Lisa Musculus

Lisa Musculus is a post-doctoral researcher at the Psychological Institute, Department of Performance Psychology, German Sport University Cologne. She holds a PhD in Psychology and is actively involved in research, teaching, and PhD supervision. Her work spans sport psychology, cognitive-motor development, and performance science, with strong interdisciplinary applications.

Education:

• M.Sc. in Psychology, University of Cologne and University of Konstanz
• Dr. in Psychology, German Sport University Cologne

Her research focuses on the interaction between cognitive and motor processes in sports, particularly in children and youth. She explores how these processes develop and contribute to expertise in sports such as soccer, climbing, table tennis, and esports. Using a developmental embodied-cognition framework, she conducts experimental, longitudinal, and training studies, integrating cognitive testing, motor assessment (including Vicon), and psychophysiological data. Her work has practical implications for talent identification, individualized training, and health and education programs.

Her recent publications reflect a strong trend in decision-making, reinvestment under pressure, and perceptual-cognitive development in youth athletes. Topics include meta-analyses on option generation, psychophysiological reviews of reinvestment, and biomechanical studies of climbing expertise.

Scientific Awards:

• Best Dissertation Award (Life Sciences), German Sport University Cologne, 2019
• Member, Young Academy of the Academy of Sciences and Arts NRW, 2023
• Early Career Research Prize, German Society of Sport Psychology, 2014
• ASP Poster Prize (2nd Place), 2017
• Health Psychology Congress Poster Prize, 2015

Lisa Musculus supervises several PhD students working on elite female sports performance, soccer decision-making, perceptual-cognitive development, reinvestment, and esports cognition. She is also involved in major research projects such as 'in:prove', 'Climbing to yourself', and collaborations with professional clubs like 1.FC Köln and DSC Arminia Bielefeld. She teaches courses in motor learning, sport psychology, health psychology, and research methods.

Labs and Teams: She is part of the research group led by Prof. Markus Raab and collaborates extensively within the Department of Performance Psychology. Her work is embedded in the 'Mind in Motion' profile focus and involves interdisciplinary teams using advanced motor and cognitive assessment tools.