We are interested in the cognitive and affective processes that help us to understand and interact with others and how these processes are implemented in the brain. We investigate the interindividual and situational factors that play a role in empathy, action imitation and aggression and their neurobiological basis. We use methods of experimental psychology together with functional imaging (fMRI) and EEG to identify relevant brain regions and electrophysiological signatures that are indicators of social cognition and empathy. One focus of our work is to investigate the influence of hormones on affective behavior.

We also have long-standing expertise in research on neural correlates of cognitive control and action monitoring. In more methodical projects, we investigate functional and structural brain networks and how these are altered by cognitive or affective processes on the one hand and by psychiatric or neurological disorders on the other.