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.
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 that lowered preferences for social motion in autism persist across lifespan and may serve as a potential marker for the condition, even in adulthood (preprint available here).
Mareike presented a study investigating the interests of autistic individuals (often referred to as special interests). While previous studies have focused on the negative aspects and consequences of these interests, Mareike’s work highlights their importance as a strategy for emotion regulation and a source of knowledge. The results emphasise the potential of autistic people’s interests to improve mental health and wellbeing and the need to reduce associated stigma.
Max Leidenberger has recently joined us as a PhD student!
As a psychotherapist 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!
Nina Hartter has recently joined us as a PhD student!
Her research interests revolve around altered states of consciousness induced by contemplative traditions and if and how they can benefit clinical and non-clinical populations. In her PhD she is investigating the effects of a breathwork intervention on the wellbeing and socio-emotional functioning of people with traumatic childhood experiences.
Nina’s breathwork study is funded by the Tiny Blue Dot Foundation.
We wish Nina all the best for her doctoral studies!
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.
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 studies!
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 doctoral studies!
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)
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 a few years and having to move around frequently to find work it can become difficult to plan for the future or maintain personal and professional relationships. With all this in mind, it is no surprise that mental health issues are on the rise. Academia can be rewarding in many ways and while the causes of mental health issues are complex and varied, for many academics, the only way to cope with the constant pressure is to sacrifice their personal well-being. The impact of mental health issues on academics should not, therefore, be underestimated. This is something that needs to be addressed more openly in universities, as it can have repercussions even on the most resilient individuals. Smart and Well is an initiative of a group of students and researchers from different institutions in Berlin aiming to increase awareness about mental health in academia. The mission of the project is set to foster well-being and prevent distress in students and early career researchers by providing information on, creating awareness for, and destigmatising the topic of mental health. The team is currently working on an interview series with experts in different mental health-related fields such as psychology, healthcare, coaching, and others. Based on surveys conducted by some of the group members, the conversations with experts will address topics that are currently prevalent among academics based in Germany. Some topics that will be covered are for instance academic-related stress management, depression and anxiety among students and early career researchers, the available support provided by healthcare institutions in Germany and many more. All this is a step further towards encouraging open conversations about mental health in academia, enforcing appropriate work/life balance, and providing adequate support for students and researchers when needed. With proper awareness, care and knowledge that help is available, academics should be able to reach their full potential without sacrificing their well-being.The Smart and Well initiative has been kindly encouraged by Scholar Minds, the Institute of Psychology of the Humboldt University and the Hochschulisches Gesundheitsmanagement of the Humboldt University. The project would not have been able to reach its extent without the great support of the funding program for digital media in research, teaching, and studies “Designing hybrid learning 2022” developed by the Media Commission of the Academic Senate of the Humboldt University. Thanks to the support of this program, it has been possible to acquire professional recording equipment and hire a student assistant to take care of the technical setup, do research, and facilitate communication with the experts.The interviews will be released later this year in a podcast format which will be available for free on many well-known streaming platforms. The podcast will be useful for but not limited to anyone studying and pursuing an academic degree in Germany. More updates about the project will be available soon.If you have in mind a specific topic that you would like to hear or maybe talk about on the podcast, you are more than welcome to get in touch by emailing the Smart and Well team at smartwell.hgm@hu-berlin.de.
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 one’s own emotions in the brain. An article on the “Psychology Today” website features this research and gives a great overview of the study.
You can find the “Psychology Today” article here and the original research paper in “NeuroImage” here.