Carlotta Langer

Carlotta Langer is a researcher currently affiliated with the Psychology Department at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU Munich), where she works within the interdisciplinary field of embodied cognition and information theory. She also maintains a guest researcher position at the Institute for Data Science Foundations at Hamburg University of Technology, contributing to the DFG priority program "The Active Self."

Dr. Langer completed her undergraduate studies in Mathematics at Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg before pursuing her doctoral research at Hamburg University of Technology, where she earned her PhD with a dissertation titled "Information Integration in Embodied Systems" (2024).

Her research focuses on understanding how information flows through embodied systems, examining the intricate relationships between body, brain, and environment. Langer applies information-theoretic measures to quantify morphological computation and integrated information in embodied agents. Her work on complexity measures explores how systems exhibit properties that emerge from the interactions of their components, rather than from the components themselves. She also investigates information-geometric algorithms such as iterative scaling and the EM algorithm, analyzing their mathematical properties and applications to embodied cognition.

Langer's recent publications (2017-2025) demonstrate a consistent trajectory exploring the theoretical foundations of embodied cognition through the lens of information theory. Her work bridges disciplines including cognitive science, computer science, and complex systems theory, with particular emphasis on how physical embodiment shapes cognitive processes and information integration. She frequently collaborates with researchers like N. Ay and contributes to advancing mathematical frameworks for understanding consciousness and agency in embodied systems.

Dr. Langer has presented her research at multiple Models of Consciousness Conferences (2021-2024), demonstrating growing recognition of her work in theoretical cognitive science and consciousness studies. Her computational implementations are publicly available on GitHub, reflecting commitment to reproducible research.

Her laboratory work involves developing computational models of embodied agents, particularly examining how sensorimotor loops and morphological properties contribute to information processing efficiency. The code repositories associated with her publications demonstrate rigorous methodological approaches combining theoretical analysis with practical implementation.