About our research
Research institute
This Master's is offered in close collaboration with the Donders Centre for Neuroscience (DCN) and the Donders Institute, a world-renowned research institute which explores the human brain, cognition, and behaviour across various disciplines. Our neuroscientists focus on understanding the complex neural networks underlying perceptual, motor and cognitive brain functions, by employing experimental as well as computational approaches.
Research groups
During your Master's, you can do your research internship at one of our research groups, for example:
The brain continuously processes information. The physical structure of the brain (its ‘hardware’) shapes this information processing and vice versa: the computations needed for information processing (the ‘software’) are adapted to the physical structure of the hardware. We study the relationship between the physical properties of the brain and its information processing, using a variety of theoretical methods, from (biophysical) neural network modelling to abstract coding models and advanced data analysis of experimental data. We collaborate closely with experimental neuroscientists, studying neurons, networks, and behaviour, unraveling together the fundamental functions of the brain.
We study sensorimotor integration in health and disease. We employ advanced psychophysics in humans (including patients) to study rapid eye-head gaze control, the vestibular, visual and auditory systems, and mechanisms underlying multisensory integration. In the Huygens building and at the UMC-CNS department we have fully-equipped and unique experimental setups to study human sound localization, visual perception, gaze control, and vestibular function.
The Neuroinformatics groups has three research themes; (1) to understand processing of sensory information in the brain, and the modulation thereof by cognitive factors, at the level of networks of spiking neurons, (2) to develop methods to analyze multivariate data recorded from the brain in order to quantify communication between cortical networks, and (3) to test theoretical hypotheses at the cortical microcircuit level by recording from cultures.
Within the department, Dr. Francesco Battaglia uses a systems neuroscience approach to study how the interaction between brain areas subserves memory and other cognitive processes.
The leaders of this group, Bert Kappen and Ton Coolen are trained as theoretical physicists, but have over the years worked mostly on applications of mathematical methods from statistical physics and information theory to modelling and inference problems at the interface between physics, biology, data science, computation, and medicine. The main six current research themes of the group are Machine learning and inference, Quantum computing, Medical statistics, Control theory, Modelling of complex systems and Networks and graphs.
We study the dynamics of interaction between brain areas related to memory encoding and acquisition. In particular we are interested in in the exchange of information between the hippocampus and the cerebral cortex. We are currently augmenting our methodological toolbox to include optogenetics stimulation, next generation silicon probes, closed loop pattern detection, thanks to two collaborative EU funded projects “ENLIGHTENMENT” and “NEUROSEEKER”. This will allow us to take the analysis of the neural dynamics of memory at the next level, potentially towards the manipulation of single memories, by combined readout and induction of neural patterns.
Researchers
Get to know our researchers and their work, you could be working alongside them in this Master's!
Research projects
Curious what our researchers are working on? Have a look at our ongoing projects.
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ProMiSe
In the multidisciplinary ProMiSe project, researchers intend to make a blueprint for how the integration of neurobiological and clinical knowledge can lead to improvement of care for patients with rare genetic syndromes.
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Donders Challenge: A dive into brain diversity
One of the least appreciated aspects of brain organization is its diversity across species.
Research facilities
To study the complex neural networks underlying perceptual, motor and cognitive brain functions in ever greater detail, Donders Centre for Neuroscience (DCN) has several state-of-the-art facilities, and is taking the lead in developing and implementing new techniques.