Hauke Heekeren

Hauke Heekeren is a full Professor in the Division of Biological Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience within the Department of Education and Psychology at Freie Universität Berlin. He leads a research group focused on the neural mechanisms underlying human decision-making, emotion regulation, and social cognition, utilizing neuroimaging and computational approaches.

His research interests center on understanding how the human brain processes value, makes perceptual and economic decisions, regulates emotions, and engages with social environments, including digital platforms like social media. His work integrates methods from cognitive neuroscience, psychology, and computational modeling to explore fundamental aspects of brain function.

The recent publications highlight a strong trend in investigating decision-making under uncertainty, the neural valuation system, emotion regulation strategies, and the social brain. His studies frequently employ fMRI and behavioral paradigms to dissect the prefrontal-striatal and fronto-parietal circuits involved in cognition. Over time, his research has expanded from basic perceptual decisions to complex social and economic behaviors.

While no specific awards are listed in the provided content, his publication record in top-tier journals such as Nature Human Behaviour, Nature Neuroscience, and PNAS reflects significant scientific impact and recognition in the field of cognitive neuroscience.

As a principal investigator, he likely supervises graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, though no named students are listed. His work is supported by research grants, implied by his extensive publication output and institutional position, though specific funding sources are not detailed in the provided text.

He is affiliated with the Division of Biological Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience at Freie Universität Berlin, where he conducts research using advanced neuroimaging techniques to explore the neural basis of human behavior.