Projects & News

Current projects

Grassfields (from January 2025) - 300.000 + 75.000 Euros - Prof. Ineke van der Ham, Jos van der Hage, Angus Mol, Dr. Judith Schomaker

A trip through space: A flexible learning environment for 3D-learning

A wide variety of courses in higher education rely on 3D visualization for a solid understanding of the material. Students study topics such as anatomical structures, archaeological excavations, legal evidence, mechanical processes, and molecular compounds. However, there is significant variation in spatial reasoning skills among university students, which we have shown to affect learning outcomes for objectives based on spatial information.

Our innovative teaching method, SpatialMind, leverages augmented/virtual reality technology to make 3D learning materials—whether involving (brain) anatomy, molecular models, or architecture—widely accessible to students of all spatial skill levels. The proposed innovation involves scaling up a learning platform that presents 3D models alongside background information and assignments. Playful interaction, guided by the principles of resonant game design, will play a key role in achieving optimal learning outcomes.

The proof-of-concept focuses on the brain, with findings intended to be applied to other models regardless of subject or field of study. Upon completion of the project, we will deliver SpatialMind: a platform where diverse 3D models can be flexibly integrated. Students will be able to observe, interact with, and complete tasks related to these models in a structured way. The inclusive, immersive approach of SpatialMind will enable learning objectives to be achieved more effectively and efficiently.

NWA Science Communication (from January 2025) - 150.000 Euros - Prof. Ineke van der Ham, Dr. Dietsje Jolles, Dr. Sylvia van Beugen, Dr. J. Schomaker

Lost: A platform for individuals who have issues with navigation

Getting lost is a common experience, especially in our progressively complex environment with increasing demands on mobility. In a recently discovered developmental condition, Developmental Topographical Disorientation (DTD), navigation ability is exceptionally impaired from birth in the absence of neurological or cognitive impairments. An estimated 3% of the population suffers from DTD: >500.000 in the Netherlands, of which ~100.000 children. In our recent work, individuals with DTD reported limiting social interactions, avoiding complex environments, and even discontinuing professional and educational activities because they experience severe difficulties travelling alone, which poses a significant threat to personal safety. DTD is largely unknown to the general public, and even to those who have it. Strikingly, no research has been done on DTD in children yet, even though strategies to minimize the lifelong impact of DTD are likely to be more effective earlier than later in life. Together with game developers and science communicators we aim to stimulate the identification of DTD at a young age (>8) and to develop a strategy training game that will teach them effective compensatory strategies to navigate. Our expertise in assessment and training of navigation impairment after brain injury provides a solid foundation. Our recent findings indicate that a landmark-based strategy would be most effective, as landmark memory is mostly unaffected in DTD. The proposed project will result in a better understanding in the condition of DTD, especially in children, and will help gain awareness of the disorder and insight into how to increase safety in individuals with DTD.)

Center for Human Drug research collaboration - 266.253 Euro - Prof. Gabriel Jacobs, Dr. Franz Wurm, Dr. J. Schomaker

Dopaminergic modulation of memory and reward processing 

Novelty is a biological significant signal and enhances various cognitive functions, including memory encoding, to ensure that an organism is optimally prepared to respond to novel events. Facilitation of memory encoding by novelty is thought to be a result of hippocampal plasticity, mediated by dopamine originating from the midbrain ventral tegmental area (VTA). Recent research identified dopamine release from the locus coeruleus (LC) capable of enhancing memory retention, suggesting that the VTA is not the sole source of novelty-induced hippocampal plasticity. There are thus, hints regarding the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the effects of novelty on memory, owing to the groundwork in animals where the beneficial effects of novelty on memory have been investigated extensively. Here we aim to identify the role of dopamine in novelty-facilitated memory, using a cross-over design with a dopaminergic manipulation, including a dopamine agonist, dopamine antagonist and placebo condition. 

Grass shoots (2023-2024) - 7.455 Euro - Prof. Ineke van der Ham, Dr. J. Schomaker

Dementia up-close in Virtual Reality

Together with Dr. Ineke van der Ham & Monika Theron we will add immersive course material to the first-year bachelor course Bio- and Neuropsychology (coordinated by Dr. J. Schomaker), that will allow students to encounter patients with dementa. At LLInC (Leiden Learning & Innovation Centre), 360° videos have been developed that show patients during 4 different everyday scenarios. These high-quality videos are made with professional actors and the scenarios can be viewed with the Oculus Quest 2 Virtual Reality headset. The resulting immersive experience with will help students gain a more realistic and detailed perspective on their future field of work, before they have reached the clinical internship phase of their studies, at the end of their Master’s program. We aim to investigate whether immersion (by using Oculus Quest 2 rather than a regular flat (2D) computer screen) benefits the user experience and understanding of dementia. Therefore, we will make use of a formal experimental set up, where we compare the level of understanding of dementia and user experience between both display types (Oculus Quest 2 vs regular screen) and between two video modalities (real actors vs animation). 

NWO Open Competition Talent Grant (2022; ongoing) - 49.915 Euro - Dr. J. Schomaker

It takes two to tango: The two mechanisms by which exposure to a novel environment can promote memory

When you visit a new place, it is important to learn about that environment quickly to avoid dangerous places and find rewards on a future visit. Research in animals has shown that exposure to a new environment improves memory and that both the dopamine and noradrenaline systems underlie these effects. Although positive effects of novelty on memory have also been found in humans, the neurobiological mechanisms have not yet been investigated. The aim of this project is to investigate whether dopamine and noradrenaline also play a role in the positive effects of novelty on memory in humans. 

keywords: novelty; dopamine; noradrenaline; pharmacological intervention

From August 2023 Franz Wurm will join the Novelty Lab as a post-doc!

LUF grant - Gratama Funds (2021; ongoing) - 24.984 Euro - Dr. J. Schomaker

Replacing fear with something new: Using novelty to unlearn fear 

keywords: conditioning; fear learning; extinction; novelty; fMRI

Kreeta Kerkäanen, Svetlin Hansov, Arwin Quaak and Fleur Mulder support this project as research assistant and/or master students!

LUF grant - Elise Mathilde Foundation (2020; finished) -  9.997 Euro - Dr. J. Schomaker

Unfamiliar territory: Exploring new worlds in your familiar environment

keywords: virtual reality; novelty; declarative memory; aging

Celine van der Linden supported this project as a research assistant

Neuromarketing

Together with Dr. Marco Vriens and his company Kwantum Analytics I am applying insights from neuroscience to marketing research and translating these to marketing applications.

Using a Tobii Pro x20-30 eye tracker we are able to rapidly and reliably monitor eye movements and attentional deployment. 

In one study, we were able to influence food-related decisions by manipulating attention in a top-down fashion using cues.

In the future we aim to combine techniques, including eye tracking, EEG, skin conductance, emotion recognitiion, and memory estimates to optimize marketing strategies.

We have worked on projects for several big companies (including the Boar's Head and LinkedIn).

Articles

Marketing tricks: keep your eyes peeled (2019) 

Schomaker, J., Vriens, M. (2019). What I see is what I want: Top-down attention influencing choice behavior. Journal of Business Research. 

Vriens, M., & Schomaker, J. (2019). Evaluation of a brand association density metric. Journal of Product & Brand Management.

Older projects

In did my post-doctoral research in Bianca Wittmann's lab at the Justus Liebig University in Giessen (Germany) I investigated the interaction between motivational factors and low-visual characteristics in affecting attention and (reinforcement) learning as part of an overarching SFB project investigating the Cardinal Mechanisms of Perception: Prediction, Valuation, Categorization.

We combined computational modeling approaches and fMRI methods to investigate the effects of visual salience on reinforcement learning in collaboration with Nathaniel Daw (Princeton University) and Katherine Duncan (Toronto University). Our findings show that visual salience can bias attention and promote reinforcement learning processes in the brain.

In collaboration with Wolfgang Einhäuser-Treyer I investigated how both visual and motivational factors guide attention using naturalistic stimuli and eye tracking methods. In an ongoing line of research we are investigating how old and new information is processed in the brain, and which role different neuromodulatory systems play in these processes using pupil dilation measures. The first findings have revealed interesting differences over the time-course of the pupillary response. 

We created a database with motivational objects and naturalistic scenes (MONS) containing motivational objects. We already used the stimuli in a series of experiments and found interesting effects on attention and memory. The database is also useful if you want to control for affective-motivational factors, but still want to employ naturalistic stimuli. The database will be freely available after publication. Please contact me for more information: judith.schomaker [at] gmail.com

For more info, see: Project B1 - SFB

PhD research

My PhD research has focused on how different types of novelty affect cognition, ranging from perception, attention and action to learning and motivation. I am specifically interested in linking cognitive effects to mechanisms in the brain, using neuroimaging, psychophysiological measures and pharmacological interventions. So far, I have found exciting effects of novelty across all these cognitive processes. For example, stimulus novelty can improve perception and facilitate responses, while spatial novelty can improve learning and memory.

Recently, I also became interested in how higher and lower-level stimulus characteristics affect motivated behavior. I employed eye tracking techniques, and computational modeling to investigate (reinforcement) learning using naturalistic stimuli.

For more info, see: New! Investigating novelty's consequences on brain and behaviour

Stimuli

Recently we created a database including Natural and Ultra-Processed Food (NUPF) items. The Natural & Ultra-Processed Foods (NUPF) database includes 40 images of healthy and unhealthy food stimuli photographed on a grey background. Twenty images depict a natural food item (such as an apple) or lightly processed item (such as cheese) and twenty images depict an ultra-processed item (e.g., a chocolate bar).

Ratings were obtained from two sets of participants. The first group (n = 70) rated the stimuli on approachability (approach/avoid), desirability, popularity, and healthiness. The second group (n = 90) rated the same items on valence, arousal, and recognizability. Participant details can be found in Table 1 (which can be found in the NUPFdatabase.zip). Natural foods are typically considered healthier than ultra-processed foods, therefore tentative category labels regarding healthiness are included as well. 

The NUPF stimuli can be downloaded here.

During my post-doc phase we developped a stimulus set with Motivational Objects in Natural Scenes (MONS) including over 800 objects and >100 matched scenes. We obtained ratings for the scenes and objects in the database, including ratings on arousal, valence, motivational (e.g., desirability and approach/avoid) and recognizability. 

The MONS stimuli can be downloaded here.

Please use the following citation when using the MONS database in your studies:

Schomaker, J., Rau, E. M., Einhäuser, W., & Wittmann, B. C. (2017). Motivational objects in natural scenes (MONS): A database of> 800 objects. Frontiers in psychology, 8, 1669. 

Popular science projects

In 2020 (during the pandemic!) we conducted a study as part of Science Live in the Nemo Science Center in Amsterdam. For more information (in Dutch), see: Nemo Science Live: Ben jij een avonturier?

In 2012 we conducted a study as part of Science Live in the Nemo Science Center in Amsterdam. For more information (in Dutch), see: Nemo Science Live: "Hoe reageer jij op nieuwe dingen?"

General

Research Interests

Motivation; Novelty; Attention; Visual Perception; Learning and Memory; Psychopharmacology

Methods

EEG/ERP technique; Psychophysics; Eye tracking/pupil dilation; fMRI; Patient studies; Pharmacological interventions; Computational modeling

Current Projects