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What we do

We are brain scientists. Neuroscience is one of the most prominent scientific fields, nested between life science, medical science and the humanities with immense implications for our understanding of human behaviour and information technology, and with a strong societal impact, both in medicine (e.g. understanding neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s) as well as in technology (e.g. developing artificial intelligence).

In our research group, we leverage modern neuroimaging techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and magnetoencephalography (MEG) to investigate brain systems that support transformation of experience into enduring memories. We seek to understand how mnemonic networks help us to map and navigate our geographical and memory landscapes and to assemble our rich inventory of knowledge.

The next generation

We care greatly that the next generation of neuroscientists receives the best possible training opportunities, and we enthusiastically contribute to the excellent educational programs for undergraduate and graduate students. We aim to provide our top students with all the skills necessary to become leaders in the future, both in science and beyond academia.

Public engagement

We also love to talk about science with the general public and the media. We get regularly involved in activities that promote public engagement with science, such as the Brain Awareness Week, public lectures, school visits and publications in popular science magazines. We enjoy giving interviews on TV, radio and in newspapers.

Meet our team

Principal investigator

Christian Doeller

Principal investigator | Winning world cups

Engineering knowledge
e-mail Christian

Lab coordination and Office

Merethe Andresen

Senior engineer | Adventurous traveler

All-round technician
e-mail Merethe

Natalia Breininger

Personal assistant to Christian | Haunting words & butterflies

Doeller lab helpdesk
e-mail Natalia

Anja Hanisch

Personal assistant to Christian | Magic, mystery and miracles

Doeller lab helpdesk
e-mail Anja

Elisabeth Murzik

Study assistant | Singing in the rain

Realization of study projects
e-mail Elisabeth

Kerstin Schumer

Lab coordinator | Figure skater

Organize and keep the lab together
e-mail Kerstin

Research staff

Marco Badwal

MD student | HIIT enthusiast

Visual and conceptual spaces
e-mail Marco

Irina Barnaveli

PhD candidate | Art and adventures

Cognitive spaces & action encoding
e-mail Irina

Rena Bayramova

PhD candidate | Analytical melomaniac

Learning and generalization
e-mail Rena

Marcia Bécu

Postdoc | Dog and ski addict

Aging navigational system
e-mail Marcia

Tora Bonnevie

Researcher | Horses and mountains

Translating knowledge
e-mail Tora

Felix Deilmann

PhD candidate | Exploring other countries & cultures

Mnemonic decision making
e-mail Felix

Salma Elnagar

PhD candidate | painting, dancing and reality TV shows

statement
e-mail Salma

Alexander Eperon

PhD candidate | Rocking out, aka. alpine climbing

Navigation of abstract spaces
e-mail Alex

Thomas Graham

PhD candidate (Lab Rotation) | Supporting rubbish football teams

Building knowledge of the world
e-mail Tom

Max Hinrichs

PhD student | Football player and sports enthusiast

Structure learning and generalization
e-mail Max

Qiaoli Huang

Postdoc | Hiking and cooking

Sequence working memory
e-mail Qiaoli

Moritz Jäckels

PhD candidate | “Lost in Translation”

Temporal processing in Alzheimer’s Disease
e-mail Moritz

Sein Jeung

PhD candidate | Games, memes, parrots

Mobile EEG for spatial navigation
e-mail Sein

Janis Keck

PhD candidate | addicted to ice-cream

Neural manifold learning
e-mail Janis

Casper Kerrén

Postdoc | Not easily impressed

Learning, memory and decision making in multidimensional feature spaces
e-mail Casper

Ivan Krasovec

Scientific assistant | the_brain --help

Spatial processing in the healthy and clinical brain
e-mail Ivan

Dörte Kuhrt

PhD candidate | All-round dilettante

Concept space
e-mail Dörte

Nicholas Menghi

Postdoc | Cats and pirates

Transfer learning
e-mail Nicho

Alexander Nitsch

PhD candidate | Immersed in books

Maps for memory and decision making
e-mail Alex

Leonardo Pettini

PhD candidate | Guitars, cetaceans, and nice wine

Representation learning in multidimensional feature spaces
e-mail Leonardo

Ignacio Polti

PhD candidate | Yerba Mate supplier

Time estimation and uncertainty
e-mail Ignacio

Volker Reisner

PhD candidate | Drums & outdoor activities

Deforming space
e-mail Volker

Fabian Renz

PhD candidate | basketball

Representation learning, generalization, abstraction, replay
e-mail Fabian

Daniel Reznik

Postdoc | Football and shopping

Memory networks
e-mail Daniel

Theo Schäfer

PhD candidate | Perpetual sight seeker

Structures of thought
e-mail Theo

Viktor Studenyak

PhD candidate (Lab Rotation) | Football and technology fan

Improving artificial neural systems
e-mail Viktor

Rebekka Tenderra

PhD candidate | Novice guitarist

Grid code for concept space
e-mail Rebekka

Simone Viganò

Postdoc | Pizzolo is the way

Knowledge across reference frames
e-mail Simone

Yangwen Xu

Postdoc | ACG, architecture, world

Cognitive maps and graphs
e-mail Yangwen

Alexey Zabolotny

PhD candidate | Lost in conceptual spaces

Dynamics of neuronal representations
e-mail Alexey

Student assistants and Master students

Sina Aurich

Student assistant | Music and new experiences

Expanding theoretical knowledge
e-mail Sina

Paul Brockmeyer

Student assistant | Cooking & Climbing

Learning something new
e-mail Paul

Maló Calmus

Intern | Passionate about arts and teaching

Replay & planning
e-mail Maló

Julia Hofschildt

Intern | Sports and video games

Intern
e-mail Julia

Leonard König

Student assistant | Pizza lover

Exploring scientific work
e-mail Leonard

Anna Krauspe

Student assistant | Ambitious to learn new things

Student assistant
e-mail Anna

Lola Kühn

Student assistant | Hobby portrait painter

Curious for scientific research
e-mail Lola

Meent Mangels

Student assistant | Wannabe Ent

Uncertainty, causal structures and topology
e-mail Meent

Florian Müll

Student assistant | Crafting fantasy worlds and stories

Fascinated by data
e-mail Florian

Paula Schneider

Student assistant | Books & football

Elevating research skills
e-mail Paula

Birte Steinberg

Student assistant | Coffee, books and animals

Connecting mind and brain
e-mail Birte

Klara Wessel

Intern | Mountains, movies and quizzes

Intern
e-mail Klara

Yeva Yemelianenko

Student assistant | Pilates & mental health

Helping others to get their PhD
e-mail Yeva

Alumni