How are objects represented in the brain and how does the brain realize memory and recognition? Oscillations are ubiquitous in the brain. Do these oscillations contribute to the objects representations, to memorization and recognition? What are the mechanisms underlying the oscillations and what is their information processing functionality? How can understanding these issues help to make computers smarter?

Our group is interested in mathematical and computational understanding of intelligent information processing in brains and computers. To study fundamental problems of cognitive processing in machine intelligence helps to identify the information processing challenges that brain dynamics has to solve.  Understanding the mechanisms underlying cognitive processes in the brain should inspire new approaches to machine intelligence.

Oscillations are ubiquitous in the brain.  Correspondingly, our group is particularly interested in uncovering the functional role of such oscillations. We concentrate on the functional relevance and interplay of cortical oscillations in the alpha (~10 Hz), beta (~20 Hz), gamma (30-90 Hz), and theta (4-8 Hz) ranges, with a particular emphasis on the visual system.

Our theoretical competence at the Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies (FIAS) complements the experimental  neurophysiological findings at our partner institutes, the Ernst-Strüngmann-Institute (ESI) in cooperation with Max-Planck-Society and the Max-Planck-Institute for Brain Research, both located in our neighborhood in Frankfurt.

Fellow Detail