Jessica Peter

Prof. Dr. Jessica Peter is a SNSF Professor and Head of Research at the University of Bern's Department of Old Age Psychiatry and Psychotherapy. She leads the Research Group Peter, focusing on cognitive functions in healthy and clinical populations using advanced neuroimaging (e.g., fMRI, 7T MRI) and non-invasive brain stimulation techniques. Her work explores aging-related cognitive decline, dementia biomarkers, and interventions like tDCS and cognitive training.

Education: PhD in Experimental Psychology (University of Freiburg, 2014), Diploma in Psychology (University of Bamberg, 2011). She completed postdoctoral research at the University of Bern and held a Habilitation in Experimental Psychiatry (2018). Awards include the COMET Career Program for Female Scientists (2019) and the 2015 Society of Neuropsychology Award.

Research Interests: Cognitive neuroscience of aging, neuropsychology, neuroimaging, brain stimulation, and dementia. Her group applies methods like real-time fMRI neurofeedback, electrical properties tomography, and blood-based biomarkers to study interventions targeting memory and attention.

Grants: SNSF Starting Grant (2023), Empiris Foundation, Bangerter-Rhyner Foundation. She advises multiple PhD students and collaborates internationally on projects like the Velux Foundation-supported studies.

Labs/Teams: Leads the interdisciplinary Research Group Peter at UPD, integrating clinical psychiatry, neuroimaging, and computational methods to address cognitive challenges in aging populations.