Lieneke Janssen

Lieneke Janssen is a cognitive neuroscientist and researcher at Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg and a visiting researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig. Her primary focus is on neurocognitive mechanisms of habits, decision-making, and compulsive behaviors, particularly in obesity and addiction contexts. She holds a PhD from Radboud University (2017) and has conducted postdoctoral research at Leipzig University and the IFB Adiposity Diseases. Her work integrates neuroimaging (fMRI, PET, EEG) and behavioral paradigms to study dopamine’s role in reinforcement learning and working memory. Key research themes include dopamine pathways, mindfulness interventions, and improving scientific practices through open science initiatives.

Education:

• PhD in Medical Sciences (2017), Radboud University, Nijmegen (Thesis: Neurocognitive mechanisms of compulsive behavior)
• MSc in Cognitive Neuroscience (2011), Radboud University
• BSc in Psychobiology (2009), University of Amsterdam

Research Interests: Habits and compulsivity, dopamine’s role in reward and decision-making, neuroimaging techniques, and promoting open science practices. Her work bridges basic neuroscience with translational research on obesity and addiction.

Grants & Advocacy: Co-founder of the MPI CBS Open Science initiative, advocate for DORA (San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment), and contributor to science communication platforms like Donders Wonders and Thinky & Brain.