Falk Huettig

Falk Huettig is a Senior Investigator at the Max Planck Institute (MPI) for Psycholinguistics in Nijmegen and an Invited Full Professor of Psychology at the University of Lisbon. He holds Honorary Professorship at the University of Kaiserslautern-Landau. Previously, he was a Full Professor of Psycholinguistics and Cultural Cognition at Radboud University (2019–2024). His research spans cultural cognition, predictive processing, and the impact of literacy on the brain. He uses neuroimaging, behavioral experiments, and computational modeling to explore how cultural tools like writing reshape cognition.

Education:

• BSc Biological Sciences (Psychology), University of Edinburgh (2000)
• MSc by Research in Psychology, University of Edinburgh (2001)
• PhD in Psychology, University of York (2004)
• Habilitation in Psychology, University of Münster (2013)

Research Focus:
Huettig investigates how literacy acquisition alters brain structure/function (e.g., cortical/subcortical networks), the role of prediction in language comprehension, and cultural influences on cognition. His work spans diverse populations, including illiterate adults, children, and multilingual speakers. Key themes include neuronal recycling, cross-modal interactions, and the 'literate mind hypothesis.'

Grants & Leadership:

• Max Planck Society Strategic Grants (2010–2017)
• Scientific Council Representative for MPI (2009–2015)
• President, Society for Cognitive Science of Culture (2018–present)

Labs & Collaborations:
His research is affiliated with the Donders Institute and the MPI, focusing on interdisciplinary projects combining psychology, neuroscience, and anthropology. Current work emphasizes Looking Ahead: The New Science of the Predictive Mind (Cambridge, 2025).