The documentary, produced by Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR), follows Hannah, who was diagnosed with autism at the age of 35. Before the diagnosis, Hannah had spent her whole life feeling somehow ‘different’ without knowing exactly why.… More ..read more

Barbara has recently joined us as a postdoctoral scientist. Her research focus lies in the bio-psychological basis of mental illness and its treatment. In her current research project, she is interested in the effects and the bio-psycho-social correlates of altered states of consciousness in people with a history of trauma. Barbara’s breathwork study is funded by the Tiny Blue Dot Foundation ..read more

Our lab was represented at this year’s WTAS (Conference of the Scientific Society for Autism Research Germany) with several oral and poster presentations. We would like to thank all members who contributed to the success of the conference with their exciting contributions. We would especially like to congratulate Lena Matyjek and Mareike Bayer, who were honoured with the WTAS Poster Awards for their outstanding scientific work. Lena presented her latest findings on autistic particularities in looking preferences and pupillary responses to social motion (moving human faces). Her results suggest ..read more

Max Leidenberger has recently joined us as a PhD student! As a phychotherapist and Breathwork facilitator, Max’ research interests revolve around understanding psychological and physiological outcomes of this therapeutic practice. In his PhD he is investigating the effects of a Breathwork intervention on participants with childhood trauma. Max’ breathwork study is funded by the Tiny Blue Dot Foundation. We wish Max all the best for his doctoral studies ..read more

What mental health topics are important to you? Help us select the most relevant research topics! From February 22nd to March 14th, 2024, a nationwide three-week online dialogue will take place at https://kommit-deutschland.de/. All people aged 16 and over who have had personal experience with mental health problems or who are close to someone affected are invited to contribute their topics ..read more

Josh Hindmarsh has recently joined us as a PhD student! His research revolves around states of approach-avoidance conflict (i.e., competing motivations towards reward and away from harm). He looks forward to adapting an existing behavioural paradigm to explore these conflict states through a social lens while incorporating biological measures. Josh is pursuing his studies through the Max Planck School of Cognition, a doctoral program dedicated to advancing the understanding of cognitive processes through interdisciplinary and innovative approaches. We wish Josh all the best for his doctoral ..read more

Maria Badanova has recently joined us as a PhD student! Her research focuses on the altered states of consciousness (ASC) practices such as breathwork and mindfulness. She is particularly interested in identifying the therapeutic benefits as well as potential risks of ASC interventions, and in exploring the interplay of the challenging and the helpful. Maria conducts her studies within the Max Planck School of Cognition, a doctoral program dedicated to advancing the understanding of cognitive processes through interdisciplinary and innovative approaches. We wish her all the best for her doct ..read more

The TV program “Terra Xplore” explores the question What is empathy and can it be learnt?. Among other protagonists, the show follows Isabel Dziobek, who shares her experience in the field of empathy research and presents some amazing work from the Lab like the Zirkus Empathico or the EVA/SCOTT training. The documentary will be broadcast on September 03, 2023 at 18:00 on ZDF (in German) and can already be watched in the ZDF Mediathek. Link to the full size video (in German ..read more

Smart and Well: encouraging conversations about mental health in academiaIt is no secret that universities are high-pressure environments, where students are under constant stress to achieve top grades, secure internships and keep up with coursework. This pressure is only amplified when you are looking to move into academia and pursue a career in research. The demands of academia can be immense: from stressful deadlines, the expectation to constantly achieve in order to maintain the place in the field, and the need to keep up with an ever-changing environment. With contracts often lasting only ..read more

Article in “Psychology Today”: The Surprising Benefit of Helping Someone in Distress Have you ever watched a horror-movie alone? Surely most people would rather watch such a movie with their partner or a good friend. Of course, it’s reassuring to have a companion, who can calm you down in stressful situations. But the effect might also work the other way around: Comforting another person can help reducing your own distress. In an exciting fMRI experiment, Simón Guendelmann investigated the benefits of regulating a partner’s emotions and how regulating others’ emotions differs from regulating o ..read more