Felix Blankenburg

Felix Blankenburg is Professor and Chair of the Neurocomputation and Neuroimaging Unit at the Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin. His research investigates neural mechanisms of perception, cognition, and action using multimodal neuroimaging (fMRI, EEG) and neurostimulation (TMS, tDCS), with emphasis on somatosensory processing, sensory attenuation, and perceptual decision-making within virtual reality environments.

His primary research focuses on cognitive neuroscience and neuroimaging, exploring how the brain processes tactile information, integrates multisensory cues, and generates conscious perception. Key areas include Bayesian models of sensory prediction, neural correlates of working memory for tactile stimuli, cross-modal influences (e.g., language on touch), and computational mechanisms of perceptual decisions. His work bridges experimental neuroscience with theoretical frameworks like active inference.

Recent publications (2023-2025) reveal strong trends in multimodal integration methodologies, predictive coding applications in somatosensation, and clinical translation through neurostimulation. He pioneers concurrent TMS-fMRI and virtual reality paradigms to probe causal brain mechanisms, with growing emphasis on therapeutic applications for mental health as evidenced by the PREACT research unit.

Professor Blankenburg supervises PhD students including:

• Gianluigi Giannini
• Guido Caccialupi
• Jona Förster

He serves as principal investigator for the DFG-funded Research Unit 5187 PREACT, developing neuroimaging biomarkers to predict psychotherapy response in non-respondent patients through fMRI-based signatures.

The Neurocomputation and Neuroimaging Unit, under his leadership, integrates computational modeling with empirical neuroscience. The team comprises postdocs, PhD students, and research staff collaborating on projects spanning tactile perception, decision neuroscience, and clinical applications of neuroimaging.