Team

Leonie Rumpf, M.Sc.

PhD Student

I joined the lab in summer 2022 to work on a project investigating the noradrenaline- and opioid system in emotional memory consolidation as part of the RTG 2753.

Before, I did my Bachelor's in Psychology and Neuroscience and completed my Master's in Neuropsychology both at Maastricht University. During an internship, I got introduced to research with psychiatric patients using fMRI. For my Master's thesis I then studied the neural correlates of interoception and related self-disturbance in Borderline Personality Disorder. Thereby, I realised that I would like to continue working with neuroimaging techniques and improve my skills related to that. Throughout my studies, however, I have always been most curious about neuropharmacology to study neurobiological underpinnings of emotion and behavior. Thus, now I am more than happy to combine those methods in my PhD.  

Felix Klaassen, PhD

Post-doc

I joined the lab in Summer 2024 as a postdoctoral researcher in the DFG Research Unit (5389), and I am investigating the implementation of dynamic updating of threat beliefs within endogenous opioidergic pathways and cortico-spinal systems.

Before, I did my Bachelor in Psychology and Research Master in Cognitive Neuroscience at the Radboud University in Nijmegen (Netherlands). I did my PhD also in Nijmegen, at the Experimental Psychopathology and Affective Neuroscience (EPAN) lab headed by prof. Karin Roelofs at the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour. During my PhD, I investigated the role of defensive freezing states in instrumental approach-avoidance decision making. For this, I combined computational modelling of choice behaviour, psychophysiological measures (e.g., heart rate and skin conductance), and neuroimaging techniques (i.e., fMRI and MEG) to investigate how the human brain integrates internal physiological states and external reward/threat information into a decision when freezing in the face of threat (i.e., electrical shocks). 

In general, I am fascinated by the neurobiological systems involved in solving complex decision-making problems, particularly when evolutionary stakes are high (e.g., under threat). 

Simon Knobloch, Physician

Study Physician

I joined the team in May 2023 as a study physician in a study on the influence of morphine and propranolol on aversive learning.

Before, I studied Medicine in Aachen and started my residency in psychiatry at the Medical Center Hamburg Eppendorf. For my dissertation project I studied the neural basis of emotion perception and sharing deficits in schizophrenia in the neuropsychology working group of Prof. Ute Habel.

Lara Hille, M.Sc. Physician

Study Physician

I joined the lab in summer 2024 as a study physician in the "Sonderforschungsbereich 289" and to do research in observational learning.

Before joining the lab, I did my Bachelor´s in Psychology at the Humboldt University, Berlin and at Lunds Universitet. Afterwards, I studied medicine at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf and finished my Master´s in Psychology at Hamburg University. In my Master´s thesis I looked at metaanalyses in Child Psychotherapy from a methodological point of view. In early 2023, I started my residency in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University Medical Center Hamburg Eppendorf. While working at the Department of Biological Psychology and Neuropsychology at Hamburg University, I became interested in neuropsychology and neuroimaging and am now happy to be able to combine clinical work with resuming my research interests.

Christian Stratmann

Student assistant

Rebekka Roos

Student assistant

Alumni

Saregül Subasi (Student Assistant)

Franziska Leimeister (Trainee Psychology)

Stefanie Böckmann (Trainee Pharmacy)

Merlin Litke (Student Assistant)

Tahmine Fadai, MD (Study Physician)

Florian Ganzer (Study Physician)

Roland Esser, PhD (post-doc) 

Adriane Höhfeld (Trainee Pharmacy, PJ)

Jonas Rauh, MD (Study Physician)

Smilla Weisser (Student Assistant)

Jannis Petalas (Student Assistant)

Theresa Janssen (Intern)

Marian Boor (Intern)

Madeleine Müller (Post-doc)

Benedikt Niersmann (Student Assistant)