Friedhelm Christoph Hummel

Friedhelm Christoph Hummel is a Full Professor and Defitech Chair of Clinical Neuroengineering at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology EPFL, where he leads the Hummel Lab within the Brain Mind Institute and Neuro X Institute. His research spans neuroscience, neuroengineering, and neurorehabilitation with a focus on developing neurotechnological interventions for neurological disorders. He maintains dual institutional affiliations with EPFL's Campus Biotech in Geneva and the Clinique Romande de Réadaptation in Sion.

Professor Hummel's research interests center on stroke recovery, healthy aging, motor control and learning, cognitive control, neuroplasticity, non-invasive brain stimulation techniques, and structural and functional neuroimaging. His work integrates knowledge from basic, systems, clinical, and computational neuroscience with engineering principles to develop novel methods for clinical application in patients with neuropsychiatric disorders. A key focus is the development of personalized, neurotechnological interventions tailored to individuals to enhance functional recovery of sensorimotor and cognitive functions following neurological disorders such as stroke, traumatic brain injury, or neurodegenerative conditions.

His recent publications reveal a strong emphasis on transcranial temporal interference stimulation (TTIS) as a groundbreaking approach for non-invasive deep brain neuromodulation, with applications extending beyond movement disorders. His research demonstrates how non-invasive brain stimulation can improve motor skill learning, spatial navigation, and cognitive functions in both healthy participants and patient populations. The work integrates advanced brain imaging techniques, computational modeling, and robotics to develop precision neurorehabilitation approaches.

Professor Hummel was awarded the prestigious 2024 Fürst Donnersmarck Research Prize for Neurorehabilitation, recognizing his transformative research published in Nature Neuroscience (2023) that demonstrated how non-invasive brain stimulation can improve motor skill learning in humans for the first time. This work particularly highlighted the ability to target deep brain structures like the striatum using transcranial temporal interference stimulation.

He supervises numerous PhD students both current and past, including Cadet De Fontenay Paul, Di Ponzio Michele, Jones Rebecca, Losacco Simona, Lugli Beatrice, Paul Thomas, Ploumitsakou Maria, Protani Andrea, Skarvelaki Stavroula, Windel Fabienne, Beanato Elena, Bevilacqua Michele, Bigoni Claudia, Brügger Julia, Cadic-Melchior Andéol, Draaisma Laurijn, Durand-Ruel Manon, Evangelista Giorgia, Maceira Elvira Pablo, Salamanca Giron Roberto, and Vassiliadis Pierre. His research is supported by multiple grants and collaborative projects including the DiSCoVeR project examining cognitive control video games paired with tDCS for depression treatment.

The Hummel Lab is a dynamic research environment focused on translating neuroscientific discoveries into clinical applications. The lab combines virtual reality, non-invasive brain stimulation, advanced brain imaging techniques, and computational approaches to develop personalized therapies. Recent work includes groundbreaking research on spatial navigation in healthy participants using virtual reality and transcranial temporal interference stimulation, with implications for addressing dementia in aging populations without medication or surgery.