Daniel Baldauf

Daniel Baldauf serves as Associate Professor at the Center for Mind/Brain Sciences (CIMeC), University of Trento, Italy, where he directs the MEG facility and leads the Attention Network Group. His academic appointments include Assistant Professor positions at CIMeC (2016-2019) and research scientist roles at MIT's McGovern Institute (2014-2018).

• PhD in Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich (2008)
• Diploma in Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich (2005)
• Graduate studies in Psychology and Neurobiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich (2000-2005)
• Fulbright Fellowship at Caltech (2006-2007)
• Postdoctoral training at MIT under Robert Desimone (2009-2014)

His research centers on neural communication mechanisms using multimodal neuroimaging. Key interests include directed information flow between brain areas through neural oscillations, with applications to visual/auditory attention, working memory, and executive control. His lab employs MEG/EEG, fMRI, DTI, and behavioral paradigms to investigate how oscillatory synchrony orchestrates perception and sensorimotor control across five integrated projects: top-down attention mechanisms, frequency tagging methodologies, functional-anatomical connectivity mapping, attention during sequential behavior, and sleep-state connectivity dynamics. The exceptional temporal resolution of MEG enables millisecond-precision analysis of large-scale network interactions.

Publication trends reveal consistent focus on attentional networks and neural synchrony, with increasing methodological sophistication in multimodal integration (MEG/fMRI/DTI) and computational approaches like 2D-Fourier frequency tagging. Recent work expands into sleep neurophysiology while maintaining core attention research.

• DFG Doctoral Grant (2005-2008)
• DAAD Study Abroad Grant (2006-2007)
• Fulbright Travel Grant (2007)
• Vision Science Society Student Investigator Award (2007)

Baldauf actively mentors through CIMeC's MA and PhD programs, teaching specialized courses in MEG analysis, computational methods, brain connectivity, and research ethics. His lab collaborates with Fondazione Bruno Kessler's Neuroinformatics group on DTI-fMRI integration. Current research leverages CIMeC's state-of-the-art MEG facility to explore neural dynamics across wakefulness and sleep cycles, with emphasis on how oscillatory patterns support cognitive functions. Future directions include refining causal inference in connectivity studies through transcranial stimulation and developing machine learning approaches for neural decoding.

The Attention Network Group maintains strong industry and academic partnerships, with Baldauf serving on editorial boards for Nature Scientific Reports and reviewing for 20+ top neuroscience journals including Neuron, Journal of Neuroscience, and NeuroImage.