
Fun facts
Year
2017
Hung Lo
Affiliation
AG Schmitz, Neuroscience Research Center, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin Graduate School: International Graduate Program Medical Neurosciences.
PhD project
Odor representation and adaptation in rodents.
Field of research
Neuronal circuitry, animal behaviors, calcium imaging
Fun facts
Hung thought he was a master of Rubik's cube until he realized he is actually color blind.
Year
2017
Kathrin Radscheit
Affiliation
Mobile DNA lab, Max-Delbrück-Centrum für Molekulare Medizin
PhD project
Field of research
Fun facts
Year
2017
Irene Sophia Plank
Affiliation
Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin; Social Cognition, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin Graduate School: Berlin School of Mind and Brain
PhD project
Are parents really better at it? Measuring social competencies regarding children in parents and non-parents.
Field of research
Social Cognition, Social Neuroscience, Cognitive Neuroscience, Theory of Mind, Empathy, Compassion.
Fun facts
Year
2017
Raquel Suárez Grimalt
Affiliation
AG Owald, Institute of Neurophysiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin.
PhD project
Cellular mechanisms of drug preference in Drosophila melanogaster
Field of research
neuroscience/behavioral neuroscience/drug addiction
Fun facts
Year
2017
Kazi Atikur Rahman
Affiliation
AG Garner, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin. Graduate School: International Graduate Program Medical Neurosciences.
PhD project
“Role of pre-synaptic autophagy in clearance of pathogenic alpha-Synuclein aggregates”, “Neuroimmune response modulation in Alzheimer’s Disease”
Field of research
Neurodegeneration, Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, Microglia, Autophagy, alpha-Synuclein, Neuroinflammation.
Fun facts
I did not know what my name really meant until I came to Berlin.
Year
2017
Alexandra Tzilivaki
Affiliation
AG Schmitz, Neuroscience Research Center and NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin.
PhD project
Field of research
Electrophysiological characterisation and connectivity analysis of interneurons in the mouse parasubiculum.
Fun facts
Year
2017
Rafaela Vieira da Silva
Affiliation
Experimental Neuroimmunology, Institute for Medical Immunology, CVK, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin. Graduate School: International Graduate Program Medical Neurosciences.
PhD project
Extracellular Matrix Alterations in Multiple Sclerosis
Field of research
Glycosaminoglycans, MRI/MRE, Multiple
Fun facts
Year
2017