Melanie Karthaus

Dr. Melanie Karthaus serves as a Researcher in the Experimental Ergonomics department at the Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors (IfADo) in Dortmund, Germany. She operates within the Ergonomics research division under Department Head Prof. Dr. Edmund Wascher, focusing on age-related cognitive changes in complex tasks like driving. Her work bridges neuroscience, psychology, and human factors engineering to address challenges in an aging workforce and driving population.

Her research centers on cognitive aging processes, particularly examining how executive functions change with age and impact real-world activities. Key areas include:

• Age-related differences in driving behavior and safety
• Neurophysiological correlates of cognitive load using EEG
• Compensatory strategies for aging drivers
• Monotony and fatigue effects across the lifespan
• Human-robot collaboration design principles

Current projects investigate neural mechanisms underlying proactive versus reactive driving behaviors in older adults through the Dortmunder-Bonner Longitudinal Study (DoBoLSiS).

Her publication analysis reveals consistent focus on driving safety across aging populations, with recent expansion into human-robot collaboration. Methodologically, she specializes in mobile EEG applications within realistic environments, contributing to neuroergonomics field validation. Collaborative patterns show sustained partnership with the IfADo Ergonomics team, particularly with Wascher, Getzmann, and Reiser across multiple high-impact studies.