What we do

Our research focuses on the behavioral and neuropsychological dynamics underlying social, cognitive, affective, and motivational processes in humans. Specifically, we investigate how these processes and the underlying brain circuits (1) shape - and are shaped by - interactions with emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, chatbots, and social media; (2) contribute to mental health and mental disorders across the lifespan, including anxiety, depression, and addiction; and (3) can be improved through interventions such as neuropeptides (e.g., oxytocin, renin-angiotensin) or neurotechnology (e.g., real-time neurofeedback). To address these questions, our international and interdisciplinary team employs a comprehensive array of methods from psychology, cognitive and affective sciences, and computational neuroscience. In particular, we utilize experimental neuropsychology, advanced neuroimaging, machine learning-based neural decoding, artificial intelligence, as well as pharmacological interventions and real-time fMRI-informed neuromodulation in both healthy individuals and clinical populations.The team is led by Professor Benjamin Becker, inherently multidisciplinary and truly international with members from Germany, China Mainland, Hong Kong, Italy, Ghana and Kenya and established collaborations that cut across traditional borders and disciplines.