Donders Centre for Cognition

Research institute

The Donders Centre for Cognition (DCC) is one of the six research centres of the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour and is embedded within the Faculty of Social Sciences of Radboud University. The DCC’s mission is to advance the science of cognition, in humans and artificial agents, using behavioural, theoretical, and computational approaches. In our work on human cognition, we study brain and behaviour in health and disease, and across the lifespan, aiming to discover functional and neural mechanisms. In our work on Artificial Intelligence (AI), our goals are to develop (brain-inspired) AI and to advance understanding of AI principles. We are a diverse team of scientists who conduct fundamental and interdisciplinary research, translate our findings to address societal challenges, and develop neurotechnology beyond current frontiers. We seek to build on a unique strength of the DCC: the integration of research on natural and artificial cognition.

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Highlights

Serge Thill

New Scientific Director of the Donders Centre for Cognition: Serge Thill

As of 1 March 2025, Serge Thill is the new scientific director of the Donders Centre for Cognition (DCC), succeeding James McQueen.

Een oude vrouw die zoekend kijkt

How does the aging brain deal with complex search?

Searching for your grandchildren in a crowded playground involves matching what you see (other children) with what you remember (your grandchildren). Iris Wiegand will investigate how our brains deal with such search tasks as we grow older.

Oncologist in white coat talking to patient. A network of nodes is in the foreground to empasise AI

Should we use AI to help cancer patients?

In the PersOn project, AI expert Johan Kwisthout is developing artificial intelligence that helps doctors and cancer patients make difficult treatment choices.

Research projects

oog

Seeing and thinking: Interplay between externally and internally generated neural representations

By using neuroimaging methods, behavioral experiments, and a bicycle simulator, the researchers will reveal how the brain combines seeing and visual thinking.

lampje

ELSA lab

In this ELSA lab, we study the technological, legal, and clinical-ethical aspects of AI technology that is certified to be used responsibly.

Man aan een neuro-apparaat

The ticklish brain

Tickle is one of the most enigmatic human sensations. This research will shed light on the neuroscience of tickling, and holds clinical implications for disorders characterised by aberrant responses to tickling, such as schizophrenia.

Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour

The Donders Centre for Cognition is embedded within the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour. 

Donders Institute logo

Visit the Donders Institute website

Visit the Donders Institute website

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