Our Research
The quest of unraveling a person’s motive has captivated our imagination since the dawn of humankind. To parse motivation, our lab uses functional neuroimaging techniques combined with detailed behavioral, physiological, and psychological assessments. We build statistical and computational models decoding motivation and latent desires based on extensive measurements. By capitalizing on big data from many different modalities, we envision predicting future actions in everyday life. Such detailed knowledge is indispensable in improving treatments for many mental disorders, which are characterized by seemingly inappropriate actions or desires: Why is he no longer enjoying his favorite dish? Why can she not stop eating the cake although she is no longer hungry?
Our Mission
Our mission is to unravel the neurobiological mechanisms of action and desire by leveraging meticulous experiments and advanced data science tools. We aim to assess their translational potential to enhance treatments for patients with motivational dysfunctions.
Our Approach
To foster rapid translation of our insights, our lab is fully committed to open research practices. We are happy to share our work, help you implement a new technique, or receive your feedback on how we can improve. Moreover, we are committed to scientific outreach. If you are interested in learning more about our work, please get in touch with us and follow us for regular updates.
Our lab is affiliated with the Section of Medical Psychology at the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bonn, and the Section of Translational Psychiatry at the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health, University of Tübingen. We are also part of the newly established German Center for Mental Health (DZPG).